Canadian children’s writer, L.M. Montgomery, was born on Prince Edward Island in 1874. Her mother died when she was very young and her father sent her to live with her mother’s parents. There were no other children around, just Lucy and her grandparents, and she spent a lot of time reading and writing poems. She left home for a few years to teach, but when her grandfather died, she came home to live with her grandmother, and she stayed with her for the next 13 years.
During that time, she wrote her first novel, about an orphan girl with bright red hair who gets sent to live with a couple from Prince Edward Island who were hoping for a boy instead of a girl.
The manuscript got rejected over and over, so she put it away in a hatbox and turned to other things. But eventually, she got it back out, read it, decided it wasn’t that bad after all, and sent it out again.
This time it got accepted, and in 1908, Anne of Green Gables was published and became a classic children’s book.
Since publication, Anne of Green Gables has sold more than 50 million books. In addition, this book is taught to students around the world and has been captured on film many times.
When my daughters were young they read all the Anne of Green Gables books and we would have weekend marathons of watching the CBC mini-series by the same name, with Megan Follows starring as Anne.
What if Lucy Maud Montgomery had left her stories in her hatbox?
Some stories (poems, articles, art projects) need to be out into the world so they can work their magic. They need your perseverance. They need your dedication and belief.
What manuscripts (poems, articles, and other works of art) do you have in a “hatbox” that you may need to get out again and resubmit? What do you need to create that you haven’t yet? Perhaps the time is now!
P.S. I am an ex-shrink who writes award-winning novels. Check out my books here.
Thanks, Susan. A great story of that trait which tops the list as the master key in life, I think.
From my wonderful email subsribers:
“Hi Susan,
A timely message to be sure. I loved reading “Anne of Green Gables” when I was a child. All I really know for sure is that I shall always continue to exercise my creativity. It’s a beautiful new beginning.
Peace,
t”
and:
“I’m really looking forward to finding the time, opportunity and environment to write again….and will also be pulling out all the “old stuff”….I love your blogs….” D.G.
and:
Elizabeth wrote: “I never read the books, but I was a huge fan of the series with Megan Follows as Anne.”
I wrote quite a few things 10-15 years ago that I am too terrified to look at now. I cringe just thinking about them, although to be honest, my memory of them isn’t too clear at this point. Maybe one of these days I will be brave enough to read what my early 20s self came up with. My early 20s self made an awful lot of bad choices though, and I don’t see why the writing could have escape that! lol
Hi Sonja, a.k.a Scout,
I suppose we all have a “hatbox” with early writings in it. I, too, would “cringe” at the thought of being judged on those early days. I guess it’s important to honor that part of the process, but at the same time dig out any possible gems that we may want to work on again and resurrect. Thanks for commenting!
All the best,
Susan