By Carl Dow
True North Perspective
The current generation of the retired, or of those heading into retirement, in terms of sheer numbers, is the most affluent and educated group in our country’s history.
And they are taking to writing in such numbers that book sellers like Chapters, Indigo, and Coles have offered a self-publishing program that starts at $349 and rises to $1,349 depending on the amount of professional help a writer wants. A select number who satisfy editorial criteria will have their books on display for up to 30 days (or longer if the book is selling well) at front-of-store displays.
The urge to write fact or fiction in prose or poetry has for years been stirring in the bones of many of this most literate generation. Many were forced into early retirement, many are retiring in their own good time, and many of them want to tell their families and friends, and even the world, about what they’ve done and what they think.
Sharyn Heagle, president of the Ottawa Branch of the Canadian Authors Association (CAA) says today’s retirees is generally a group that wants to write memoirs and (auto)biographies.
“We have people approach us and/or join CAA because they believe they have led an interesting life, or have a relative who has, and they want to document it. Alternately, upon reading a book people have an ‘aha’ moment that they could probably write one themselves that is just as good,” says Ms. Heagle.
“Many new writers have a sort of ‘if you build it they will come’ attitude about writing and publishing. They join our organization to learn as much as possible about writing, convinced that once they put their perfect prose to paper, it will go on to be a best seller
“However, once they get involved they begin to realize that it isn’t quite that easy. They find themselves in the company of really good writers who’ve been at it for many years and are still not published, especially these days when there’s such a downtrend in mainstream publishing.
“If they have the money, these people will turn to self-publishing, but that’s a whole other discussion,” says Ms. Heagle.
One such publisher is Raymond Coderre of Baico Publishing, which only considers Canadian authors, says his company has 260 books on its list.
“The majority has been written by professionals,” says Mr. Coderre, “teachers, engineers, social workers, and those in the medical field for example. They are those who’ve always had a passion to write and now are able to satisfy this creative compulsion.”
C. Edward Drozdowicz, a retired book editor formerly at Harvest House, Montreal, cautions that not all are born writers. He says that there are some who come up with great ideas for a novel based on sound research but are not able to put it down with the fluency and sense of drama required. They end up with rejected manuscripts or, if they manage to get published, they have books based on excellent ideas that don’t sell.
“My advice to them is that they should team up with someone who knows how to do the polished-writing end of the job. This combination is not so unusual. Just think of such combinations in American musicals as Lerner and Low, and Rodgers and Hammerstein. The brothers Danny and Neil Simon who for decades combined to provide millions with first string entertainment on television and on stage. More recently, the prolific Coen bothers Ethan and Joel, whose collaboration included the movie Fargo with which most of us are familiar.
“By pairing their talents,” says Mr. Drozdowicz, “one of them can, for example, come up with the ideas and a rough draft based on thorough research, the other can polish it. Between the two of them they can satisfy their creative needs and laugh all the way to the proverbial bank”
One of Baico’s most prolific authors is George Laidlaw, a retired senior biologist with a keen sense of history who has written 84 books that are now on the market.
“At Baico,” said Mr. Corderre, “we carefully read every submission. If we like the book we’ll work with the author in a one-and-one personalized service. Even if someone walks in with a thought about a book, we listen, advise, and as the process continues, we coach.”
One of Baico’s current authors is Bernard J. Muzeen, a retired volunteer with the Ottawa Boys and Girls Club, Based on his experience as a volunteer Mr. Muzeen has produced a series titled In the Spirit of Christmas. Several of those he helped as a volunteer are now corporate leaders who are helping Mr. Muzeen to promote the series in all schools throughout Canada.
The titles In the Spirit of Christmas are 13 Kissed by an Angel, I’m Jewish, Santa, The Legend of the Candy Cane, How Does Your Sleigh Fly, Tell Me About the Stars Santa, Santa’s Lost A Lot of Weight, Santa’s Keys, How Do You See In The Dark, Where Does the Christmas Spirit Live, Santa, My Brother Teases Me, Do You Believe in Christmas, The Humble Snow Flake.
John Degan, executive director of the Professional Writers Association of Canada (PWAC), says age should be no barrier when it comes to writing but that since writing is a relatively sedate practice it has always been attractive to retirees.
“So many times in my meetings with non-writers I hear some version of when I get a little more time, I think I have some writing in me. But if you have it, it really shouldn’t matter how old you are,” says Mr. Degan.
“I think seniors are motivated to write for the same reasons non-seniors are – to see their thoughts and opinions communicated effectively to the world. To express themselves. To create art. I imagine a natural extra motivation in senior years would be the impulse to write one’s memoirs. To communicate their life experiences to those who follow.”
Mr. Degan says that “based on the results of a recent PWAC survey, it seems that women do actually write more than men — at least more women are professional freelance writers than are men. Why? I don't know. Why does my mother spend most of her day at the computer while my father chops wood and cuts the grass? “
He says that the topics that people choose for their writing are as diverse as personal experience.
“I think as long as the quality of the writing is good and sellable, as long as the writer maintains broad interests and sharp insights, then there simply is no retirement age for writers. In fact, my own retirement plans rather depend on this opinion,” says Mr. Degan.
“I really think quality of the product is the number one consideration for publishers and magazine editors. How old or how established the writer should ideally not even enter into the consideration of the work. If anything, age tends to equal experience, and in the writing game experience is still highly valued.”
And when it comes to age and quality of writing Rosaleen Dickson is the Queen of them all. At 86 she has had a lifetime of raising a family, writing and editing newspapers and magazines, all before she won a degree in Journalism. With two books behind her she’s still going strong during the past several years by writing an internationally circulated advice column, Ask Granny, and is editor of the Ottawa Independent Writers’ on-line magazine.”
Another author is retired United Church Minister Hans Skoutajan, 77. Reverend Skoutajan wrote a book Uprooted and Transplanted, A Sudetenland Odyssey from Tragedy to Freedom that is being used as a basis for a television documentary.
The one hour-long documentary is scheduled to begin this spring and ready for release this autumn. It will tell the story of the Sudetens (ethnic Germans who lived in Czechoslovakia) who fled from Hitler and settled in western Canada. It will also deal with those who remained behind and were ethnically cleansed from their homeland after the war.
The filming will begin in Prague and move on to Germany, Scotland and western Canada.
What’s important to keep in mind is that if you want to become a writer you can’t just dream about it — you have to write.
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