Think You’re Too Old to Write? It’s Your Special Advantage
Reasons why being an older writer is to your benefit
I know lots of writers who started late. No, not the ones who talk all the time about “writing a book when they retire”, but those who secretly wanted to write all their lives and yet, because of circumstances, they were never able to. Often that was family or work taking up all their time and energy, and often they are women.
I have found it’s also women who are more likely to put off writing because some so-called “expert” told them they had no talent. And that can go back to when they were a kid at school!
A recent Facebook post (not mine) that asked, “Am I too old now?” struck a chord with several hundred people who responded emphatically, “NO!”.
But it’s not just the idea that of course it’s never too late to start, it’s actually more about what great benefits you already have as an older writer. Here are just a few — they won’t apply to everyone, but I bet a lot of them do.
Firstly, you’re very likely have better grammar and punctuation skills, due to all those rules that were drummed into you at school back then (and not so much now) — so you automatically write better. You soaked them in without knowing. Yes, you might be the pedant that frowns at…
