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
Essortment.com - JK Rowling Biography
Stephen King
Famous for: Horror Novels
Education: University of Maine – B.A. English, Teaching Certification
Jobs: High School English teacher
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
Khaled Hosseini
Famous for: Kite Runner
Education: Santa Clara University, B.S. Biology, University of California School of Medicine
Jobs: Physician
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
Madeleine L’Engle
Famous for: A Wrinkle in Time
Education: Smith College, English
Jobs: theater, local general store owner, librarian
Mitch Albom
Famous for: Tuesdays With Morrie, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, Have a Little Faith
Education: Brandeis and Columbia Universities
Jobs: Nightclub Singer, pianists, Sports Columnist
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
Barbara Delinsky
Famous for: Family Tree
Education: Tufts University, B.A. Psychology; Boston College, M.A. Sociology
Jobs: researcher, photography, reporter
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
Aldous Huxley
Famous For: Brave New World and other scientific novels
Education: English literature at Balliol College in Oxford
Jobs: Teacher and Author
Website: Aldous Huxley (Wikipedia)
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: Author Listing on Internet Book List
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: ISFDB lisitng
Tom Clancy
Famous for: The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games
Education: Loyola College, English Literature
Jobs: Independent Insurance Business
Website: Tom Clancy (Wikipedia)
Azar Nafisi
Famous for: Reading Lolita in Tehran
Education: University of Oklahoma, PhD English and American Literature
Jobs: University Professor at University of Tehran
Website: Azar Nafisi (Wikipedia)
Mark Haddon
Famous for: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime
Education: Merton College Oxford, English
Jobs: cartoonist, teacher of creative writing
Augusten Burroughs
Famous for: Running With Scissors
Education: High School GED
Jobs: Advertising
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
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, 8th grade English teacher
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
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
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
Nancy Farmer
Famous for: The House of the Scorpion
Education: Reed College
Jobs: Peace Corps, lab technician in Zimbabwe
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