Just don’t call them “Old”..
One 76-year-old senior began writing her memoir with no prior writing experience but switched to fiction due to a potential family nightmare and published her first book. As she says, “Many of us do not care about publishing. The most common reason we take up writing is to have a legacy that will be read by our descendants—our own grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Writing is like the gold watch that has been in the family for two or three generations and is still cherished, ready to be passed down one day. Even for those of us, like me, who publish and seek a wider audience, the end game may still be the creation of a legacy.”
She acknowledges that younger writers have a better grasp of 21st-century culture, and decades available to look for an agent. Senior writers, however, carry other advantages like time to write. When was the last time a senior slept through the night, or left home if the weather was too cold? There are plenty of extra hours to work when toddlers aren’t running around. Empty-nesters also have the advantage of extra space where the vacated bedroom can become a quiet writing spot.
History, experience, and wisdom are invaluable gifts belonging to those living the later years of their lives. With a better understanding of human nature, authenticity flows when pen meets paper. Many seniors let go of income aspirations in their twilight years, allowing them to write what they love, not what will sell.
Follow this LINK for a humorous article on the possibilities of a budding writer who began a second career about the time her most pressing issue was sorting medication into pill containers!