Getting serious about writing after age fifty

A guest post by Lisa McCulloch
The simplest definition of a writer is someone who writes, and by that definition, I became a writer when I learned how to spell. Before that, I was a storyteller. I’m still working toward the status of author.

Turning fifty changes things. Nearing sixty puts exclamation points where once there were periods, but that’s a story for another day.

Stephanie Marston’s book, If Not Now, When? Reclaiming Ourselves at Midlife, came into my life when I was ready to read it. Pair that with the great Toni Morrison’s quote, “If there's a book you really want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it,” and I had all the karmic motivation a girl could want. All I had to do was get out of my head.

Blessed with some serious longevity in my family, fifty still demands an acceptance of the reality that there is an end, time and place to be determined. That, by itself, is a boot to the backside, but there are other, more pleasant incentives that lure me to my desk each day.

I often refer to this stage of life as the “get off my lawn” phase. The time when we’re more protective of our space, be it literal or emotional. This doesn’t mean that negativity rules the day. This is a time to search out my authentic self and revisit the parts of my life that I put on the back burner for my family and work.Years leading up to this time, there were still poems written and story ideas toying around in my head, but the bulk of my attention was elsewhere. Now, my time is my own and it’s entirely up to me what to do with it.

For me, that is writing. Prose, verse, and dialogue. Time has taught me that writing is not about being called the greatest to ever put pen to paper. It’s not about getting accolades and offers to have my work turned into movies or television series. Those were the dreams of my youth when I would stand in front of the bathroom mirror and practice my acceptance speeches. Nobel Prize, Pulitzer, and Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, because certainly only I knew the heroine well enough to pull off such a dramatic feat.

The well-seasoned and wiser me is content knowing I have a story to tell that other people might be interested to read. I practice my craft now. I learn what I can, where I can.

I take part in a roundtable twice a month where I share my work and get feedback from the other writers, and I give feedback on their work in return. We have a good group, trusting one another enough to provide encouragement always, and instruction when needed. Taking from it what I need and leaving the rest has been vital to strengthening my work.

How about you?

What dreams do you dream between the time your head hits the pillow and you fall asleep? What piece of yourself has been neglected and needs nourishment? What have you always wanted to do that would satisfy your soul if given some room to flourish? Is drawing your lost love? Playing a musical instrument? Gardening? Throwing pottery?

Now is the time to get back in touch. As the book title says: If not now, when?

Lisa McCulloch lives in Wisconsin with her daughter, who has been staying with her during the pandemic, and her border collie, Finnegan, who is always with her. When she's not writing, she's thinking about writing. When she's thinking about writing, she's usually knitting.