From the Trash Bin to the History Books

Tl;Dr — How one famous author’s self-declared failure led to massive success.

Dear Reader,

She picked the paper out of the trash bin, uncrumpled it, brushed off the cigarette ashes, and started to read. As she finished, she did the same to the other pages and read them as well.

She was still reading when her husband returned home from work.

“You’ve got something here. I really think you do,” she announced before he could even say hello.

He squinted to see what she was reading. “No, not that one. That’s trash,” he replied.

She always thought his writing was good, but that didn’t mean it would be successful. The man had been writing for years, but he had little to show for it.

The young couple hovered just above the poverty line, and both of them worked a number of part-time jobs just to keep the lights on. The man spent every spare minute writing, but other than an occasional $20 check from a magazine, it appeared to be wasted time.

“No, it’s not,” she retorted, “and you’re going to publish it.”

His wife never wavered in her support. When he had been ready to take a higher paying job that would not have left him time to write, she forcefully argued against the move. Now, it appeared her level of support and belief once again outweighed his.

“Who wants to read a book about a poor girl with menstrual problems?” he shot back.

“Me. And lots of other people. You’re publishing it.”

She was right, eventually. The book, Carrie, sold millions of copies, spawned three film adaptations, and launched the writing career of her husband, Stephen King. He has sold over 350 million books to date, but he might not have sold any if his wife, Tabitha, hadn’t fished a manuscript out of the trash bin and made him submit it to publishers.

The Takeaway: Not every idea you have will turn into something great, but some of your best ideas maybe those that you dismiss or are afraid of sharing. Keep a record of what you’ve created — don’t trash it. Test your ideas with those that you trust and be open to their opinion. Great work can come from anywhere, even the trash bin. 🤗