I won a speech-writing contest when I was 11.
Published my first short story at 16.
Earned my degree in English and Writing at 21.
Then…
Nothing.
Years of trying, stopping, dreaming about it, starting again, failing again.
A long stretch of pretending I didn’t care.
Moving on with other career paths.
Telling myself that I didn’t dream of writing anymore.
I started writing and publishing nonfiction professionally at 36.
Published my first novella at 44.
Had my first breakout novel at 51.
Some writers debut early.
Others — a lot of us — take the long way around.
Neither path is wrong.
Judith Krantz published her first book, Scruples, the same year she turned 50 years old.
Raymond Chandler published his first novel, The Big Sleep, at 51.
Alex Haley published Roots at 55.
Frank McCourt’s first book, Angela’s Ashes, came out when he was 60.
Laura Ingalls Wilder didn’t publish Little House in the Big Woods until she was 65.
It doesn’t matter when you start.
It matters that you don’t stop.
Your stories aren’t on a deadline.
Your voice doesn’t expire.
The time you’ve spent reading, observing, and living has only made you a better writer.
So if you’ve been telling yourself you’re “too late,” maybe it’s time to rewrite that story.
What’s one small step you can take toward your writing dream today?
If you hit Reply and tell me about what you’d like to write, I’ll give you a personalized action to help you get started.
Slade
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