JK Rowling gives 'words of wisdom' to emerging writers
— -- J.K. Rowling knows what it's like to be a struggling writer.
Before "Harry Potter" became a bestselling book series and later a blockbuster film franchise, the British author was famously rejected 12 times.
On Monday, Rowling took to Twitter to dole out encouraging advice to budding writers, who may find themselves struggling. It all started after the writer re-tweeted advice encouraging people not to worry about writing to an audience.
"There were so many times in the early 90s when I needed somebody to say this to me," Rowling said. "It's great advice for many reasons."
"Even if it isn't the piece of work that finds an audience, it will teach you things you could have learned no other way," she continued.
"And by the way," Rowling, 51, added, "just because it didn't find an audience, that doesn't mean it's bad work."
Writers should find joy in the fact that they've even finished a piece of work, Rowling added.
"The discipline involved in finishing a piece of creative work is something on which you can truly pride yourself," she said. "You'll have turned yourself from somebody who's 'thinking of', who 'might', who's 'trying', to someone who DID."
"And once you've done it," Rowling continued, "you'll know you can do it again. That is an extraordinarily empowering piece of knowledge. So do not ever quit out of fear of rejection."
The "Harry Potter" scribe reminded her more than 10 million followers that "maybe your third, fourth, fiftieth song/novel/painting will be the one that 'makes it,' that wins the plaudits ... but you'd never have got there without finishing the others (all of which will now be of more interest to your audience.)"
Rowling concluded her thread of advice tweets by remarking, "Here endeth today's sermon."
