Never Toss Your Bestseller Into The Garbage

@porwest (78759)
United States
January 6, 2019 3:38pm CST
As I think about so many writers here on this site, and in other places, artists, musicians, aspiring actors...whatever...I think of how many people so quickly and easily give up their dreams thinking they simply will never make it. And then I think of the story of Stephen King. One of the most prolific and bestselling authors of our time. He is now worth many millions of dollars. But he almost threw in the towel. Honestly, I don't think he actually WOULD have ultimately thrown in the towel. But he sold a few short stories here and there. He was struggling to make ends meet. He was receiving rejection after rejection on anything he wrote. Then, he wrote Carrie. He started the book, and he HATED it. Into the garbage can it went. While he (Stephen King) was writing Carrie he basically decided writing was not for him and he better decide to get on with doing something else or he would be broke the rest of his life. His wife Tabitha found the manuscript in the garbage can. She fished it out, sat down, and began to read. "Why did you throw this away?" she asked Stephen. "It's garbage. I don't think this writing thing is my gig." He said. In so many words she told him, "I think you should finish this one." And the rest is history. He's been one of the top selling authors with so many books, and many have been made into movies and television series. Had he given up, there might not be this body of work we all can enjoy and he would not have ultimately become a household name and a millionaire. NEVER fear what you have talent for. NEVER accept rejection as confirmation you can't make it. ALWAYS keep trying. One day, if it is right, the cards will be drawn and you will have a winning hand. Hell, Bonnie Rait didn't become a superstar until well into her 40s. Imagine if SHE had given up? You are never too old to achieve and if your work is good enough SOMEONE will eventually figure that out. The ONLY failure is giving up trying.
17 people like this
15 responses
@MALUSE (69409)
• Germany
6 Jan 19
Are you a motivational coach?
3 people like this
@porwest (78759)
• United States
6 Jan 19
No. Should I be?
2 people like this
@MALUSE (69409)
• Germany
6 Jan 19
@porwest Well, your post reads as if you were one. If you aren't, you should maybe think of a second career. :-)
1 person likes this
@porwest (78759)
• United States
6 Jan 19
@MALUSE Hmm. A second gig is always a plus to my mind.
1 person likes this
@amadeo (111948)
• United States
6 Jan 19
how about grandma Moses became a famous artist.
2 people like this
@marlina (154165)
• Canada
7 Jan 19
That's right, Grandma Moses made it when she was pretty old.
@KrauseHome (36448)
• United States
8 Jan 19
That is true the only Failure is giving up trying. I wish I would never have lost the Book I was starting writing some yrs back. I need to find time to write some of the stuff I have thought about writing even though many people have said no one would really have any interest in
@just4him (308000)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
7 Jan 19
Good sound advice. As a writer, the one thing you can guarantee is rejection letters. Thomas Edison, I believe, is the one who said, I found 100 ways the light bulb failed before he found the one way that worked, and we have electricity today. I have over 50 titles on manuscripts. All of them are in some stage of writing, several are finished and four are published. Soon it will be five. I'm always hoping someone will pick it up and recommend it to the right person and make my name history like Stephen King. By the way, my editor/publisher worked with Stephen King. I'm in good company.
@andriaperry (116860)
• Anniston, Alabama
13 Jan 19
I think I read this in a book.
@Hannihar (129636)
• Israel
9 Jan 19
@porwest Thanks Jim for that but I do not feel like a failure most of the time. I feel like I am on a journey trying out things and still have not found my true whatever it is I am suppose to do. Life is not easy. I wrote and completed one cute book and self published because it is too expensive to find a publisher and really had no to help me find people to buy it. It did not sell well so I decided it was too hard and too expensive to do that one so decided not to write anymore. It does not make me a failure to realize that that is not what I am suppose to do. I do not have a person like Stephen King had is wife to tell me something is good. I cannot seem to find someone to help me with things so struggle on my mine.
@valmnz (17099)
• New Zealand
7 Jan 19
Great message to us all here. I published my first book at age 64. I'm currently working on my fourth book.
@amadeo (111948)
• United States
6 Jan 19
Good post there my man.Good post
@1creekgirl (40640)
• United States
7 Jan 19
If you condense this post, it would make a great cross stitch to hang on the wall. But it really is good advice. We too often give up on our dreams. Never give up, even if that's easier to say than do.
@DianneN (247216)
• United States
6 Jan 19
Exactly!
@JudyEv (326592)
• Rockingham, Australia
7 Jan 19
Great discussion. Maybe I'll start on that skit that I'm supposed to be doing for our writing group.
@FayeHazel (40246)
• United States
6 Jan 19
Oh I so agree. That is a great story about King. Do what you want to do even if you don't think you will make a name of it because you never know where it might lead
@theend (2778)
• Gifu, Japan
7 Jan 19
It was an effort, I was going to this when I always found failure, but I did not give up.
• Rupert, Idaho
7 Jan 19
I am glad you decided to write about this, such inspiring words....and I did not know that about Stephen! That's crazy to think that he his wife not done that, we might not have all these amazing novels and movies based off of them by Stephen!
@NJChicaa (116231)
• United States
6 Jan 19
This is a great post!