What Age Do you Have to Be to Write a Novel?
The question of the perfect age to write a novel comes up sometimes when I do school visits.
- Too young? At what age are you too young to write a novel and have it published? I’ve seen a 13 year old published and published well.
- Too old? And Richard Peck (April 5, 1934 – ) is still writing strong and many say he’s writing his best work now, including this one due out in September.
Basically, you just need to have a story you want to tell and you want to tell it badly enough that you’ll play with words over a long period of time so you get enough words written.
Strategies for Different Ages
But this also means that you must find different ways of working for your stage of life. When I first started writing, I had four kids at home and was home schooling the oldest. I carried around an ink pen to remind myself that when I had fifteen minutes free, I should write.
Today, I go to work at my office and try to work 4-6 hours per day. It’s hard to make myself stop when I come home!
Find a way to work. Find habits that let you work and revise your novel.