WFFD is an excellent source — read and heed. Keep up with articles (RSS feeds work great) and viewpoints.

Learn your basics as Randy says above, then go write something.

That is yet to be written. I’ve been working on what started out as a trilogy thirty-five years ago. It’s morphed into five separate novels, threaded together by a theme and genealogy.

Richard, I’m looking up your novels.

My first novel got published last year when I was 59. First book of short stories three years ago. More of both to come.

I am 38 now. I wrote my first novel at 17. But the unfortunate thing is that it never got published. I finished writing my second (which is about to be published) at 36, because I was so absorbed in the corporate world for 13 consecutive years, i.e. between the ages of late 19 and early 34, that I could neither read nor write as much as I wanted to.

Looking back now, I’m so glad, so relieved, that my first novel, after all, was not published when I was 17, because I see naivity written all over it–which I would have otherwise not seen. And this now tells me that the possibility of my suffering rejections then was not remote at all. That is to say, it pays to write when you get older–or even much older.

Scott, I pray that your days be long and happy, so that you’ll live to really experience, and understand, what I’m talking about.

I’ve been writing unpublishable fiction (mostly fanfiction with some other things could be infringement if I ever tried to publish) for 14 years now. While some published authors look scornfully at such things, I have to say it has helped me learn rules of writing that I’m sure I never would have gotten just scribbling original work that never got published. It’s hard to get really quality feedback when writing fan works, but what little I get helps me understand where I’ve caught my audience’s attention and when I haven’t.

The point is, I started thinking I should be trying to get published as early as 9 years ago, and looking back at what I wrote back then, I’m glad I didn’t get caught up trying. I really needed to keep writing and keep getting feedback because I was still making a lot of silly mistakes.

I agree with Randy, there is never a ‘too late’ time to try and get published unless you’re already dead. And even then, dying did wonders for Philip K. Dick’s writing career, so there’s still hope.

College is one way to set out on a career path, but it doesn’t put a tatoo on your destiny. I’ve heard of doctors (hi Doc!) and lawyers becoming novelists after years in other professions. Their work and life experiences bring a unique, colorful perspective to what they write. And now you’re now equipped to write corporate suspense thrillers, dramas, horror, fantasies, comedies, or romances—whatever floats your boat—that only YOU can.

I raised a family before it occured to me to write a novel. College provides valuable academic training, but life is the teacher.

Look at Frank McCourt, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book Angela’s Ashes, which was adapted for (in my opiniong, very good) film. His book was published in 1996… when he was 66 years old. And it’s a really good (if heartbreaking) read. Best wishes to you & in your new writing career.

Thanks again Randy, for all that you do.

It’s very encouraging to see there are so many people past their 50s also starting out.