If you have the guts to be yourself, other people'll pay your price.
John UpdikeRead
I think my first story sold for $550. This was in 1954, and it seemed like quite a lot of money, and I said to myself, 'Hey, I'm a professional writer now.'
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the moment of realization and self-affirmation that comes with achieving a significant milestone in one's career.
In this quote, John Updike shares a pivotal moment in his early career as a writer, expressing how the sale of his first story for $550 established his identity as a professional writer. This realization of success highlights the importance of recognizing milestones, no matter how small they may seem, in building one's confidence and professional identity.
Themes
SuccessProfessionalWritingMilestoneIdentity
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about pursuing careers in writing, this quote can inspire aspiring authors about the significance of their first achievements.
More from John Updike
All quotes →Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that's the stuff life is made of. _x000D_ _x000D_ Suspect each moment, for it is a thief, tiptoeing away with more than it brings.
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Museums and bookstores should feel, I think, like vacant lots - places where the demands on us are our own demands, where the spirit can find exercise in unsupervised play.
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But it is just two lovers, holding hands and in a hurry to reach their car, their locked hands a starfish leaping through the dark.
John UpdikeRead
The reader knows the writer better than he knows himself; but the writer's physical presence is light from a star that has moved on.
John UpdikeRead
To guarantee the individual maximum freedom within a social frame of minimal laws ensures - if not happiness - its hopeful pursuit.
John UpdikeRead
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