If there’s one thing this book proves, it’s that
retired persons are as productive or more productive than they have ever been
and retirement is a myth. As Lynne Davis
writes in her piece “What Shall I write Today?”—“In retirement, I write what I
want to write.” Every author in this
book has chosen a writing life as all or part of the new life they have created
after “retiring” from formal careers in as many different careers are there
authors in the book.
The book is divided into four sections: Starting In, Practical Aspects, Finding Your
Niche, and Publication and Marketing.
Every section, however, is filled with down-to-earth, practical ideas
and suggestions to help any reader find his or her writing life.
The common denominators in this book, in addition to
the practical, are that these writers have chosen a writing life to which they
bring a lifetime of experiences, personal dedication and discipline, a desire
to write (not necessarily a desire to “have written,” that is, to see their
name in print), and a deep passion to do this work well.
In “Starting In,” the authors cover the solitary life
of writing, the need for community and how to create one, and the value of
college courses, workshops, conferences, and so on. One author writes about “Following Dreams Put
on Hold,” and his transition from technical writing (purposely emotionless) to
creative and fictional writing (purposely filled with emotion). Other writers in this section write about
inspiration, and finding or creating a writing “place.”
The shortest section, “Practical Aspects,” focuses on
the infrastructure a writer needs, along with the “nuts and bolts” of
writing. There is even a pieces on
estate planning for authors. Who knew
that plans should be made over royalties, artistic control, unfinished
manuscripts, and one’s online presence?
Other authors in this section provide practical suggestions on forming
or joining writers’ groups, taking advantage of the public library, combining
multiple passions such as writing and volunteerism, and the business of
publishing.
“Finding Your Niche” explores the many directions
writing can take and the many outlets available. In today’s world, there are traditional
genres and routes, but there are also other avenues, such as blogging, grant
writing, compiling an anthology, memoir, submitting to magazines, and so
on. A key piece in this section is Lynn
Goodwin’s “My Niche, My Way.” Goodwin retired to take care of her aging and dying
mother, a process that could have been incredibly limiting. Instead, Goodwin ended up writing Journaling for Caregivers and building a
network through the Internet to other writers.
Through her own website, Writer Advice,
she provides writers with community, offers online classes, edits, and
promotes authors. She writes of being
“technically retired,” but she is clearly a going concern, fully engaged, fully
busy, and clearly forging her own path in the writing life.
In “Publication and Marketing,” authors write about
their individual experiences within their specific genres. All of them are organized, manage time well,
are flexible and able to work with editors, and run writing as a business,
which it is. This business is not for
the faint-hearted. As with other authors
in this book, they engage with others writers through conferences and other
means, ensuring that they have a community.
Further, they write about the importance of a “platform,” and online
presence that past authors didn’t need to consider.
There is something for everyone in this book, but
above all, it’s practical, down-to-earth, and sensible. It opens the mind to new paths from the
traditional to online, to different genres, and to new approaches to the
writing life. Regardless of the variety
of offerings in this book, however, two key points remain critical. Writers have to write and writers must
persist. If you love it, as many of us
do, it’s worth every character on the page.
___
Aline Soules' work has appeared in journals, anthologies, and books (print and e-formats). Her latest is a chapbook--Evening Sun: A Widow's Journey--in which she wrote about her emotional journey through widowhood. She is also a librarian at California State University, East Bay. Her website/blog is at Aline Soules
