How to Succeed After Divorce: 10 Successful Authors and What They Wrote After Being Divorced

If you've had a divorce and want a distraction, you might want to consider doing a project to keep yourself busy.  Maybe it's rearranging the books, or doing some redecorating, maybe flipping the mattress, or taking a new class. But if you're going to be busy, maybe you can also do something like creating a timeless asset e.g. a book.
The benefit of writing a book is that that it can help you recover after a divorce in a couple different ways. And it can be a contributor that helps you succeed after divorce. 
Way one is having your focus be on something other than the past.
Way two is you're putting energy into something creative which has been successful for several people.

Here are 10 authors and what they wrote and achieved in their success after divorce:

1. J.K. Rowling.  After her divorce she wrote Harry Potter, and became a billionaire. Her books have become movies, plays, figurines, board games and Lego and more.
This is probably the most success after a divorce that is the most well known.

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2.  Stephen King.  After his divorce from Tabitha King in 1987, Stephen King continued to write and publish many more novels and short stories. Some of the notable works he wrote after his divorce include:

"Misery" (1987) - a psychological horror novel about a successful novelist who is held captive by an obsessed fan. Made into a movie with Kathy Bates.

"The Tommyknockers" (1987) - a science fiction novel about a small town that is affected by the discovery of an alien spacecraft

"The Dark Half" (1989) - a horror novel about a writer who is confronted by the evil alter ego he created in his fiction

"Gerald's Game" (1992) - a psychological horror novel about a woman who becomes trapped in a remote cabin after her husband dies during a kinky sex game

"Dolores Claiborne" (1993) - a psychological thriller about a woman who is accused of murdering her wealthy employer.

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3. Neil Gaiman. Some works that Gaiman has published after his divorce include:

"The Graveyard Book" (2008) - a young adult fantasy novel about a boy who is raised by ghosts in a cemetery

"The Ocean at the End of the Lane" (2013) - a fantasy novel about a man who returns to his childhood home and is confronted by dark memories and supernatural forces

"Norse Mythology" (2017) - a retelling of Norse mythology in the form of a novel

"The Sandman: Overture" (2013-2015) - a comic book series that is a prequel to the original Sandman series

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4.  J.D. Salinger. Works that Salinger wrote after his divorce include:

"Franny and Zooey" (1961) - a novella and short story collection featuring the Glass family, who were also featured in "The Catcher in the Rye"

"Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction" (1963) - a novella and short story collection featuring the Glass family

"Hapworth 16, 1924" (1965) - a novella that was published in the New Yorker magazine

That's all Salinger published after his divorce. Salinger is considered one of the most influential and respected authors of the 20th century.
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5.  Gabriel García Márquez.  Colombian author and journalist who was best known for his works of magical realism. Márquez was married to Mercedes Barcha from 1958 to 1983. Some books that Márquez wrote after his 1983 divorce include:

"Love in the Time of Cholera" (1985) - a novel about a man who spends decades waiting for his love to be reciprocated

"The General in His Labyrinth" (1989) - a novel about the final days of South American independence hero Simon Bolivar

"The Story of a Shipwrecked Sailor" (1986) - a non-fiction account of the story of a Colombian sailor who was stranded at sea for 10 days

"News of a Kidnapping" (1996) - a non-fiction account of the kidnappings that took place in Colombia in the 1990s. This is now a series on Amazon Prime.

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6.  Ernest Hemingway experienced several divorces throughout his life.  Some of the notable works that Hemingway wrote after his divorces include:

"A Farewell to Arms" (1929) - a novel about an American ambulance driver in World War I and his relationship with a British nurse. Made into a movie with Gary Cooper and Helen Hayes.

"Death in the Afternoon" (1932) - a non-fiction book about bullfighting

"For Whom the Bell Tolls" (1940) - a novel set during the Spanish Civil War. Made into a movie with Ingrid Bergman and Gary Cooper.

"The Old Man and the Sea" (1952) - a novella about an old Cuban fisherman and his struggle to catch a giant marlin. Made into a movie with Spencer Tracey and  remade with Anthony Quinn.

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7.  Annie Proulx divorced in 1969. Some of the notable works that Proulx has written after her divorce include:

"The Shipping News" (1993) - a novel about a man who moves to a small town in Newfoundland after the death of his parents. Become a movie with Julianne Moore and that perv actor.

"Close Range: Wyoming Stories" (1999) - a collection of short stories set in Wyoming.

"Brokeback Mountain" (1997) - a short story about a forbidden romance between two cowboys then adapted into a film with Heath Ledger and the other guy.

"Postcards" (1992) - a novel about a woman who embarks on a journey of self-discovery after the death of her husband.

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8.  Margaret Atwood was married to James Polk from 1961 to 1973, and divorced in 1973. Some of the notable works that Atwood has written after her divorce include:

"The Handmaid's Tale" (1985) - a dystopian novel about a society in which women's rights have been severely curtailed. Made into a t.v. series filmed mostly in Canada.

"The Robber Bride" (1993) - a novel about the relationships between three women and the manipulative former friend who haunts them.

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9. John Steinbeck was married to Carol Henning from 1930 to 1943, and divorced in 1943.
Some notable works that Steinbeck wrote after his divorce include:

"Cannery Row" (1945) - a novel about the denizens of a slum in Monterey, California and made into a movie with Nick Nolte.

"The Pearl" (1947) - a novella about a poor Mexican fisherman who discovers a valuable pearl.

"The Wayward Bus" (1947) - a novel about the passengers on a bus traveling through California.

"The Red Pony" (1933) - a novella about a young boy and his relationship with his horse.

"East of Eden" (1952) - a novel about the relationships between two families in California- made into a movie starring James Dean.

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10. Agatha Christie. After her divorce from Archibald Christie in 1926, Agatha Christie continued to write and published many more mysteries and detective novels. Some of the notable works she wrote after her divorce include:

"The Murder of Roger Ackroyd" (1926) - a novel featuring detective Hercule Poirot that is considered one of Christie's best works. Became a movie and board game.

"The Big Four" (1927) - a novel featuring detective Hercule Poirot that is set against the backdrop of a global conspiracy

"The Mystery of the Blue Train" (1928) - a novel featuring detective Hercule Poirot that is set on the luxurious Blue Train in the south of France

"The Seven Dials Mystery" (1929) - a novel featuring detective Hercule Poirot and his assistant Captain Arthur Hastings that is set in a country house in Sussex

"The Sittaford Mystery" (1931) - a novel featuring detective Hercule Poirot that is set in a small town in Devon

She is considered one of the greatest mystery writers of all time, and her works have been translated into over 50 languages and sold billions of copies worldwide.

So if you've had a desire for success after divorce,  you might want to consider crafting out a story for the world to enjoy. Also, there are other strategies to rebuild your life after a divorce that you might find useful.