You’re Never Too Old to Start Writing or Keep Writing: Dorothy West

Reed, Write, and Create

On episode # 8 of the podcast, I’m giving you a quick pep talk about the perfect age to become a literary star. Spoiler alert: There isn’t one. The truth is, age is completely irrelevant in the writing game. You never know when your big literary break is going to come, you’re never too old to pick up the pen, and it’s never too late to tell your story. Rather than worrying about your age, you should be working on your words.

To prove this point, I’m going back to the ancestors, and I’m sharing about the literary life and times of Ms. Dorothy West, who officially became literary famous when she was 88 years old. Dorothy West was considered one of the youngest members of the Black literati of the Harlem Renaissance. Born in Boston, she is most known for her critically-acclaimed novel about a wealthy Black family, The Wedding.

So, check your ageism and your doubts at the door, and tune in to this powerful episode of the show.

Links from the Show:

If you haven’t already, read The Wedding by Dorothy West. It’s a beautiful book.

You can also watch this amazing documentary about West, called As I Remember It.

The interview I referenced with author Laura Warrell, who wrote the new novel, Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm was on the Black and Published podcast.

Jocelyn Johnson was the other author I mentioned, whose critically acclaimed, debut novel, My Monticello came out when Johnson was 50 years old.

I am hosting a one day intensive workshop on Sunday May 7 on How to Write a Nonfiction Book Proposal, open to any and all writers working on a nonfiction book, including memoir. If you want to sell a nonfiction book to a mainstream publisher, you have to write a proposal first. You need a proposal to get an agent and the proposal is needed to get the book deal. So, if you’re ready to start pitching agents with your nonfiction book, you should register for my workshop because you’ll leave the workshop with a template and a working outline for your book proposal.

There’s still room in the Creative Writing Workshop for BIPOC writers. If you’re looking for a creative writing workshop that will have you generating new work in every class, help improve your creative writing skills, and offer a supportive BIPOC centered writing community, then please join us. The class meets Saturdays online at 12:pmEST through June 3, 2023. If you promised yourself that 2023 was the year you were going to write more, then this is a great way to make good on that promise. You can register here.

If you haven’t already, you should sign up for the RWC newsletter, so you’ll be the first to know about all of my upcoming workshops, classes and other writing opportunities that I share, including writing contests and calls for work from presses all over the world.

If you’re looking for more creative writing inspiration, writing prompts and useful resources for your literary life, be sure to check out all of the amazing content on the Read, Write, and Create website at ReadWriteandCreate.com. Just as an example, I recently posted an amazing list of upcoming BIPOC Book festivals. You can plan your summer vacation based on what lit literary festivals you want to attend!

Remember, a #Lit life is the best life.

P.S. Don’t forget to rate and review the podcast.