We’ve encountered many young people who tell us they love to write and are not sure what career to pursue.  We decided to take a look at others who we’re sure felt the same way as they left high school searching for just the right outlet for their creative talents.  Maybe this will be interesting to some of you out there who love to write. 

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Read what famous authors did before they hit it big with their first best seller.  Their road to fame was not always direct but they eventually accomplished what they wanted.  We’ve given you a link to our source if you want to read more about their journeys.

 

J. K. Rowling

Famous for: Harry Potter Series

Education: Exeter University – studied French

Jobs: French & English Teacher

http://gaga.essortment.com/jkrowlingbiogr_reak.htm

 

Stephen King

Famous for: Horror Novels

Education: University of Maine – B.A. English, Teaching Certification

Jobs: High School English teacher

http://www.stephenking.com/biography.php

 

Michael Crichton

Famous for: numerous novels such as Jurassic Park, Filmmaker, Creator of E.R.

Education: Harvard Medical School

Jobs: Teaching at the university level

http://www.crichton-official.com/aboutmc/biography.html

 

Khaled Hosseini

Famous for: Kite Runner

Education: Santa Clara University, B.S. Biology, University of California School of Medicine

Jobs: Physician

http://www.khaledhosseini.com/hosseini-bio.html

 

Julia Alvarez

Famous for: Books for young readers including “How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents”

Education: Middlebury College, Bachelors of Arts; Syracuse University, Masters Creative Writing

Jobs: English college professor

http://www.juliaalvarez.com/about/vita.php

 

Madeleine L’Engle

Famous for: A Wrinkle in Time

Education: Smith College, English

Jobs: theater, local general store owner, librarian

http://www.madeleinelengle.com/reference/bio.htm

 

Mitch Albom

Famous for: Tuesdays With Morrie

Education: Brandeis and Columbia Universities

Jobs: Nightclub Singer, pianists, Sports Columnist

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitch_Albom

 

Danielle Steel

Famous for: Bestselling Romance Novelist – Sisters, The House

Education: Parsons School of Design; New York University - Degree in Design

Jobs: public relations, advertising, teaching

http://www.randomhouse.com/features/steel/

 

Barbara Delinsky

Famous for: Family Tree

Education: Tufts University, B.A. Psychology; Boston College, M.A. Sociology

Jobs: researcher, photography, reporter

http://www.barbaradelinsky.com/delinsky-bio.htm

 

Lauren Weisberger

Famous for: The Devil Wears Prada

Education: Cornell University, B.A. English

Jobs: Assistant to the Editor in Chief at Vogue, magazine journalist

http://www.laurenweisberger.com/about.php

 

Aldous Huxley

Famous For: Brave New World and other scientific novels

Education: English literature at Balliol College in Oxford

Jobs: Teacher and Author

Website: http://www.litweb.net/biography/266/Aldous_Huxley.html

 

J.D. Salinger

Famous For: Catcher in the Rye

Education: Columbia University writing class

Jobs: Author

Website: http://www.geocities.com/deadcaulfields/

 

Eric Nylund

Famous For: Halo book series

Education: Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Master's degree in Chemical Physics

Jobs: Microsoft editor, Author

Website: http://www.iblist.com/author582.htm

 

Timothy Zahn

Famous For: Various science fiction works, including the Star Wars Thrawn Trilogy

Education: Master's degree in physics at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Jobs: Professional Writer

Website: http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?Timothy_Zahn

 

Tom Clancy

Famous for: The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games

Education: Loyola College, English Literature

Jobs: Independent Insurance Business

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Clancy

 

Azar Nafisi

Famous for: Reading Lolita in Tehran

Education: University of Oklahoma, PhD English and American Literature

Jobs: University Professor at University of Tehran

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azar_Nafisi

 

Mark Haddon

Famous for: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime

Education: Merton College Oxford, English

Jobs: cartoonist, teacher of creative writing

http://www.markhaddon.com/cv.htm

 

Augusten Burroughs

Famous for: Running With Scissors

Education: High School GED

Jobs: Advertising

http://www.augusten.com/index_flash.html

 

Sue Monk Kidd

Famous for: The Secret Life of Bees

Education: Texas Christian University, Nursing

Jobs: pediatric and surgical registered nurse, Editor at Guidepost magazine

http://www.suemonkkidd.com/author.asp

 

Jodi Picoult

Famous for: My Sister’s Keeper and other novels for young readers

Education: Princeton, B.A. Creative Writing; Harvard, M.S. Education

Jobs: technical writer for a Wall Street brokerage firm, copywriter, editor, 8^th grade English teacher

http://www.jodipicoult.com/

 

John Grisham

Famous for: The Firm, A Time to Kill, Pelican Brief and numerous others

Education: Mississippi State University, Accounting, Law

Jobs: Lawyer, elected as a State Representative

http://www.randomhouse.com/features/grisham/main.php

 

Carl Haaison

Famous for: Skinny Dip, Hoot, Native Tongue and other satirical and comic novels 

Education: University of Florida, Journalism

Jobs: Miami Herald Reporter & columnist

http://www.carlhiaasen.com/

 

Kurt Vonnegut

Famous for: Slaughterhouse Five and many other Science Fiction Novels

Education:  Cornell University, B.S. Biology; Carnegie Mellon University

Jobs: public relations writer at General Electric

http://www.vonnegut.com/

 

Nancy Farmer

Famous for: The House of the Scorpion

Education: Reed College

Jobs: Peace Corps, lab technician in Zimbabwe

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Farmer_(author)

http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/f/nancy-farmer/

 

David Baldacci

Famous for: Absolute Power and many other bestsellers

Education: Virginia Commonwealth University, B.A., Political Science; University of Virginia, Law       

Jobs: Trial and Corporate Attorney

http://davidbaldacci.com/about/biography/