Anyone subscribing to Shelf Pleasure obviously loves to read, right? And so many readers secretly (or not so secretly) really want to write! That described me for close to 70 years. But I never thought I had enough imagination to write fiction, which was the only kind of writing I wanted to do.
I spent 40 years doing business writing–letters, reports, analyses, etc.–and I was very good at it. But, as I discovered two years ago, factual writing and fiction writing are two different animals. I had tried to write a novel once about 10 years ago, got 60 pages into it, and decided it was crap! It had no plot. I should have bought a few books on writing a novel then, but instead, I put those 60 pages in a drawer and forgot about them. I had just proved to myself that I’d been right; I didn’t have enough imagination to write fiction.
I am a confirmed bookworm, so I kept on reading, book after book after book. I have a list of favorite authors, Lawrence Block, Michael Connelly, John Sandford, David Rosenfelt, Charlaine Harris, Elizabeth George, and I love their books. But I was also reading books by authors new to me, some traditionally published and some indies. And as much as it pains me to say this, some of them were very disappointing. I found myself thinking, “I can do better.” Finally, my husband bought me a new laptop and said, “Go for it!”
I started writing my first book, Blackthorne Forest, the first title in a planned trilogy, two years ago when I was 70. I finished it and published it this year, at the age of 72. Of course, there was a steep learning curve. And this time I bought those books on novel writing, and they were a big help in getting started. Equally helpful, I met other authors online, and a few were willing to read my first few chapters and critique them. I learned so much in just one year. My first book is getting 5-star reviews on Amazon!
So, for all those readers out there who dream of writing a book of their own, my advice: Go for it! Age is just a number. Stop pre-judging your ability and give it a try. Like me, you may surprise yourself.