Too Late to Start Writing?
By Keith Cronin | February 9, 2016 |
There’s no question that we are living in a society obsessed with youth. We base many of our increasingly unrealistic standards for physical beauty on the premise that we all have expiration dates, after which we are simply no longer attractive. We celebrate and idolize young people who succeed in sports, business, and the arts. We fill our Facebook and Twitter feeds with viral videos of impossibly young people doing impossibly impressive things. So it stands to reason that we writers – who are, let’s face it, a species known for our seemingly infinite ability to find things to be insecure about – might feel some pressure to succeed before… well, before it’s too late. A ticking clock, if you will.
The clock ticks even louder for those of us “of a certain age.” In addition to worrying that our window of publishing opportunity is closing, there’s also that pesky mortality thing looming in the back of our minds. This only adds to the steaming pot of Insecurity Stew many of us keep simmering on our mental stovetops. (Hmmm, do people even have mental stovetops? Perhaps there’s a better metaphor. Okay, not perhaps. There’s *definitely* a better metaphor; it just eludes me at the moment. But I digress…)
Bottom line, age is something that ultimately concerns us all. Juliet Marillier’s excellent post last week touched on the aspirations and concerns of older writers throughout all stages of their careers, and it prompted some candid and insightful comments. Today, I want to focus on older writers who have not yet been published – or perhaps have not yet written their first book. In particular, I want to delve into the questions that many of them may be asking themselves: Is it too late to start writing? Am I too old to be published? Did I miss my shot? All of these lead me to ask a simpler question:
For a writer, how much does age matter?
And here’s my short answer: less than you think. To give my opinion some context, here’s some background. I started writing fiction seriously at the age of 40, and sold my first novel at 50. I am now 39 years old.
Okay, you see what I did there. While I’m telling you age doesn’t matter, I make a joke of lying about my age. That’s to acknowledge that yes, ageism is a real thing, and it exerts pressure on us in many aspects of our lives. I just don’t think it has that big an effect on us as writers – at least not as negative an effect as you might believe. In fact, I think there actually are advantages to being an older writer, as I’ll describe next.
The upside of having some miles on the odometer
A few years ago I was invited to speak on a panel at a literary conference hosted by Backspace. The topic of our panel was “Debuting Over 40.” Frankly this wasn’t a subject I’d given much thought to, but the act of preparing for that panel forced me to consider the role age can play in the course of a writer’s journey. The discussion was a lively one, and the volume of questions we fielded from the audience proved that this was a topic on many writers’ minds. The question that I ultimately felt most passionate about addressing was this: Is there any advantage to debuting after 40?
For me, the answer to that question is yes. By that age, most of us have put some significant miles on the odometer. It’s likely we’ve been directly impacted by some pretty major highs and lows: illness, death, war, job failures and successes, raising children, the rise and fall of a major relationship – or two, or three, or four. All of this informs our world view, and with it, our writing.
I’m in awe of people who are able to make a significant artistic statement at an early age – from Mary Shelley to Norman Mailer to the Beatles. I know some people have already lived extraordinary lives by the time they’re 20, or are simply incredibly talented. But on the whole I think the average 40-year-old has a deeper emotional well to draw from than the average 20-something.
That shoe definitely fits me. In my 20s, it was the ’80s, and I was touring in rock bands. My world view at the time – if you could even call it one – was not exactly Pulitzer material. Other than music, my attention was focused primarily on women who wore too little clothing and too much hairspray. I could write reasonably well – people said I had “a way with words” – but I didn’t yet feel I had something to say with those words. It took some major growing up, some terrible bouts of poverty and depression, a couple of roller-coaster career paths, raising a child, and losing both of my parents to really forge my literary voice, such as it is.
Beyond simply amassing more life experience, there can be other advantages to being an older writer. For example, you may have developed some deep expertise that you can leverage in your storytelling, such as the way Tom Clancy used his skill with technical details to essentially create a new genre of thriller. (Okay, he was only in his late 30s when he debuted, but you get the idea.) Perhaps your experiences, expertise and social connections have even given you a basis for the dreaded P word: platform (something agents and editors love to see, because it makes their jobs easier). You also might be a more savvy businessperson, and thus better equipped for the unique challenges and hurdles you’ll face in the ever-changing business of publishing.
Despite all this rationalizing, believe me: I understand how seeing headlines about yet another 20-something wunderkind who just signed a bazillion-dollar book deal can be daunting (okay, even flat-out soul-crushing, depending on where your WII [Writer’s Insecurity Index] happens to fall on any given day). But I urge writers who started later – or who are simply taking longer to get where you want to go – to give yourselves a break. Instead of worrying about being too old, try thinking of yourself as aging like a fine wine. Yeah, that’s the ticket.
Incidentally, I was not the only one on the panel who felt this way. The panel was led by Randy Susan Meyers and included Jessica Keener, Ellen Meeropol, and Nichole Bernier (yes, I am well aware how lucky I was to be offered a seat at that distinguished table). Interestingly, every single one of us ultimately felt that our ages had NOT worked against us. And I have a hypothesis as to why:
It’s different for writers.
Okay, so maybe you’ve got oodles of life experience. But what about all the younger, more attractive writers who seem to pop up every day? How are you supposed to compete with that – particularly in this age of social media, where everybody is expected to create and maintain an online persona?
I won’t lie. Beauty is an advantage in ALL aspects of life – that’s just a given. But I would maintain that it’s different for writers, and here’s why: unlike other areas of the arts – particularly music, TV and film – writers are not under as much pressure to be young and beautiful. That’s because the focus is not so much on the writers themselves as on the stories that they create. Sure, youth, beauty and charisma can help a writer, but it’s understood that most writers are behind-the-scenes people, not rock stars.
Think about it. Nora Roberts is a chain-smoking 65-year-old grandmother, and nobody has a problem with that. Clive Cussler is 84 and people still buy his books (for reasons that surpass all understanding). Janet Evanovich is 72 and James Patterson is 68, and readers don’t seem to think either of them is too old to write something they’d like to read. Interestingly, although Patterson published his first novel at the age of 29, he didn’t actually quit his day job and start writing fulltime until he was 49.
Look, if you’re young and gorgeous, work it. Absolutely. (Hell, if you’re old and gorgeous, work it, too.) But if you’re not, don’t write yourself off. Because – at least for now – your age and your looks are just not that important. Your STORY is what’s important.
Advice for older writers
I could tell from the questions our panel fielded that the audience was initially skeptical about us telling them not to worry so much about their age. In particular they seemed concerned about revealing their age to agents or other publishing professionals. To me this falls in the “don’t ask, don’t tell” category. It has honestly never come up in any conversation I’ve had with a publishing professional, either in written correspondence or face-to-face (a situation where there’s no hiding the fact that I am definitely NOT a 20-something). This was corroborated by the numerous other writers I’ve spoken to who sold their first book in their 40s (or beyond): it just never came up.
But based on all the concern I saw expressed by our audience that day – and have often seen expressed in discussion forums and social media sites for writers – I thought I’d offer a few nuggets of advice for “vintage” authors. (Hey – I like that! Wonder if we can make “vintage author” a thing? But I digress…)
- Don’t make your age an issue. There’s no reason it needs to be part of any conversation you have with publishing professionals – or your readers. In describing yourself, there’s no need to call yourself a senior or mention that you’re retired. On the flip side of this…
- If your age gives you an advantage, use it. For example, if you grew up in war-torn Viet Nam during the ’60s, and have written a novel about the Viet Nam War, that’s certainly worth pointing out to publishers and readers alike. This may seem obvious, but writers are notorious for missing opportunities to take advantage of their unique backgrounds.
- Don’t fall into the stereotypical role of acting “old.” In particular, coming across like the doddering old writer who is baffled by all these newfangled computer thingies is simply not compelling. We now have an entire generation of adults who’ve been using computers and the Internet their entire lives, so expressing your fear or lack of understanding of something that is so basic to them can really distance you from your readers. I didn’t learn to use a computer until my late 30s, a hurdle I overcame by taking some courses at the local community college. If you’re technically challenged, I highly recommend the experience. Along those lines…
- Do sharpen your tools. Writing is an unusual skill – for most of us, our last serious training in it may have occurred decades ago. As adults many of us write intuitively, perhaps no longer remembering actual grammatical principles; instead we may just try to write stuff that looks and sounds right. I grew up in a family of writers, but I still decided to take a basic business writing course as part of my self-prescribed community college curriculum for becoming an employable human. I found it immensely helpful for brushing up on some of the basic mechanics of writing, and I believe the extra control and understanding that formal training provides can really bring your game up to the next level.
- Don’t use age as an excuse – either for doing nothing, or to complain about how you no longer have a chance. I’ve been sucked into some heated discussions on this topic, locking horns with disenchanted writers who are trying hard to convince themselves that some malevolent force is conspiring to thwart their literary efforts, all based on their age. I just don’t buy it. Readers want good books. Agents want good books. Editors want good books. If they’re written by young, gorgeous people, that’s just icing on the cake.
- Don’t make things harder on yourself than they need to be. Writing is hard. Publishing is a crazy business, and the landscape changes daily. Literary trends come and go. Readers can be fickle. And of course, Amazon might destroy the universe with laser-armed drones. Bottom line: with all the other challenges we writers face, I just don’t see a need to look for additional things to worry about.
No, it’s not too late.
There will always be writers who succeed at a strikingly young age. Some of them are simply blessed with awesome talent. Some have already lived extraordinary lives. And some just get lucky. It’s my hope that today’s ramblings will drive home the point that for the rest of us, it’s NEVER too late.
How about YOU?
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the impact age has on you as a writer. Do you find age to be an obstacle? An advantage? A bit of both?
And as a reader, what impact does an author’s age have on the reading choices you make? Please chime in, and as always, thanks for reading!
Images licensed from 123RF.com
[coffee]
Author of the novels Me Again (originally published by Five Star/Gale), and Tony Partly Cloudy (published under his pen name Nick Rollins), Keith Cronin (he/him) is a corporate speechwriter and professional rock drummer who has performed and recorded with artists including Bruce Springsteen, Clarence Clemons, and Pat Travers. Keith’s fiction has appeared in Carve Magazine, Amarillo Bay, The Scruffy Dog Review, Zinos, and a University of Phoenix management course. A native of South Florida, Keith spends his free time serenading local ducks and alligators with his ukulele.
As a writer I find age to be an advantage. I’m willing to find my own voice, less willing to follow the crowd. As a reader I don’t care about the age of the writer. If their stories are compelling I’ll follow them anywhere.
I’m with you, Laverne: it wouldn’t occur to me to care about the age – or gender, race, or any other demographic aspect – of the writer. I just want their STORY. Thanks for commenting!
We do have life experience that can impact our writing. Particularly when delving into relationships; I find myself drawing on the wisdom of seeing how people interact etc. Fine post. Good reminder.
Thanks, Carol. I definitely think of myself as an amateur sociologist – like you, I pay a lot of attention to how people behave and interact. Often what I see is literally “stranger than fiction!”
My comment is also a question. When you are over 50, and your first book is fiction, do you think literary agents hesitate uncertain whether you have another book in you?
Luna, my suggestion is to leave age out of any conversations you have with agents, so that it doesn’t occur to them that you’re “too old to have another book in you.”
And heck, I’d think it would be just the opposite. With more life experience to draw from, I’d suspect an older person has *many* more books in them!
Keith, I agree with all your points. Although I made a living as a writer for my entire career (except for those grunt post-college jobs when I was first free-lancing), I didn’t seriously take on writing fiction until 2009 when I was nearly 60 and retired.
My first completed novel, “Monument Road,” was published in 2013 and was a booksellers’ Indie Next Selection. The next, “Inhabited,” comes out in October. That’s not raging success, but it’s more than I expected.
I thought my age and late writer’s journey might be worth something as a novelty. It turned out not to be. Neither interviewers nor event audiences seemed interested.
I suspect, though have no evidence, that age might be a factor for agents, since a lot of queries and unsolicited manuscripts are first read by younger readers. I can imagine an agent thinking, how long is going to take this guy to build a career? How many more books does he have in him?
It’s a question I ask myself. But if the work is great, someone will take it.
Life experience can influence the writing positively, as you’ve described, but it may also mean your stories appeal more to readers of your own age. My first novel had a seventy-plus protagonist and was set in western Colorado. Can you you feel the under-40 set rushing out to buy it?
Neither can I. If there’s a non-grey head at my readings, it’s usually a creative writing student fulfilling a class assignment.
The one thing I will add: Nearing 67, I don’t have the writing stamina I used to have. When I was free-lancer and later ran a marketing agency, I could go all day and into the night. The fierce discipline of that experience remains. I write or do related work every day, but I rarely hammer into the night as I once did.
Creative expression and engagement with the world supply renewable energy at any age.
Those are some great observations, Charlie – thanks for sharing them.
While you think your age might be a concern to agents, I suspect that they will be MUCH more concerned with the age of your target audience. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing; you want your agent to understand the marketplace. And we might actually see a change in what age groups are considered to be “hot” market segments, as an absolutely HUGE chunk of the population – the Baby Boomers – are starting to hit retirement age.
Whether this creates new opportunities for writers remains to be seen, but it’s definitely going to shake things up, particularly as a the age distribution of the workforce changes. Should be interesting to watch…
Oh, and I LOVE this insight: “Creative expression and engagement with the world supply renewable energy at any age.” Amen to that!
I see the “book in you” question was asked and answered as I was posting the above. I should point out I have a publisher; I do not have an agent.
Charlie-
“I can imagine an agent thinking, how long is going to take this guy to build a career? How many more books does he have in him?”
As a longtime agent I can tell you that I have never once asked myself those questions. Never. Great writing is hard to come by. When you find it, the author’s age is irrelevant.
Careers generally do take time to build. So do series. But at 67 there is more than enough time. Heck, I recently had a story conference with an author who is 77, brainstorming plots for the next several years.
I do not think of that particular career as having an end point. Why think that way? Occasionally I notice an author’s age in their use of language, but that is an editorial issue not one of mental decline.
Keith is right. Writers over 60–get over it. You’ve may have a better shot at writing well, and success, than someone under 30. Stop worrying and just write.
To be clear, I never worried, simply tried to analyze. At best, I thought it might be a novelty to debut so late. It was not even that.
So, yeah. I’m fortunate to still be doing what I love. I have the third book in mind as I sit editing galleys.
Bravo.
In 1984, Hellen Hooven Santmyer published her debut And the Ladies of the Club at age 88. Actually, it turned out not to be a debut. Her first two novels had been published to little acclaim in the 1920’s.
So there we go, the old story: author’s sales tank, she’s dropped, and it takes a while for the next one to be picked up. Ha!
Anyway, you’ve got the right attitude, ask me. To hell with anyone’s expectations–write on.
Aging like a fine wine works for me! Thanks for raising the glass, Keith.
I feel fortunate because I’ve never thought about my age. In fact, when people ask how old I am, I hesitate. Not because I don’t want to share the glory of my numerical accomplishment—I’ve always loved saying, “This is what 40 or 50 looks like. Sixty is coming and I’m ready (did you see Gloria Steinman on Bill Maher this week? Looking hot at 81)—but because I have to remind myself where I am on the age scale.
What we write has nothing to do with our “age”. What we write has everything to do with the truth we are willing to share about life—The truth about what we know from our experience, the pain, joy and confusion that comes from living. Some writers are able to share the raw truth earlier in their lives than others because their experiences haven’t clogged the channel that allows them to be open. This doesn’t make them “better” than those of us still in the trenches. We evolve in our understanding of craft and become willing to expose the truth of life as we are ready. Every moment of our journey is essential for the next part of our evolution as writers.
Let’s throw out “worries” like age, which have nothing to do with anything other than if you can qualify for a senior discount, and embrace the glory of our evolution as artists!
Writing and Writers Rock Always!!!
You’ve got a GREAT attitude about this, Jocosa!
Society makes us so competitive, and when you add age to the mix, it only makes things worse. Not only do we compare our accomplishments against others, we also pay attention to how old people are when they accomplish something significant. That’s a recipe for nothing but dissatisfaction and insecurity.
Keep up that awesome attitude, and your deep emotional awareness – it’s inspiring to behold. Oh, and having met you in person, I have no doubt you’ll be smokin’ hot in your 80s! :)
And that, my dear, sweet, Keith, has made my day. Hugs to you!
Several things struck me in this excellent post, Keith.
First: “people said I had ‘a way with words’ – but I didn’t yet feel I had something to say with those words.” I felt exactly the same way in my twenties. I tried a few times to write, but I had nothing worth saying at all. My writing didn’t gain the kind of depth I wanted it to have until I’d DONE some stuff–like have the same job for a decade, buy my own house, bring a child into the world and then suddenly realize why my own parents were always worried about something. And I can see that as I age I will have more and more to say–more that I NEED to say. Actually, getting to thirty without even having finished a novel was a surprising relief. Then the pressure to be one of those wunderkinds was gone. I couldn’t do it. And if I had, I think I would have been an unbearable snob about it. God had my best interests in mind.
Second: the ages of the famous writers you mention–all getting up there in years. While writers don’t often retire, they do eventually die, and though publishers love to continue making money off them in death, I think it’s important to realize that even if there are more and more books being published, the spots “at the top” as it were will not be held forever by those who hold them now. I may despair that there is nowhere to move up in my fairly small company, but one day these people will want to retire and move to Florida to be old there. There is room for new writers, whatever our age, if we are willing to work hard and keep working.
Third: As a reader I am far more likely to be skeptical of writers younger than me (which is not fair, but there it is). I wonder what they have to say to me that I can relate to or aspire to. I like the idea of an older author making sense of the world for me. I live in a college town, and every fall the freshmen look more and more like middleschoolers to me. There are beautiful young people all around me. But drive down Grand River Ave. on a game night and you will quickly realize that, frankly, you don’t want to take advice or derive life philosophies from any of these people. (I mean, their natural inclination when MSU wins in the Final Four is to light couches on fire…because that makes sense.)
Ha! Your last point really made me laugh, Erin. Here’s a weird thing. The person I was at MSU in the early eighties more or less decided to stop reading and writing epic fantasy, because it was immature. This same guy blithely stood by, drinking beer in public in Cedar Village, watching drunk guys throw cans (full of beer, and even some bottles) at other drunk guys as they tried to climb a streetlight post to break the streetlight, and “dim the lights” at the massive street party. Well, at least I had the common sense to run when the ELPD showed up en masse.
I didn’t “come to my senses” again, and realize I “am meant” to read and write epic fantasy until I was 43.
Great stuff, Keith. And, as always, a very entertaining read. Thanks!
You make some great points, Erin, including one that hadn’t occurred to me: the fact that as older writers pass away, there will always be a need for more storytellers.
Thanks for your thoughtful response. I laughed at the couch-burning reference – gotta love “higher” education!
Well, I’m only 49 and intend to hang out there for a while, but I do feel that pinch of urgency from time to time. Mostly because I’ve been at this for almost 20 years with nothing to show for it but 4 self published YA novels (albeit with good reviews) and a regular column in a local women’s magazine, for which I am still not paid.
I must admit to you and myself that I have not pursued the agents and publishers as hard as others. I tend to give up after a couple submissions. I’m trying to change that this year. It’s not that I’m lazy. I’d just rather be writing. I know, all part of the job.
I’ve stopped hoping for making writing a career. At this point, it would only allow me early retirement. More realistically, I will still retire at the age of (checking 401k) 127 and use the writing as a means of keeping me out of the mall-walkers club.
But you are right. I now have 49 years of stupid mistakes to pull from my well. I’ve been a navy brat, served myself for 4 years, married, survived teenagers, survived two German Shepherd attacks on my terrier (he had it coming, he’s an asshole), and worked in auto plants in the shadow of Motown. Hey, I’ve got stuff to talk about! (We shall not discuss me brief foray into politics).
So, yes, there are advantages to be being an older writer. For one thing, we know enough to ignore all those emails and ads offering to advance our writing careers. But we also have a bit of wisdom to offer. Even if that wisdom is to seek any career other than writing.
I’ll keep telling my stories until somebody either believes them or thinks them great fiction.
Thanks for the post!
Ron, although finding these posts about writers and age instructive and inspiring, I’m laughing about the comment regarding your terrier. My female Mini Australian Shepherd often throws out insults while we’re out walking, then ducks behind to leave me with the aftermath. :)
Thanks for chiming in, Ron – sounds like you’ve got a lot of living to draw from.
Stupid mistakes? Oh hell yes – too many to count. People say we learn from our mistakes. If that’s the case, I’ve got a freakin’ PhD!
As someone who is 44 and who just in the past few years admitted to myself that I want to write fiction—and who just very recently started actually writing daily—I don’t so much worry about how my age will be perceived. (In fact, I think there’s a certain amount of cool/wow factor when an author is well into adulthood before being published.)
I do worry about the common wisdom that says I have several crappy books in me before I write one that is publishable. I think I may have a decent chance of subverting that wisdom, but it’s possible that I’m fooling myself. I guess we’ll see, won’t we?
Evelyn, I love this attitude: “I think there’s a certain amount of cool/wow factor when an author is well into adulthood before being published.”
As far as crappy books – you may not need to actually finish entire books o’ crap, but for most of us, writing well does take a lot of practice. I don’t have a bunch of poopulent completed manuscripts sitting in a drawer; instead, I have countless aborted book projects that I mercifully chose to euthanize well before they were close to being done.
You really got me thinking this morning, Keith. A writer’s age has never even hit my radar. I have no idea how old the authors of my favorite books are, and my agent and publisher have never asked my age. I find it hard to believe age matters much, and kudos to you, Keith, for reminding those who think they’re too ANYTHING to write.
We writers have a passion for something extraordinary. Embrace it. There are only the obstacles we create for ourselves.
Dee Willson
Proud 40-something author of A Keeper’s Truth and GOT
Thanks, Dee – I dig your open-minded attitude. And you’re right, we create enough obstacles for ourselves; there’s no need to come up with even more.
Thanks for the encouragement to new (though not young) writers! Being unable to go back in time, I have no choice but to hope that age will be an advantage since the alternative is too depressing.
I’m 57, and I have observed glimmerings that age at least isn’t hurting me: last week I wrote more than the previous month; last year more than the previous ten. Word count does not equal success, obviously, but there can be no success without output, and — hooray! — my third try at finishing a book is further along than the last two combined.
Age has taught me the foolhardiness of combining alcohol with writing. One glass of wine is the limit for me if there’s to be any prospect of gluing down a thousand words. And good sleep. And proper exercise.
Doug, it sounds like your writing is really coming into its own – good luck! And you make a great point. Unlike, say, an athletic ability that relies on being in your physical prime (like a pro football player), writing is something you can keep getting better at as you get older. Pretty cool!
LOVE this post, Keith, and I’d missed Juliet’s last week, so thanks for that, too.
Up until last Oct. 28th, I was one of those people you’re talking to who were getting up there in age, had been writing a while, and were wondering if they’d ever get published.
Then I did it. There is an interesting mental change at that point: a certain very large set of fears has just been proved wrong. Huh.
I think age did one very good thing for me: I had taken a swing at traditional publishing back at the turn of the century, gotten some nice personal rejections – but had NOT enjoyed the experience of submitting, waiting FOREVER, and then being told, “No, thanks.” Over and over.
And then, while focusing on the novel I just published, and ignoring ALL grumbling from the subconscious that it would never get past an agent, no matter how well written, because they would be sure they could not sell it, self-publishing happened around me just when I needed it.
Plenty of things caused concern after that point. There were gobs of things to learn to a point of semi-professional competence. But the fear was gone: when I deemed it good enough, I would simply publish it.
And I did.
After what real life throws you, self-publishing is trivial. It’s just work. Writing is just work.
And you don’t get that confidence until you’ve actually done those things life throws at you – to earn it.
Thanks for your thoughtful insights, Alicia. And congratulations on your hard-earned confidence!
I landed an agent when I was 26 on the merits of an excerpt I pitched at a workshop. The problem was I was 26 and it was an execerpt. I never finished the book. Between having children and a now ex – husband who was constantly touring with a rock band I was busy with other aspects of my life. Or maybe I just didn’t know what I wanted to say… My creative writing teacher in college told me I had a gift but didn’t know what I wanted to say with it yet. Bottom line, fast forward a few decades and after lots of life and a hell of a lot of work and heartbreak about that work, my first novel is finally ready to go. I’m working on the second. Theres a third brewing in my head.I have a lot I know I want to say.
Wow, Bernadette – sounds like we’ve had a lot of parallel experiences.
And I bet those books you’re writing are much richer because of all your experiences – good and bad. Best of luck with your writing!
Keith-
To your thought about “amassing more life experience”, I can add this: Those under 30 very well may *not* have amassed the life experience that makes writing great fiction possible.
I see this in manuscripts by younger writers. Teenaged writers tend to imitate the last fantasy novel they read. Twenty-something authors tend toward pulp or precious. Plenty of action, perhaps, but no finesse. Or pretty style but little to say.
Naturally there are plenty of exceptions. Joe Hill comes to mind. City on Fire by Garth Risk Hallberg (mid-30’s) is a pretty impressive debut. But when I think about solid careers and great novels, by and large the age of those authors is closer to mine.
(Ahem. A lot of age confession happening today. Let’s just say I’m not (quite) yet eligible for the senior discount at the movie theater.)
Anyway, I agree with you Keith. When it comes to writing fiction no one should worry about their age. At worst it’s irrelevant, at best it helps.
Thanks, Donald.
I was really hoping you’d chime in. It’s one thing for me to be telling the world that age doesn’t matter; to hear this sentiment from somebody in your role is both very validating, and very encouraging.
See my response to Charlie Quimby above….
Boy, I hope not! I wasted half a century doing other stuff before I started really learning how to write gooder. Uh, you know . . .
As we age we trail clouds of history behind us, and we can look back in gratitude that we survived some of our choices. I write historical westerns, which I self-publish because after publishing 3 nonfiction books I became a control freak. I don’t want to leave my copyrights in the hands of a conglomerate afterwards.
However…
I write historical Westerns because I’m one generation away from the old West. or the tail end of it anyway. My father knew some of the men in the Wild Bunch because he spent his boyhood where they lived and robbed.
My sense of Western history isn’t borrowed from books. it’s personal from the stories my parents told me, and my great aunt told me. Her husband was one of the last to drive a herd of cattle from Texas into Montana.
I was privileged to take Dad to see Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Having met Sundance, he came out of the movie spitting mad: It wasn’t like that. It wasn’t like that.
Being as old as dirt isn’t a handicap. It’s a blessing. I’ve lived more, done more, experienced more than I could ever have imagined when I was in my twenties. Then I knew I would be a writer, but I hadn’t found my stories.
It took 40 years, but eventually I found them. They were there all along, so close I couldn’t see them.
Wow, what a wonderful perspective, Carol. Thanks for sharing that. And I’m so glad you found your stories!
Thank you, Keith. I’m embarrassed that I forgot to thank you for the post. I liked it so much!
Thanks, Keith. I’m striving for the title: Oldest Debut Middle-grade Novelist. Wish me luck.
That sounds like a great title to shoot for, Mary. Good luck!
Speaking from the other end of the spectrum, ageism can be a problem for young writers as much as it is for older writers. I’ve seen many bitter comments that The Tiger’s Wife won awards only because Téa Obreht is a pretty young blonde. Veronica Roth is my age, and interviewers love to ask her if she connects with the YA audience because she isn’t long out of high school herself, as if 27 isn’t a world away from 17.
From 1955 to 2004, the average age of writers in the year their novels became NY Times bestsellers was 50. The media makes a fuss about the wunderkinder because they’re rare. Most Millennial writers are not sailing down the red carpet arm-in-arm with Shailene Woodley. They’re drowning in $30k of student debt, working the graveyard shift stocking shelves at Kroger, and pretending not to be mortified that they’re still living with their parents.
There’s little benefit to being a young writer, but there are many benefits to being an older one. You’ve had decades to acquire wisdom, experience, and patience. People will listen to you. I frequently see comments that “green” writers must have nothing to say, but I’ve never seen anyone automatically dismiss an older writer because they’re too “ripe.”
You raise some great, thought-provoking points, T.K. – thanks for taking the time to provide such a clear glimpse into a world that few if any of the older writers here have lived in.
While I myself was not capable of making a significant artistic statement at a young age, I’ve never questioned that other young people were – particularly as a musician, the proof was all around me.
Probably the coolest thing about being a young writer is the head start you get at developing your chops. When I started getting serious at 40, I had to address areas where I’d grown rusty – or had simply never developed in the first place. In addition to you still having a shot at wunderkindiness (hey, it might be a word), just think how strong your writing will be at 40, when I was still busy learning when to use “that” versus when to use “which,” and what the hell a POV was. Take advantage of your inspiration, maintain your momentum, and just keep writing!
I’ve definitely found my age to be an advantage in writing. Although I developed a desire to write fiction almost as soon as I learned to read it, I think I have a much better perspective on life now than I did in my 20s. I was about 45 when I started writing fiction in earnest, gave it up after my third husband passed away and I made big changes in my life, then took it up again for good at the age of 61. At 21, you only really know what it feels like to be 21. At 61, you can remember being 21 almost as if it were yesterday, but you’ve also experienced being 31 and 41 and 51, and have a much better idea of what 71 will feel like.
My aspirations are different at this stage of my life. It’s not a career so much as it is a means to provide a sense of accomplishment, to create something that will still exist after I’m done, unlike the jobs I’ve held throughout my life. Plus I love connecting with readers all over the world. (Okay, it’s also a motivator that my writing helps pay the bills.)
Like some of the other commenters, I also opted to publish my own novels. It feels good to be in complete control of my work and dictate my own writing schedule.
Best of luck to WU writers of any age, and here’s a coffee for you, Keith!
Ruth
Ruth, it sounds like you have a great handle on things. And that’s an excellent point, about knowing what it’s like to be different ages. Just today I had an incredibly vivid memory of something that happened to me 40 years ago, which had an emotional/psychological impact that I can still feel today. Hmmm, I might just have to fit it into a story someday…
Thanks for taking the time to share your perspectives so clearly and candidly, and good luck with your writing!
Keith, I’m one of those vintage writers (lovely phrase), but I don’t have a tangible consciousness of age when I’m working on my writing. I have it much more when I’m shooting baskets in my driveway, wondering if a 1/4-inch vertical “leap” is anything to be concerned about.
There are lots of words left; time, I can’t much control, so I’ll leave it to its doings. (If any of my paragraphs get baggy, I’ll just use literary Spanx.)
Tom wins the internet today, with “literary Spanx.” I need to get me some!
This made me laugh out loud several times. I ALWAYS wanted to write and have the usual boring excuses why it wasnt pursued. No parental support (you need a back up plan!), no confidence, blah blah. A couple years ago, because my husband makes good money and I have basically devoted myself to him and my sons, I quit my job. I just said, “Fuck it, I’m doing this and I dont care what happens.” And here I am at 50, and I just found out I won something in a short story contest. :) It’s a dinky little thing, but still. It’s a motivator for me to keep sludging on with my novel. So thanks for this. And BTW, you could have written pure drivel and I would have dropped at your feet for having played with BRUCE. My HERO! Seeing him in concert April 14! Write on. :)
Thanks, Ellen! I think some of the greatest achievements in life cannot be accomplished until you reach – and then pass – the “fuck it” point. Congrats on your contest win!
Good luck, and enjoy the concert! The Boss just keeps getting better.
Late to the party, but yours and Juliet’s posts are both so very encouraging. I’ve never thought about my age, but death has always loomed large, even as a child, so I have a habit of chasing my dreams. I hope to die writing.
Glad you found this encouraging, Vijaya. Good luck chasing your dreams!
I think worrying about age stems from our insecurities. We are desperately grasping for something to justify our need to stay in our comfortable nest. In the end, I don’t think it matters how old you are. Publishers and agents may look at your age. Maybe…
Why?
Well, one reason may be because they think it has something to do with how productive you’ll be. Some people link age with vitality and health. But I think the baby boomers are changing this attitude. Because that’s what baby boomers do–change attitudes. So don’t worry about it, just keep writing.
Good point about the baby boomers, Leanne. As a member of that club, I hope you’re right!
I have been a “dabbler” in writing all my life, or so it seems. However, I had never submitted anything until 2013, when I had a short story included in a holiday anthology. I wrote short stories and some (awful) poems but it was only here and there. Then, when I retired, I decided that the time was right for me. I am working on my debut novel now, and will be 57 next month. I worried about being too old, but frankly, my largest concern was that I didn’t have a degree. Not even an Associate degree. I took some writing classes and some paralegal classes, had trouble with financial aid and quit college. Now I realize that I could either write or take classes, but both would be too hard due to being disabled. I chose writing. I have been reading advice and how-to books for years. I decided I would never know unless I got started. So, I did. I will be published someday, either traditionally or self-published. I have faith that others will like my stories as well. Thanks for the very helpful post!
Great attitude, Rebecca. Keep the faith, and good luck!
I’m 68 and have just completed my first YA novel. It’s heading for the editor in a week or three. In its first draft form, I entered it into an unpublished MS competition where it made the finalist list – one of 6 out of 86 entries. My first reaction? “Gee, the others must have been pretty bad if mine is a finalist.” See, it’s not really age that is our problem; it’s lack of self confidence which I have by the bucket load.
As for another book in me, well I have three story ideas in outline form tucked away to start on when this one is published. I have to say though, that I’ve always loved writing. I wrote a novella at the age of 12, but it was so bad, I cringe when I think about it :-)
Congratulations, Lyn – both on the major achievement of completing your first novel (which is HUGE), and on your contest success – that’s a VERY encouraging start! I hope these serve to boost your confidence. Good luck!
Thanks so much, Keith :-)
You didn’t mention one big practical advantage we have–a blessedly quiet, empty nest, and generally more control over our time.
I was about 50 when I started using a computer–an IBM PC, no model name or number, no color, no mouse, not even a hard drive. That was in the 1980s, so that makes me…with greater computer skills than most 20 year olds I know. Can’t imagine why I should feel at a disadvantage because of my age.
Skipper, that’s a great point about having more control of time. Even for a young writer who doesn’t have kids, the world can be full of distractions, often fueled by the fear of missing out on any of life’s experiences. That’s actually not a bad thing, because the more things they experience, the more they can draw from.
You’ve got a great attitude about age. And congrats on your computer kung fu skills – I’m sure you’ve found them invaluable. Although I was a late bloomer when it comes to computers, now I cannot imagine life without them!
Thank you for the interesting discussion.
In the past, I worried about the age thing and starting to write too late. I worried about not having my author’s portal or whatever it is called — the bloggy, marketing, social networking area of the Internet that I just had to have done so I could build my list and sell my many books. They said, if I built it, they would come.
They didn’t.
I worried about if I needed to write in a notebook or on the computer, whether to use a word processor or something fancy, like Scrivener, that I couldn’t afford. I worried about getting the perfect writer’s tools, the perfect library of writing books.
I guess that was five or more years ago. I have, I think, learned since then. Now, I pretty much don’t worry about any of that stuff. Why? Because while I was worried about all that and spent time building my perfect library and finding the perfect editor and perfect size notebook and best gel pen and best blogging platform and best web site color scheme and so on and so forth, I WASN’T WRiTING!
I met an author online when I started writing, back then. She has, I think, three published books now, she really works at it. I have not had anything published, and have yet to figure out how to get myself to sit down every day and write. Depressing.
But even though it is depressing and I am older than when I started, nothing else has changed. I can still figure out how to write every day. I don’t have to wait for New Years Eve to start a new way of life. I can start that any day. I quit smoking probably 50 times over the years, before that ONE time stuck, some 20-odd years ago. I said I was going to be a writer at least 50 times — it just hasn’t “stuck” yet.
Maybe tomorrow is the beginning, the start of a daily writing habit, the disappearance of my writing insecurities, the realization that this is hard, but I can do it.
Maybe tomorrow.
Maybe…
It doesn’t matter how old I am. I just need to stop worrying and -preparing to write — and just write — before I get any older…
One of my favorite quotes concerning age is attributed to Satchel Paige: “How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you were?” As an author, I have “been” a shy 8-year-old, a smart-alec pre-teen, a 16-year-old artiste, and a lonely widow. I can’t afford to know how old I am — half my characters would disappear.
My other favorite quote is from a plaque my sister sent on my 40th birthday, which sits on the shelf just above my keyboard: “If you haven’t grown up by age 40, you don’t have to.”
Ooh, I love *both* of those quotes, Christine. Thanks for sharing them!
I believe, thats important to start early, as you can learn faster when you are young to become very good in this craft ( writing is in my opinion art and craft combined) as with everything else. Old Age has the advantage of more experience, but the disadvantages of lower endurance, receptiveness and creativity. You should´nt procrastinate if want to write and you shouldn´t seek for excuses like your age, just write. But of curse you can also start when you are older. Just write, no matter how old are you and what everyone else says. When you want to write – do it.
I am going to be 17 years old in 2 weeks and i have already published a few novellas and shortstories; my first novell will be released next month.
Excuse grammar and spelling mistakes, i`m living in germany and i am wirting usually in german
Keith- Apropos of this much-appreciated post…My husband and I married when I was in the second half of my 30’s. We wanted kids and I had so steeped myself in articles about the troubles of getting pregnant after 35 that we decided we should start trying to make one posthaste.
I had the great good fortune (?) of returning from my honeymoon preggers. But when I went to the midwife for confirmation I learned that my pregnancy was not just a pregnancy — it was an AMA PREGNANCY (AMA=Advanced Maternal Age). That label resulted in the medicalization of the pregnancy in unexpected and disheartening ways.
I developed the habit, as a new mom, of doing mental math when I met or read women who were — or were writing about — mothering. Finding other old moms always elicited a happy little internal sigh. And discovering women who’d done it EVEN LATER THAN ME was cause for a secret sort of mental celebration.
In my mid 40’s, I shifted my work-focus over to writing children’s books, and in the process gained a whole new venue for my age-comparing habit.
I’ve thought about this age thing a lot (not that I’ve stopped doing the math, of course). The thing is: I wrote in my 20’s too. But back then I just didn’t have the emotional or psychological wherewithal to commit and struggle and fail. I’m much better at those things now.
I was so busy judging and comparing and trying to find my place in the world. Back then I approached and struggled with fear mainly through physical activity — white water kayaking, bike commuting in NYC, that sort of thing.
My writing practice, now, seems to have an openness — and also self-critique — that I really don’t think I could’ve mustered up back then. Physical challenges were doable, but just jumping in and writing every day over the long haul, with no promise of recognition or success, was beyond me.
Related to this: I don’t think I would have approached character in a way that would’ve gotten me very far. I judged, and criticized, and was less likely to try to understand. Writing makes me better at understanding and developing compassion.
I’m nearing 50 now, and I sold my first picture book last year. More importantly, though, I write every day. My writing practice and the interactions I have within my various real-time and on-line writing communities helps me grow and brings me joy that I’m pretty sure I couldn’t’ve found or even been open to when I was younger.
I’ve got a whole blog devoted to this subject, Keith. Actually to “late” bloomers in all the creative fields. But you’re right. Writers ARE different. There’s actually some brain research behind why, having to do with myelin and experience leading to greater mastery, especially of words and concepts.
I’d always assumed that our classics were written by youngsters like Mary Shelley (and her circle), but I’ve been amazed to discover people like Bram Stoker (Dracula at age 50, second novel), Daniel Defoe (Robinson Crusoe at age 59, first novel) , and Charles Perrault (compiled Tales from Mother Goose at 69). Ground-breakers, all.
We may not be be glamorous headline material, but we’ve got great bones. Thanks for the excellent tips, and the reminder.
PREACH!
This is like my life verse, Keith. If Grandma Moses can get started at 98 and if people like Tom Clancy get started in their fifties, it’s never too late. Now that shouldn’t be an excuse to procrastinate — rather it’s a motivator to start ASAP if one has the urge. I’m reminded of Scalzi’s piece on Why New Novelists Are Kinda Old
But yeah, I love this stuff. I always say that writing is the exact opposite trajectory of a professional football career. In football, you get drafted for college out of high school, drafted for NFL out of college, break your femur at 28 and if you’re lucky, you get to be a sportscaster at 40.
Writing works the other way — like a good red wine, it matures with age. I look forward to growing up and growing old with all of you.
Definitively an obstacle, for a number of reasons.
Understand, the obstacle is not writing itself. That’s the easy part.
Luckily, I have no great expectations (Hey! That would make for a great book title!). If I can get a few things published, fine. If not, fine.
That, by the way, is one of the advantages of being old.
This came at such an appropriate point. I’m a new writer with some decades behind me. As I write, the thought does pop up…how much longer do I have to actually do this and get published. But I have this story/ies stuck in my head and really need to get them out. Thanks!
I had a 99-year-old student at a workshop I taught. She was sharp and talented, and last I heard, she passed 100 and was still going strong with her writing and the rest of her life.
Thank you so much for this post. I am a fifty-something writer who has been bashing herself over the head with her age ever since she rolled over the half century mark. I am encouraged. And I shall keep this post to read again next time I consider beating myself up.
Hell, I’m 66 and still learning. And I write stuff for kids! I can honestly say that I like being old better than I liked being young. If I can contribute to the world by creating stories people want to read, then I’m going to do it.
Now, which old picture to have on the dust jacket???