In books and at conferences I've repeatedly heard reputable agents and editors say something to the tune of: "You need life experience to write, so people in their twenties or younger aren't likely to write saleable books."
I've always questioned that theory in the quiet recesses of my mind and heart, and not because I'm young. For the record, just so we're clear on this, I didn't start writing until I was nearing thirty-seven, and I'm now forty-three. I questioned it and still question it because it seems so unfair. No matter what age we are, if we're living, we're
experiencing life, and thus we have experiences to draw on to write about. In some respects, being a young writer can be a huge advantage. Many firsts are still very fresh in your mind and what better time to get those firsts down on paper then when they're nearest and dearest to you?
Well, in these past few days my thoughts on this have been affirmed through reading a wonderful Steeple Hill book by
Betsy St. Amant (a twenty-five year old wife, mother, and wonderful author).
Return to Love just released on July 1st and it proved to me that not all agents and editors know it all.
It's sad to think that some young writers might take these naysayers to heart and set aside their dream for years, just to gain some experience before feeling worthy to share the stories that come to them. Think of all the wonderful stories we're missing because of this
condescending attitude. So sad. I say, if you're old enough to put words together on the page, and study the craft of fiction writing, I don't care how old you are, write what you know! And if you're
disillusioned and believe you know nothing, take a gander at
Cindy Wilson's article about this very topic here.
I'll be
interviewing Betsy on July 31st
th, so I won't say anymore about her and
Return to Love in this post, but instead, to celebrate I picked up two extra copies of
Return to Love for giveaways. One for this week, and one for the week of her interview post. If you're interested in reading an
Inspirational romance fit for you and your teenage daughter(s),
neice(s), friend(s), let me know in the comment section and I'll add your name into the drawing. I'll draw the winner next Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at noon, and hopefully the winner will have a chance to read this wonderful fresh story before my interview is posted on the 31st
th. Good luck everyone!
Surrendering to Him,Eileen
