Thread: Should there be a retirement age for writers?

I read this morning of an author who had his first novel published at the age of 81. I also know of a famous American author who retired from writing at the age of 28. All the writers I know personally will only stop wiring when they die.


Yet every other profession, even judges, have a retirement age, and if it's not a mandatory one, people will usually acknowledge that their career is over, at some stage. Why not writers?


During the last week, I knew that there were two days on which I would have the absolute freedom to do whatever I wanted, in a secluded spot, and I chose to spend the time reading. As my unread books had been stored in a damp place, I had to buy new ones and didn't have much time. A local charity shop sells second-hand books and when I visited, I found late novels by King and Grisham almost begging me to rescue them from the incredible rubbish all around them. I obliged.


I read the two books for pure enjoyment, but was disappointed. King was his usual elegant self, but his story was very similar to ones he had already told. Grisham was patently fed up with writing, his words were tired and the story uninteresting.


It was after reading those two long books I started to think of writers retiring, closing the circle when it became personal. I'm somewhere between 28 and 81, but I've been writing for a long time. My deep thinking was interrupted by my website manager wanting the yearly hosting fee for my author's site.


For the first time I hesitated for a whole day before paying it.

There’s hope for me yet.

Harry, one reason why some writers don’t retire may be that the brain doesn’t die the way the rest of the body does. Plumbers for example would have a limited shelf life. But even at my age I could, if I wished, write with as much élan - probably more, in fact, given I have more “write what you know” experience - as could a young blade of 23, about screwing some chick senseless. Maybe if my fingers became too arthritic I might have to do a Barbara Cartland and employ a secretary - sorry, P.A.- to write my dictation, or use one of those dangfangled contraptions that convert voice into text, but one way or the other I could still do it.

Anyway, I recall you’ve been down a similar road in the past. Nearly three years ago your mantra was “Can you write the well dry?”

http://www.writingforums.com/showthr...l=1#post989274

You’re probably just a shit-stirrer like me, mate.

It depends on the person, but I think a lot of folks simply want to keep doing what they know and do best, even if they can no longer match what they may have achieved in the past. I think that's especially true of creative people. Athletes too, seem to have a hard time quiting.

I see it in my business, creative directors and graphic designers who continue to churn out work that looks like it came out of the era in which they achieved their greatest success. Most don't seem to recognize it. I think some do, but they just can't give it up or feel they can't do anything else. Others seem to keep up and manage to do fresh looking work. It's weird, but there just aren't many in the business over 50 or so -- and that might be pushing it. Some of it's perception -- that only young people can have fresh ideas. It's definitely a youth oriented business, and I think there is some level of prejudice against older designers and art directors. I've already started looking ahead and have begun to move more into the business side of things -- I'm doing more and more strategic communications planning etc. I plan on doing hands-on creative as long as I can do the work and hope I'll be able to recognize it when I get to the point where it's no longer relevant. But who knows. Sometimes it's just really hard to give up something you love doing.

??????????????
Retirement is for clock-punchers.
Artists and hobbyists don't retire. Why would they? They're doing what other people work 30 years to do in their retirement

Better question, shouldn't freelance writers get some sort of social security or retirement package even though we've never been employees?

Writers can't AFFORD to retire.

Originally Posted by lin

Writers can't AFFORD to retire.

There are a few who would have done the world a great favour if they'd retired before they started.

Originally Posted by JosephB

It depends on the person, but I think a lot of folks simply want to keep doing what they know and do best, even if they can no longer match what they may have achieved in the past. I think that's especially true of creative people. Athletes too, seem to have a hard time quiting.

I see it in my business, creative directors and graphic designers who continue to churn out work that looks like it came out of the era in which they achieved their greatest success. Most don't seem to recognize it. I think some do, but they just can't give it up or feel they can't do anything else. Others seem to keep up and manage to do fresh looking work. It's weird, but there just aren't many in the business over 50 or so -- and that might be pushing it. Some of it's perception -- that only young people can have fresh ideas. It's definitely a youth oriented business, and I think there is some level of prejudice against older designers and art directors. I've already started looking ahead and have begun to move more into the business side of things -- I'm doing more and more strategic communications planning etc. I plan on doing hands-on creative as long as I can do the work and hope I'll be able to recognize it when I get to the point where it's no longer relevant. But who knows. Sometimes it's just really hard to give up something you love doing.

I was thinking along similar lines, Joe, how can I give up writing when it's the one thing I know I'm good at? I know it sounds vain but I can't think of putting it any other way, not in context to this thread.


When I was around 14 years old, my metal and woodwork teacher explained why he had given me the lowest grade in those subjects and gave me some life-lasting advice.


“Don't consider any occupation that requires mechanical application, you're useless with your hands.”


Those were hurtful words at the time, but I must have listened because 20 years later I was a police detective and my special expertise was getting confessions from murderers, without using my hands. Apart from that one occasion . . . with that horrible kidnapper . . . but anyway, water boarding is legal now, isn't it?


I wrote ten pages early this morning, before the horrible heat of the day, so either my enthusiasm is still intact, or I suffer from yet another addiction.


(What happened to your pal, and mine, Malone? I had a PM from him yesterday and tried to reply but couldn't.)

Well, they're always looking for greeters at Wall-Mart.

Are you finding it rewarding?

Yes -- and I look especially sharp in the red vest.

And then there are the corndogs at the lunch counter, which I get at a discount.

Originally Posted by The Backward OX

There’s hope for me yet.

Harry, one reason why some writers don’t retire may be that the brain doesn’t die the way the rest of the body does. Plumbers for example would have a limited shelf life. But even at my age I could, if I wished, write with as much élan - probably more, in fact, given I have more “write what you know” experience - as could a young blade of 23, about screwing some chick senseless. Maybe if my fingers became too arthritic I might have to do a Barbara Cartland and employ a secretary - sorry, P.A.- to write my dictation, or use one of those dangfangled contraptions that convert voice into text, but one way or the other I could still do it.

Anyway, I recall you’ve been down a similar road in the past. Nearly three years ago your mantra was “Can you write the well dry?”

http://www.writingforums.com/showthr...l=1#post989274

You’re probably just a shit-stirrer like me, mate.

I think you should be careful about quoting posts from years ago, this site was under different ownership then, and a lot more liberal than the current ones. You've already got me into trouble with quoting another of my posts from three years ago, times have changed Ox, the current readership age is well below what it was in more liberal days and you have to adjust accordingly.


Be warned, pal.

LOL!




May I quote you?

Originally Posted by lin

LOL!




May I quote you?

You're welcome and thanks.

When I retire from my real job, I'll still be writing. I treat my writing as though it were a job, but it doesn't feel like that to me. When you do something you're passionate about, it rarely feels like a job.

It seems to me there is no universal rule about this sort of thing. I could argue the case that writers gain useful experience as they get older, experience they might be able to translate into better writing. I could argue that the brain gets hard with age and some writers get stuck writing in circles because they can't give up the pen. There are examples of each.

Instead it should be about introspection and quality. As readers we should let the quality of the work speak for itself. As writers we should be able to look into ourselves and know where our writing comes from. If it comes from a need to keep what we once had, to hold on to the last edges of the spotlight, or just because it is what we have always done and we are stuck in some sort of a rut, it may be time for a change.

Sorry if I'm taking this more seriously then I should