It's very rare that my husband can convince me to watch TV with him for any length of time, but he's no fool. Offering to watch the J.K. Rowling biopic with me is the same as offering me a free book. I'm putty in your hand.While the movie itself was predictably on the cheesy side, the story of J.K.'s success was beyond inspiring.
As writers, we all know what it's like to be told our dream isn't practical. To be reminded, over and over, that the odds of being published are astronomical, and that even if you do see your name in print, the monetary gains are insignificant. We know we're supposed to have "real jobs", and treat writing as a hobby until we prove our worth. Except that "real jobs" and "real life" then have a way of taking over everything, until your dream is begging for attention somewhere between a desk job and the 4th load of laundry for the week. It starts to feel like a silly waste of time.
I will never think that way again.
Through the devastating loss of her mother, an abusive relationship that left her a single mother, and coming very close to being homeless, the one thing J.K. Rowling never stopped doing was writing.
What if she had?
What if she'd listened when she heard words like "impractical?" What if she'd cared when her own agent told her she'd never make money on a children's book? And worse- what if no one had given Harry Potter a chance, just because it didn't fit the mould of a typical children's book?
We all would have missed out on one of the best series of this generation, that's what.
So don't ever let anyone tell you that writing- the thing we all love - is a waste of time. Moments spent doing something that makes you happy are never moments wasted. And who knows... it could lead to the best moment of all, where you finally get to whoop with joy like J.K. did at the knowledge that her dream would soon be a dream come true.
Oh yeah, and Harry Potter rules.
