How old is too old for a writer to debut?

[tinkerdan]

David Feintuch debut was at age 50 I think; and he wrote 9 novels before his untimely death at 61.

Maybe it's the untimely death that is a barrier for some people; though, in honesty, that could happen to anyone.

His eighth offering in the Seafort Saga was in production at the time of his death in 2006 I'm not sure what happened to it.

91?
http://annerallen.blogspot.com/2012/08/how-91-year-old-authors-debut-mystery.html

 

[jastius]

From my understanding the 'Best young (British) novelists' list was something contrived by the magazine The Granta in 1983. They then repeated this every ten years. Either you see it as the magazine getting the up-and-coming zeitgeist with the 'fresh intake' or it's just a gimmick to give them something to write about, showing us the people they will likely fawn over for the next few decades.

Here's the 1983 list: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2002/nov/17/fiction.features3. Interesting tag line the Gruan has in that list, I see.

For the full lists: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granta#Granta_Best_of_Young_British_Novelists

Personally I side with the gimmick interpretation of things. But then I'm 43.

just tell them you're thirty-five..

they're all bloody interns of seventeen making these lists. they don't know thirty from fifty.

we could put a snow boarders hat on gary compton and tell them he's 39 and they'd accept it.

 

[Culhwch]

Well, my post, I suppose, was a comment about when it would be too late to start the craft, rather than debut. Same with the visual arts as well, actually...

To be fair, after you're dead is probably too late to start anything, except perhaps decomposing...

 

[Karn Maeshalanadae]

Exactly my point, Cul, exactly my point.

 

[thaddeus6th]

You could haunt someone, and make them write your biography for the next anthology from Tickety Boo Press.

 

[chrispenycate]

Do we have any ghost writers aboard? There always seems to be a trickle of the 'here's my idea. I'll slit the profits if you write it for me' mentality.

Perhaps someone should start the service under 'writing resources'.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

I think I don't have enough interesting material for Autobiography. Of course like Hollywood's Princess Grace of Monaco film it could be just invented. But what do you pay a Ghost Writer with?

 

[Venusian Broon]

But what do you pay a Ghost Writer with?

A shade over the living wage? Something that will haunt you for the rest of your life?

 

[Jo Zebedee]

A writer, earning over the living wage?

Falls off seat with hilarious, demented laughter.

This was going on on Twitter yesterday and everyone seems to think it's just a bit of silliness and that loads of debuts are post-40.

 

[tinkerdan]

deb·u·tant
ˈdebyəˌtänt/
noun
a person making a first appearance in a career or in fashionable society.

Don't see anything about age.

 

[DragonKhan25]

What famous author was it that said anyone under 30 has nothing real to write about?

 

[MatterSack]

What famous author was it that said anyone under 30 has nothing real to write about?

Guess I have to wait six years then. :/

 

[Ray McCarthy]

Just write about imaginary things for next six years. Good practice.

 

[DragonKhan25]

Guess I have to wait six years then. :/

I have another 3 and bit years to go myself! haha In all seriousness though I think the quote was more about real life experience shaping peoples ability to write more realistic stories which I can see merit in. Though I have just started a Historical Fantasy that I am sure will be pretty darn realistic and real