Write On Brave Soul

Do you believe you want to write?

Do you worry you might miss your chance, maybe you think you’re too old?

Let me give you some advice. (You knew that was coming, right?)

I’m sixty. As of yesterday. I’m participating in my sixty-first year of life with sixty years of practise.

Wait! Sixty?

Now you’re saying that if I’ve had all that experience, it’s no wonder I am still writing. And you’re thinking it really is too late for you.

But take heart. I’m going to tell you a secret.

I know nothing.

Nothing!

But I can deduce a few things that might encourage you.

For one thing, I can deduce that it doesn’t matter when you start writing so you might as well start now. Yes, we all started writing in grade school, but you know what I’m talking about. Writing isn’t just putting words on paper or typing on a screen, it is the act of putting words together in a pleasing way so as to be interesting and entertaining.

And I started when I was fifty or so. Oh, sure, there were fits and starts before that. The odd short story that went nowhere. The occasional letter or invitation to some social thing. And songs and poetry along the way.

But I fell into writing and discovered my knack for editing when I began to write as a journalist for a local publication … and began to question the editor’s lack of intervention.

So from this …

From this I deduce that there is never a bad time to start writing. It is never too late.

And there is never a good time to stop. Go until you’re done with this life.

Words are our constant improvement, and your part in the sharing of those words can never be too much.

Additionally …

I must also point out that I have been writing professionally for ten years or so. And I’ve mostly only written professionally.

So, not all that long. Not so much experience that you need to think it is beyond you.

And another thing, nine years ago I had one year of experience.

The only thing that putting off writing is doing for you is giving you less time to gain experience.

So put down your burden

Lay down the heavy load of telling yourself you can’t, it’s too late, you don’t know how.

Take up the joyous wand of attempt, put on the shoes of moving forward, don the helmet of adventure and get writing now.

And do yourself a little favour

Make the first word you write a wrong word, stroke it out and move on.

There’s nothing as liberating as getting that first mistake out of the way.

Especially at your age, whatever that age may be.