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Friday, January 21, 2011

Fiction Friday: Writers Of A Certain Age


Here’s another thing to consider. If you always wanted to write, and now you are
A Certain Age, and you never got around to it, and you think it’s too late…do
please think again. I watched Julia Glass win the National Book Award for her
first novel, “The Three Junes”, which she began writing in her late 30’s. I
listened to her give her moving acceptance speech, in which she told how she
used to lie awake at night, tormented as she worked on her book, asking herself,
“Who do you think you are, trying to write a first novel at your age?” But she
wrote it. And as she held up her National Book Award, she said, “This is for all
the late-bloomers in the world.” Writing is not like dancing or modeling; it’s
not something where – if you missed it by age 19 – you’re finished. It’s never
too late. Your writing will only get better as you get older and wiser. If you
write something beautiful and important, and the right person somehow discovers
it, they will clear room for you on the bookshelves of the world – at any age.
At least try.

(Quote from this article: http://www.elizabethgilbert.com/writing.htm)

I read this quote and this article on the same day. Both resonated with me, the thought that it really is never too late to try your hand at your artistic passion-- whether it's singing, writing, painting, sculpting... whatever. I believe when we create we are doing what we were created to do. We were made in the image of the Creator, after all. If we bear His image, it stands to reason that we would also, then, be compelled to create.

Age shouldn't matter when we're doing what we were called to do, and striving to take hold of what God has promised. Reading this passage from the Bible about Caleb-- who had to wait til he was 85 to see his calling come to fruition-- was encouraging to me. Perhaps it will be inspiring to those of you who are writers of a certain age.

Joshua 14:10-14
10 “Now then, just as the LORD promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the wilderness. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! 11 I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. 12 Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.” 13 Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as his inheritance.
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5 comments:

LaShea said...

WoW! This is great! Just what I needed to read today. Witing is such a great gift. Writing for me is like reading, it leads me to an exciting adventure if that makes any sense. Writing is like going on a exciting journey that sometimes you never what to end.

Sometimes I feel like God puts these amazing thoughts in my head that should be written down but I always find some reason why I think I shouldn't get up & write. I have some things that were written in several years ago & I think it would make a great book but fear sets in & I think of several reasons why I shouldn't finish the book. I plan to get started on finishing my book and I will continue to pray that God will help me with this new and exciting journey............

LaShea

Debra said...

Dear Marybeth,
You have encouraged me to tears..
Thank You,
Hugs, Debra

Aidan Donnelley Rowley @ Ivy League Insecurities said...

It is never too late to dream. Never. And writing? We can do it at any age, and forever. I believe that I will be a much better writer 20 years from now than I am now...

Anonymous said...

Hi MaryBeth:

Just a little something I thought you might enjoy - we (my family) know Mark Hamby real well. We are from the same hometime in Western NY - his wife was in my class, Mark a year older. We actually just reconnected a few years ago. He and my husband are good friends.
I love the Lamplighter Books - have about a dozen on my shelf thus far. Just thought I would
share that with you!


Rhonda up in New York State

rebecca @ altared spaces said...

A Late Bloomer. Perhaps I'll always bloom late. Thanks for the encouragement that that might be a good thing