Never give up on a dream because you are worried about how long it might take to realise it.
As Elizabeth Gilbert said when she held up her National Book Award, “This is for all the late-bloomers in the world… Writing is not like dancing or modeling; it’s not something where, if you missed it by age 19, you’re finished. It’s never too late. In fact, your writing often gets better as you grow older and wiser.”
Bonnie Garmus is a perfect example of perseverance paying off. She struck gold with her second novel, Lessons in Chemistry, at the age of 64. Her journey wasn’t easy—her first novel was rejected by 98 agents. Only the last agent, number 98, bothered to reply, criticizing her for writing a 700-page debut and misunderstanding the industry.
When asked if she wanted to give up, Garmus admitted, “Oh, yeah, I was pretty beaten up inside. I was confused and depressed. It took me a long time to get back on the writing horse. But the thing with writing, I think, which is so important for people to realize, is that the only one who says it’s over is you. It’s OK for other people to reject me. But if I reject me, then that’s on me. And I just wasn’t going to do that.”
With Lessons in Chemistry, a more concise book at just over 350 pages, Garmus aimed to prove to herself that she could write another book. “I never felt this pressure to get things done by a certain age. My pressure on myself is just to get things done.”
During the five years it took to write the book, Garmus balanced her life as a wife and mother, woke up at 5:00am each day, kept her full-time job as a copywriter, and even taught herself chemistry.
Much has been made of the fact that Garmus began her literary career later than most debut authors.
However, she emphasises that age is irrelevant when it comes to writing. “Age will never matter when you’re a writer because no one ever sees you. You might be on the back cover, but no one really cares how old you are.”
During the bidding war for her novel, her age never came up in discussions with editors. “Nobody picks up a book and says, ‘I wonder how old this author is?'” she notes. “I read dead writers all the time. I never say, ‘Well, this guy has been dead 300 years, why would I read him?'”
So, if you want to write your novel, memoir, short story collection, or screenplay, remember: the only failure is stopping. Keep going, regardless of how long it might take. Excellence is a commitment to completion.
10-Month Novel & Script First Draft Course
If you want to follow a guided 10-month process that enables your creativity to flourish and your characters to come alive on the page, consider enrolling in the Novel & Script First Draft Course.
The course is designed for people working full-time to help them complete the first draft of their novel or screenplay in just 10 months.
The pre-requisite writing course, Unlocking Creativity, is complimentary for anyone who enrols directly into the First Draft Course. Unlocking Creativity gives participants a solid foundation in our approach and philosophy and sets you up with key tools and techniques before starting your first draft. Learn more about The Writers’ Studio Pathway.
