Don’t be fooled by these well-known and very popular authors, they weren’t thrown into the world of writing, they worked up the ladder to where they are now. But where were they before the writing and the fame? Well, we have devised a list of five famous authors and their jobs before they started writing!
George Orwell, before writing 1984, was an officer of the Indian Imperial Police in Burma. He assumed the position of protecting the safety of some 200,000 people, he was noted for his “sense of utter fairness.” You will also recognise Animal Farm, as one of Orwell’s more popular pieces.
John Steinbeck was working as a tour guide at a fish hatchery, a strange job indeed, but the one which led him to meet his first wife. He then worked long hours at a warehouse job until his father gave him writing materials to focus on his literary career. He now has bestsellers such as Of Mice and Men, The Grapes of Wrath and The East of Eden.
Stephen King was working as a janitor whilst struggling to get his fiction published. He got inspiration to write the opening girls’ locker room scene in Carrie, from wheeling his cart through the halls. Carrie was to be his breakout novel.
J. K. Rowling, after her daughter was born, and she separated from her husband, left her job in Portugal, where she taught English as a second language, and returned home to study for her postgraduate certificate of education, so she could teach in Scotland. To date, the Harry Potter books have sold over 450 million copies,
Nicholas Sparks on graduation from college, tried to find work in the publishing industry and applied to law school, with no luck in either area, he took on many other jobs including real estate appraisal, waiting tables and he even started a manufacturing business. He now has many best sellers such as, The Notebook, Dear John and The Last Song.
