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Too Late to Start Writing? Famous Authors Who Didn't Start Writing Until After the Age of Fifty.
14-APR-2023
Have you ever thought it was too late to start writing?
- Frank McCourt – Author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir “Angela’s Ashes” who didn’t publish his first book until he was 66.
- Laura Ingalls Wilder – Author of the “Little House on the Prairie” series who didn’t publish her first book until she was 65.
- Harriet Doerr – Author of the National Book Award-winning novel “Stones for Ibarra” who didn’t publish her first book until she was 73.
- Raymond Chandler – Author of the detective novel “The Big Sleep” who didn’t start writing seriously until he was in his 40s and didn’t publish his first novel until he was 51.
- Bram Stoker – Author of the classic novel “Dracula” who didn’t publish his first novel until he was 50.
- Mary Wesley – British novelist who didn’t publish her first book until she was 70.
- Richard Adams – Author of “Watership Down” who didn’t publish his first book until he was 52.
- Annie Proulx – Author of “The Shipping News” who didn’t publish her first book until she was in her 50s.
- Wallace Stevens – Poet who didn’t publish his first book of poetry until he was 44 and didn’t win the Pulitzer Prize until he was 75.
- Charles Bukowski – Poet and novelist who didn’t begin publishing until he was in his 40s and didn’t achieve widespread success until he was in his 50s.
Harriet Doerr exemplifies the idea that it’s never too late to start writing. She began writing in her 60s and published her first book, “Stones for Ibarra,” at the age of 73. The novel won the National Book Award in 1984, and her second novel, “Consider This, Señora,” was published when she was 83. In addition to her fiction writing, Doerr also wrote essays and reviews. Later in life, Doerr wrote the story of her life, which was published posthumously in 2007 under the title “The Tiger in the Grass: Stories and Other Inventions.” Doerr’s writing career is a testament to the idea that it’s never too late to pursue your passion and achieve success.
Another writer who exemplifies the idea that it’s never too late to start writing is Dominick Dunne. Dunne was a writer and journalist who discovered the power of writing later in life. After his wife left him and he started drinking, he used writing as a way to process his emotions and find self-discovery. This led him to write novels and later, after his daughter was murdered, to write true crime articles for Vanity Fair. Dunne did not become a celebrity as a writer until he was in his 50s.
These writers show that age is just a number and that it’s never too late to pursue your passion for writing. Don’t let fear or doubt hold you back from achieving your dreams. Whether you’re in your twenties or your eighties, it’s never too late to start writing. So pick up your pen or your laptop and start writing your own story today.
