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J.K. Rowling Reveals the Empowering Advice She Needed to Hear When She Was Writing Harry Potter

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J.K. Rowling may be one of the bestselling authors of all time, but before the release of the Harry Potter series, she was a struggling writer like so many others. Now, she has revealed the piece of advice she wishes she’d been given in those pre-wizarding world days.

Rowling took to Twitter Monday to share a tweet from fellow writer Y’assssssss Al Ghul encouraging others to persevere with their work. “HEY! YOU! You’re working on something and you’re thinking ‘Nobody’s gonna watch, read, listen.’ Finish it anyway,” it read.

“There were so many times in the early 90s when I needed somebody to say this to me,” Rowling wrote in response. “It’s great advice for many reasons.”

The author then offered up some tips of her own for creatives feeling discouraged by their progress (or lack thereof).

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Write to Megan McCluskey at megan.mccluskey@time.com