Never Too Late: 5 Authors Who Started Their Careers at 50

“It’s never too late” doesn’t start sounding impossible until one reaches the ripe age of 50.

This is when most activities begin to appear taxing, and people would prefer doing nothing over anything else. At 50, the world starts to slow down, or at least people hope it slows down because it becomes difficult for them to catch up.

When you’re in your 50s, it seems too late to set and achieve new goals. However, these authors broke margins when they crafted their first masterpiece at this golden age. They’re icons that remind people never to stop reaching for their dreams, regardless of how far they may seem. They prove that the best things in the world often don’t come easy and are meant to take time.

What Does “It’s Never Too Late” Mean?

This phrase is a shortened version of a longer sentiment often attributed to novelist George Eliot. The longer statement posits that “it’s never too late to be what you might have been.”

This suggests there’s never truly a deadline for people to reach their dreams and be the person they’re meant to be. Hence, this aims to remind everyone, regardless of which stage they are in, that life still opens opportunities for them to thrive.

But when you’re in a society that treats time as gold and personal achievements as riches, it’s easy to be disheartened to see younger people achieving more than one has.

5 Over 50, Authors Who Remind You to Never Stop

Fortunately, many individuals aren’t phased by what others have achieved. Treating life as less than a competition, they unravel their paths at their own pace and set no deadlines for what they can achieve. While there are people who become billionaires at 20, there are also those who become successful in their ways and achieve contentment in their means at 50.

Passion doesn’t die down with age. If anything, it should be stronger as people gain wisdom and experience life. These individuals are the exact representation of the phrase “It’s never too late.” At a time when the world seems to have set early deadlines and a standard that’s a little too high to achieve, here are authors who never stopped fighting for their dreams, even at 50.

Raymond Chandler

There’s no better person to back the statement that it’s “never too late” than Raymond Chandler, the King of Hardboiled Detective novels. The author published his debut novel, the renowned book The Big Sleep when he was 50. While he may have worked on the book before his age, it still is proof of the hardships and ageist biases he surmounted.

Chandler may have been quite an established figure before his days as an author, having been an executive in the oil industry. But this doesn’t discredit the significant shift he had to face and cope with the moment he thought of starting a career in literature. Although he started later than the others, his novels turned out to be bestsellers and the basis of several award-winning films.

If you want to check his work, you can visit this website.

David W. Stewart

Even though he is a humble name, David Witherington Stewart is an author to look forward to. While he had bloomed late compared to the rest, Stewart doesn’t shy away from what he’s capable of.

This shows in the number of books he has already published and the range of genres he’s dabbled in. From science fiction to thrillers and even stories about the afterlife and the paranormal, David W. Stewart has shown his prowess in all of them. He is an author who shows that regardless of not having previous experiences, it’s never too late. Anyone can still achieve fruitful ambitions.

What’s more, he’s not showing signs of slowing down soon.

The author is continuously working on new books on top of the long list he already has under his name. You can check his work here.

Bram Stoker

Who doesn’t know the infamous villainous character Dracula?

This name might be one that almost everyone knows, but the author of the book with this name might go easily unnoticed. While Dracula isn’t his debut novel, it’s his work that first broke his name into the mainstream. At the golden age of 50, Stoker’s legacy was made. While Dracula might have been a character that had already existed since time immemorial, it’s Stoker’s work that made the legend a never-dying nobility.

Bram Stoker’s story is one every writer should lean on for inspiration. He’s proof that passion will never fail you, and it’s never too late to make a legacy. Check this website for more information if you want to look into his stories.

Laura Ingalls Wilder

A little bit older than 50, Laura Wilder did more than persevere and fuel through her age when she made and published her book Little House in the Big Woods.

Despite her stage in life, Wilder found refuge in creating children’s books and found her name to be one of the A-listers in the genre at such a surprising age. She was 65 when the tale was originally published and 76 when the final book made it onto people’s shelves. With her passion and love for writing at her side, Laura Wilder didn’t let her age hinder her passion.

If you’re interested in her work, you can look more into her on this page.

Anna Sewell

If it’s about heartwarming tales, the magnificent black horse Black Beauty is one to defeat. The story of its author, Anna Sewell, closely competes with this dramatic classic. From his idyllic days to when he became a London cab horse, Black Beauty’s story is nothing short of surprising. It leaves a lasting impact on every reader with its vivid descriptions of human society’s kindness to creatures.

If Black Beauty is a classic you always loved to read, check out Anna Sewell’s works.

More than anything, these authors remind everyone it’s never too late to write or achieve greatness. As long as there’s time, anyone can be bound for greatness.