From the Mailbox: Is it too late for me to become a writer?
By Therese Walsh | June 3, 2009 |
A sad note: Fantasy author David Eddings has passed away at age 77. Eddings wrote the popular Belgariad series of books, among others.
This week, I’d like to address a question sent to us by reader Dwayne Parker.
Is it too late for me to become a fiction writer?
When I was younger, I hated reading. Either the fiction I was given to read in school didn’t captured my attention, or it just seemed way too foreign. Can you imagine trying to digest Shakespeare in 7th grade? My grade school reading list totally turned me off to reading.
Let’s fast forward to adulthood. I go through the bookstores now and I want to read everything I can get my hands on. I read a lot of the suspense thrillers by John Grisham, Nelson DeMille, Denis Lehane, Ken Follett, and Mario Puzo. Had some of those books been on my 7th-grade reading list, I might not have had wait until in my late 20s to finish my first book.
I always hear writers talking about how many books they’ve read, and Donald Maass seems to have read every book under the face of the sun. One of my favorite writers, Ken Follett, said if you were never a voracious reader as a child, you’ll never be a writer. That killed me, especially since I’d read
several of his books (oh, well, he was being honest). But he compared writing to playing the piano; you’ve got to start young if you want to become a concert pianist.So anyway, is it too late for me to become a writer? I don’t plan on quitting my day job.
Look forward to your response. Love your blog!
Sincerely,
Dwaynep.s. Also, would you recommend writing software for writers? I’ve been looking at Dramatica Pro. I’m sure Steinbeck didn’t use Dramatica Pro, but I ain’t no Steinbeck. Just wanted to get your thoughts on that. Thanks a million!
Dear Dwayne,
No, it’s never too late! I think there are two key ingredients to being a good writer–passion, which you appear to have, and skill, which you can learn. Okay, and maybe there’s a third ingredient: believing in possibility. So let’s get rid of the things you may be putting in the way of your own possibility:
Myth: If you’re not a born reader, you’ll never be a writer. No disrespect meant to Ken Follett, but I completely disagree with what he said–and I can do that, because I’m an example of someone who shouldn’t have succeeded using his logic. I recently sold to Random House in a two-book deal, but I was not a voracious reader as a child; I read what I had to read, period. Some tastes are acquired, and the taste for reading and for good literature can be among them. Just keep the door open, read different things, push your boundaries.
And guess what? Though I love books, I’m not a voracious reader as an adult. Like you, I’m a slow reader (I like to think of it as being a savorer of books, lingering over words and construction), which means we can also debunk myth #2:
Myth: If you can’t read quickly, you’ll never be a writer. The only direct link to the speed of your reading and your writing is the amount of reading you’ll need to do to research your particular story. So it may take longer for you to finish something than your fellow writer who’s a speedy reader. It’s my belief that the longer you’re simmering in the world of your story, the more potential it has to evolve into something rich and wonderful–like a good stew.
Myth: You won’t be successful unless you quit your day job. I was a busy freelance health writer while writing my novel, and I know Allison Winn Scotch had a similar experience–working fulltime as a freelance nonfic writer while also pursuing a fiction career. (Allison is now a NYT’s bestselling author.) Others, like Kathleen Bolton, do indeed have fulltime jobs outside of the home and manage to pursue fiction work, and get it published. How? Sacrifices. Kath wakes before the sun many mornings to put in her time at the keyboard. I’ve avoided the television for months at a time. You keep your butt in the chair when you can and pursue the dream, and keep the story alive in your imagination at other times–while showering, walking, driving, eating lunch, making dinner. Keep a writing notebook with you, or use a handheld voice recorder to take notes when ideas strike. But the bottom line is that you don’t have to quit your job to find success.
Myth: Age has something to do with it. You didn’t say how old you were, or even if this was a concern for you, but let’s address this one, too. Check out this article about 106-year-old German author, Emmy Herzog.
Bottom line: The only limits are the ones you set for yourself. So don’t set any.
Readers, do you have anything to add? What stands in your way? And if anyone has experience with Dramatica Pro or other writing software, please speak up; I don’t use anything but Word!
Write on, all.
Therese Walsh (she/her) co-founded Writer Unboxed in 2006 and is the site’s editorial director. She was the editor of WU’s only book, Author in Progress, and runs the Writer Unboxed UnConference.
Her second novel, The Moon Sisters, received starred reviews and was named one of the best books of the year by Library Journal and Book Riot.
Learn more about Therese on her website, and sign up for her newsletter to be among the first to hear about any new projects.
Dwayne, go for it. People live so much longer these days so the possibility of two careers isn’t beyond a dream. Also, write for the sake of writing, not just to get published. And don’t stop believin’ (yeah, somebody wrote that song!!)
Of COURSE it’s not too late! My good friend Maggie Dana is, well I won’t out her age here, but she’s a grandmother. She did write some kid’s books about horses in her younger days, but she re-started her writing career in women’s fiction recently, by the way while supporting herself in a freelance typesetting career (which is definitely not easy work!)
Her first novel for adults, BEACHCOMBING , is out this week from Macmillan New Writing in the UK.
Her website is http://www.maggiedana.com and there are many, many other examples of authors who did not start as 12-year-old prodigies.
Dwayne, I agree with thea. Good luck!
Therese,
Thanks for the note about Mr. Eddings. He is my all-time favorite fantasy author. I shall now scour the web for more information. I feel like I’m losing an old friend.
Thanks,
Julia
Dwayne, I feel the same as you do…as I hear stories of authors hitting it big with breakout novels (Stephenie Meyer was in her late 20s when she wrote Twilight) I sometimes get down. But then I come across the stories of those who had a few more years under their belts (J.K. Rowling was in her 30s, and John Grisham was near 40!)and I realize that hope is out there! Any one of us can do it – regardless of age – if we prepare ourselves for it and believe that we, like all the ones before us, deserve it!
Therese, thanks for the encouragement! And thanks to all of you who chimed in.
Now I’m really looking forward to sweating it out at the keyboard.
Dwayne
If you feel a passion for writing, go for it! It doesn’t matter how old you are…every year there are stories of people who published for the first time at every age range. And think of the many genres and writing styles that get published each year….find your niche and start writing.
As long as you have a pulse and a desire, it’s never too late. Go for it! We’ll be here when you lose your mind. Jes Kidding! :-)
Being a big reader means you have a lot of experience with how words go together, so you can tell quickly whether a sentence will work. You know what’s been done and what hasn’t, so you have a larger stockpile of pieces to build from, although it also increases the possibility of duplication. But it isn’t a necessity, it just makes it somewhat easier to write. Without the desire to write all the stockpile of lore in the world won’t help you, and with it, no lack of lore will stop you.
I’m another successful late starter – did not start writing my first novel until I was well into my forties. However, I had always been a voracious reader. But as Therese says, you can make up for lost ground. Life is full of possibilities!
It is absolutely not too late! You’re a writer when you write, and if there’s a story you’re passionate about telling, don’t let anything stand in the way of that.
In terms of writing software, I absolutely cannot recommend Scrivener highly enough. It’s a simply fantastic tool. I’ve used it for my last two books and it’s made the entire writing process go easily twice as smoothly as it used to, all the way from first draft to working with my editor. It’s very inexpensive, too. It’s only for Macs, but I think their website recommends similar products for the PC.
Dwayne,
Dramatica is a great process to understand certain aspects of story. I have used the free version and have read their handbook and learned a lot. I am not sure if I will ever write a book using only their system but it is very interesting.
Very good and free writing software to use is YWriter. You can fiddle with the settings so that it suits your project and use it for writing anything from an article to a trilogy. It is comparable to Scrivener.
Don’t buy any writing software unless you have to and you are certain you will use it. A plain text program works just fine for me for most things.
Great post. I want to write. I have 3 books in my head and actually 1 half down on ‘paper’. I’m not a spring chicken but it is so much fun writing my story and thinking of new ones.
I read about David Eddings a few days ago. Funny, I wasn’t a Scifi reader until my hubby read one of his books to me while I was sick and soaking in a tub. I love his books and will continue to read them. Of course, now I am writing a scifi novel!
Anna Elliott, thanks for the recommendation.
I’m using Scrivener for MAC and having a blast.
It’s getting me more organized and I’m moving right along, one scene at a time.
I can’t thank you enough for the recommendation.
I’m so glad I found this when I googled if it’s too late to be an author.
I used to dislike reading so much, that even in my whole life (18 years, that is), I think I’ve only completed 6 or 7 books. Recently, due to epic stories that had affected my life and pulled me up from my hell-hole, I became enthusiastic in making a story of my own. And of course making a story can only be started from writing. (Cause I’m even worse at telling stories spontaneously, so – writing, it is.) And to my own surprise, I got carried away and it feels as if I am drowned into this world of writing. I just can’t stop.
I’ve always been a dreamer; I imagine stories, reconstruct my dreams, and so on. I’ve even tried writing too when I was in High School, but I’ve never managed to finish at least two pages. Strangely, now I’m all about writing. I cannot stop thinking the next plot I’m going to write, what are the words I will use, and how should I describe this or that in a beautiful way. No matter when or where. Even from the moment I woke up, my brains are already active with ideas. But I am having troubles, due to my lack of reading. Naturally, sometimes I find it hard in finding the right word, or the right way to describe something (Doesn’t matter now, since I started to study dictionary and have done a lot of research). I’ve also developed a high interest with books – which has never happened before in my childhood.
In any case, my insecurities also come from fellow readers and authors, who have read many books. It is a bit uncomfortable when they asked me, “What is your hobby?” and I had to be honest, that now my hobby is writing – and reading. Then they’d ask what kind of books I’ve read. And honestly, I haven’t read that many. In the end I’d ask myself, “Am I too late? Can I pull this off? Am I really cut out to be a writer?”
So I wanna thank both of you – Dwayne for the question, and Therese for the answer and encouragement. It means a lot because as I’ve finished reading this, I have no fear anymore. I have now promised not to ask those questions anymore.
Vyn