I am 72 years old and have been a columnist and a freelance writer for over fifty years.  I’ve written a continuous column for the same magazine for 45 years.  That’s probably not a record, but it is lengthy enough to have learned some valuable lessons. I hope my lessons can help you with your writing life too.

1. Take risks.  Early in my hungry career, I sent letters and writing samples to newspapers and asked if they would need a guest columnist for a vacationing writer.  I got two jobs that way.

 

I also wrote non-traditional pieces such as obituaries, “Teacher of the Year” acceptance speeches and love letters for would-be Lotharios.  I wrote lesson plans for busy teachers and helped write grants for a small university, as well as political speeches for a local candidate.  I had a syndicated column in ten weekly newspapers before I transitioned to the twice- a- month column that has continued for over 45 years and resulted in two books.

 

I have also written histories of towns and churches. You’ll often earn little pay when you are gaining experience, but you might be surprised at how fun it is to write about “odd” topics.

 

Another lucrative writing opportunity has been ghostwriting.  Almost everyone wants to tell their story, but don’t know where to begin. (Perhaps in a future article, I will tell you how I organized/facilitated my ghostwriting projects.)

 

2. Meet your deadlines.  If your children get the flu, you still need to get good copy in on time…. unless of course the publisher/editor was the one who infected them.  Then you might get a short extension. The point is, be prepared for emergencies and work ahead of schedule.

 

3. Be grateful for your opportunities.  Thank those who have helped you with your writing life, like the publisher and editor of Writer’s Weekly.  (See how easy it can be?)

 

4. Keep up with the ever-changing technology and culture of writing.  I started on a manual type- writer.  I have gone from using carbon paper to learning about AI.  Embrace the changes. The alternative to that is non-existent.

 

5. Work hard at your writing.  Creatives of all types usually have to revisit their work many times to get the right effect.  (It took the artist DaVinci, 30-40 layers of paint to master the depth and realism in his paintings.)  Always revisit your work after a couple of days to clear your brain of what you think you have written. You will be surprised by the errors you have made.

 

6. Be prepared for criticism.  What sometimes makes a good writer is sensitivity.  What sometimes makes a writer quit writing is sensitivity.  It’s a delicate dance.  Here’s what I’ve learned after 50 years of criticism:  If there is something new to be learned from the criticism, set your fragile ego aside and test the suggestions.  If the criticism comes from somebody who is just nasty, take a match to the comment and burn it in the kitchen sink…. literally.  I’ve burned more cruel comments than meals over the years and that is saying something.

 

7. Be careful when revealing personal information. There are crazies out there.  In my long career, I have had kidnapping threats to my children and my life threatened by a national terrorist group, resulting in FBI protection, even though I have mostly written a significantly benign humor column about families and rural life.  (Perhaps in another article, I’ll tell you some precautions that have worked for me.)

 

8. Happily, on the other hand, there are many amazingly wonderful people who will thank you for making them laugh or think. Respond to them if possible and always remember to give them reason to want to continue to read your work.

 

9. Have fun along the way.  Before you know it, you will be old and finding yourself offering advice to the next generation.

 

RELATED:

• 7 Paying Senior Markets for Writers – by Karoki Githure – 08 2025
• How This Senior Citizen Author Successfully Promotes Her Books! By Suzanne Pollock – 09 2024
• Writing Behind the “Iron Curtain” of the Old Soviet Union – by Tatiana Claudy – 02 2019
• Am I Too Old To Write? By Cathy Kaufman – 04 2007
• How A Retired Master Plumber Became A Professional Writer, Newspaper Columnist, And Author! By Gary Sprague – 08 2016

 

 

Doreen Rosevold is a regular columnist for the Farm & Ranch Guide.  Her Book:  Farmwife Diary: A Shared Experience, is available on Amazon.   

 

 

HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT SELF-PUBLISHING A BOOK?

Angela is not only the publisher of WritersWeekly.com. She is President & CEO of BookLocker.com,
a self-publishing services company that has been in business since 1998. Ask her anything.

ASK ANGELA!

>>>Read More WritersWeekly Feature Articles<<<

HOW TO REMEMBER, WRITE AND PUBLISH YOUR LIFE STORY

Angela Hoy's popular online class is now available in book format!

Remember Your Past
Write It and Publish It
in as little as 12 weeks!

Angela Hoy's book will get you started!

• Using Angela's MEMORY TRIGGERS, recall memories that have been dormant for years
• Record those memories in chronological order in your memory notebook
• Using the memory notebook as your outline, write your autobiography!
• Also works for biographies and memoirs!

Read more here:
https://booklocker.com/books/4764.html