Raising the Age of Retirement

Would you ever consider retiring from writing? Under what circumstances? How does it make you feel to consider retiring?

Brenda here.

This is an interesting question and one that I consider now and then. First off, how does it make me feel to think about retiring from writing? 

Sad. Bereft even. 

Writing and imagining have been a part of my life since I was old enough to hold a pen. Even in grade school, I was scratching out stories and poems as I devoured every book I could get my hands on -- because reading and writing go hand in hand. To think about never working on a story again feels like telling myself to stop breathing - not that there won't come a day ... :-) 

And it's not just the writing that will be lost if I retire. It's also being part of the writing community. I enjoy interacting with other writers, many of whom have become good friends. There are also the booksellers, publishing teams, book clubs, and organizations that invite me to be a guest speaker. There'd be no more mystery conventions around the country or research trips. Somehow, writing and all its offshoots have become a major focus of my life, so giving all this up seems like a lot.

Now, under what circumstances would I consider retiring? I suppose if writing became more work than fun, or if I had other things I want to accomplish took precedence. As anyone in this business knows, writing, promoting and marketing take up a great deal of time, energy and sacrifice. It also takes a great deal of time away from family and friends. If these become too much at some point, I'd likely cut back.

For now though, the desire to write still burns and I'm deep into a new manuscript. The beauty of this career is that there's no firm retirement age. So, as long as the ideas keep coming and the heart is willing, on I go!