Why You Shouldn’t Give Up On Your Writing

Stephen King didn’t get his first book published until he was 27. Carrie was published in April of 1974. However, it was almost doomed to a life in the dump. King had thrown it away, but his wife spied it in the garbage can and rescued the incomplete manuscript. She then encouraged him to to continue with the idea.

Stephen King is considered one of the most prolific writers of our time. He has written over 200 short stories and published over 54 novels. His novels are also on the hefty side often, usually containing over 600 pages. Carrie was rejected a whopping 30 times before publisher Doubleday picked up the horror fiction novel about a girl with telekinesis powers.

Had Stephen King thrown Carrie’s manuscript out (again) after being rejected a handful of times, would we have all of his wonderfully horrific stories at our fingertips?

I doubt it.

James Patterson has 114 bestsellers under his belt out of the 147 he’s written. However, he struggled to get his first novel published just like most writers. His first novel wasn’t published until 1976, when he was 29. It sold a modest 10,000 copies. Now he has an estimated 44 million published books in various languages.

What if James Patterson had given up before he got his first book published?

We wouldn’t have Alex Cross.

Who says you can’t have numerous bestsellers penned by you? The difference between an aspiring author and a published author is one of them gave up before they made the breakthrough they needed. In today’s world, a writer doesn’t even have to pitch to various publishing houses hoping to get in the door. Authors can publish their own books using services like the one Amazon offers. With the internet at the fingertips of millions, everyday writers are finding their tribe and building their audience on social media.

Who says you can’t do it too?

If you find yourself keeping a notebook with you at all times, getting hit with writing ideas at the worst possible times, and daydreaming about having your own books on the shelves then you should keep writing. You should write when you feel like you can’t run out of words and when you feel like you can’t find the right words anywhere. Write 1,000 words one day and 300 the next. Just write and write and don’t give up. If you don’t believe in your writing, it’ll be extremely hard for others to believe in it.

-BFoundAPen

If you enjoyed this post, please leave a couple claps and feedback is always appreciated. I hope you have a wonderful day! 💞