Is 21 Too Late to Start Writing Books?

No, 21 is definitely not too late to start writing books! Many successful authors began their writing journeys much later in life. Writing is a craft that can be developed over time with practice and dedication. Starting now gives you plenty of time to explore your ideas, refine your skills, and find your unique voice. If you are passionate about writing, go for it!

Breaking Age Barriers in Writing

Depends on what age group your writing is aimed at. You can be a good writer at any age. You don’t have to wait until a certain age to write; everyone has a story inside them waiting to be told. Don’t hold back; someone somewhere is waiting to hear your story.

Successful Authors Who Started Late

As long as you can write, you can write a book. Consider the example of the English writer Mary Wesley, who published the first of a string of half a dozen very popular novels when she was in her early 70s. A couple of them were even televised. Please don’t let what you do be limited purely by age. Yes, there may be physical limitations as our bodies age, but in these days of dictating machines, there is no need to be tied to pen and ink.

The older I get, the more clearly I see how ridiculous these “You’re too old to …” ideas really are. Swim, dance, write, cook, read, wear scarlet, wear jeans—nobody can stop you except yourself.

Late Starters Who Made Wonders

Grandma Moses started painting pictures really late in life in her late seventies. She’s been gone a long time ago, but her age didn’t stop people from liking her work, and museums still hang it on the walls for many others to enjoy.

I am very proud. I just finished one after three years of hard work. I am 81. The book is called “This Small Mouse in a Fast Train.” It is about girls who have a hard time finding love because they did not have a father. And I am not done writing.

Ageless Success in Publishing

Start writing now, no matter how old you are. Poet Wallace Stevens published “Harmonium” when he was 44 and “Ideas of Order” when he was 57. Richard Adams published his first book “Watership Down” at the age of 52. Annie Proulx published her first novel “Postcards” when she was 57 years old and her Pulitzer Prize-winning second novel “The Shipping News” one year later. Frank McCourt retired from teaching and then wrote his first novel “Angela’s Ashes” at the age of 66. Harriet Doerr published “Stones for Ibarra” when she was 74 years old, winning the National Book Award for First Work of Fiction!

If you have the will to write, don’t let your age hold you back. You probably have loads of experience that can be exercised in either fiction or nonfiction. You too can do it! All the best.