It’s Never Too Late to Start Writing Your Novel: Tips on Mindset and Story Development From Two Certified Book Coaches
Do you ever feel like it’s too late?
Think that maybe you missed the boat heading toward your writing dreams?
Maybe you should have started in your teens, twenties, thirties, fifties, or some other decade before where you are now.
If you said yes to any of that, then episode twelve of the Write It Scared Podcast is where I will prove you wrong. Well, me and my guest, award-winning YA Fantasy Author and Certified Book Coach, Cassie Newell.
Cassie came to writing later in life, just like me. She’s struggled with so many obstacles—a reading disability, mom-ing, and working full-time in an unrelated industry—and had no background in writing when she first started. This sounds a lot like my story, minus the award-winning author part. HA! That’s my YET.
Cassie is adamant that age is just a number. That it’s never too late to make good on your writing dreams. In fact, she argues that writing later in life can deepen your message and your ability to write from experience. I couldn’t agree more.
At times Cassie really struggled to find her "why" – the reason behind her passion for writing. Initially, her storytelling was motivated by her daughters, who inspired her to write strong female characters. As her children grew older, her motivation evolved, reflecting her desire to break the glass ceiling and challenge the status quo.
C. M. Newell talks about finding your way to writing later in life and overcoming obstacles.
We chat about our willingness to adapt our writing processes, being flexible around ideation and writing schedules, and finding what works for us and individuals. We highlight that different genres and phases of life call for different strategies, encouraging writers to be open to change.
Cassie loves working in ideation and shares her top tips for story development and overcoming mental roadblocks.
Cassie reminds us that with age comes wisdom, a unique perspective, and richness to stories; the only barrier is one's mindset.
This Write it Scared Podcast episode encourages and offers practical advice for all writers, especially those starting a little (or a lot) later in life. Whether you're on chapter one or chapter fifteen of your writing journey, this episode has something for you!
I hope you enjoy the episode. If you do, please leave a review and share it with friends!
