Ian Fleming: After Creating James Bond at Age 44, He Still Kept His Day Job
You might have heard Fleming was a playboy and spymaster before he penned Casino Royale at age 44. But did you also know he wrote a famous children’s book?
Writers
J.K. Rowling observed, “There’s always room for a story that can transport people to another place.” Perhaps that’s why writers constitute Later Bloomer’s largest category. Our books and stories can become healing gifts to ourselves and to the future.
What’s With Writers and Late Blooming?
According to a recent survey, the average age for authors first published in book form is 42. According to Douglas Adams, the answer to Life, The Universe, and Everything is also 42. Coincidence?
Charles Perrault: How He Became Father of the Fairytale at age 69
Charles Perrault spent years as a loyal secretary for the government of King Louis XIV. After he retired, he transcribed his most prestigious work, Tales From Mother Goose.
Mary Norton: This Late-Blooming Author’s Nearsightedness Helped Her Create Tiny Worlds
Mary Norton’s husband shipped out during World War II, leaving her with four children to support. Her writing sustained the imaginations of millions more.
Sue Monk Kidd: Her Late-Blooming Spiritual Quest and The Secret Life of Bees
Sue Monk Kidd published The Secret Life Of Bees at age 53. Her spiritual journey took her from nurse to minister’s wife to writer of fiction and the sacred feminine.
P.D. James: “A writer needs as much trauma as she can take”
P.D. James wrote her first crime novel at age 40 while working for the British home office. Seven more followed before she retired from civil service at 59. She wrote full-time until her death at age 94.