you’re NOT falling behind 📚 “the ideal author” & sharing my writing journey 

I'm 22 right now and I think I'm still discovering the kind of writer I want to be and the stories I want to tell. I've come a long way in the last 5 years since I started writing more seriously but I know I can go further, do better, if I just work a little more. Honestly, I don't see myself trying to get published any time soon.

I completely agree! As a teenager, I felt I had to publish a book early in my life in order to be successful. High school and university passed, and as I continued to be unpublished, I kept feeling the same pressure. Now I’m in my early 30s, and I finally no longer feel this way. Over the years, I’ve learned so much about writing and my current projects are much better for it. I’m less focused on writing a book quickly and more focused on writing a book well, and enjoying the process.

I'm 25 and didn't get serious about my writing until just two years before. It's crazy because I'm always quick to judge myself being the age that I am and only now being serious but I've felt more comfortable now than ever before. And watching your videos have helped!

I am also excited to age!!!!! thank you for saying that because truly not enough people in the writing community hear it. my new mantra is that your best stories are still ahead of you 💛

It’s so insane, the feeling of running out of time. I’m 22, but I’ve been constantly plagued by that feeling since college, like there’s some race I’ve only just realized I’m in. It has almost made it hard to enjoy the very act of writing. That being said, this really came at such a perfect time. I love growing older and experiencing more of life, and you put it so perfectly. Thank you for this, and happy late birthday🎊💗

As someone who also turned 29 this year, I remember having a similar thought about feeling comfortable in accumulating experiences and not being an author with a full-length novel out there. It's true that there is a trend in the publishing world that is showcasing younger authors and, just like anything on the internet, this can have a significant impact on how new writers perceive their own writing journey. Thanks for the great video. Also, it's funny we have the same mic and the exact same settings. Lol it took me forever to figure out the correct gain level. 😵‍💫

I also find that the older I get the more comfortable I am in my skin.

Kelley, thank you so much for this video!! I definitely needed to hear this, I've been feeling so down about having to start my career over from scratch at a point where a lot of the people I started out with are bestsellers, have book deals, etc., and it's hard not to feel like I'm getting left in the dust. But it really is just all about your own journey

what you said about being excited to grow older - YES!!! i am so excited to gain that experience and perspective. i feel like so many feel that their lives end after their 20's-or even their teens, and i find that so depressing. getting old is a blessing & a privilege! you don't have to give up fun or joy at any age.

aw Kelly! are we getting a PODCAST FROM UU!??🥹💗i would adoreeee that. thank you for sharing that last little point about how ‘writing’ and ‘publishing’ are two completely different worlds. your wisdom truly is so inspiring and comforting. i adored this video so so much💓

As a 31-year-old, I am excited to be inching closer to my wise-witch in the woods era 😂 But this is SO true and when I struggled with querying in 2018 (at 26) I thought it was over for me, but that's so silly. Writing will never go out of style! And absolutely hit the nail on the head - writing in college and grad school was just for fun, it was hard to be serious and put time aside to write because I was paying thousands of dollars for another career LOL Love this video, great topic Kelley!

You made perfect sense

The average author does not debut in their 20s lol. I've seen surveys that place debut authors in their mid-thirties on average. It would never even occur to me that a 29 year old is "behind" for being unpublished. I wonder if TikTok and Book Twitter has given people the impression that these young authors are more common than they actually are. I primarily read adult fantasy and thrillers and I can list the number of popular authors in their 20s on one hand honestly.

This resonated so strongly with me! I’ve struggled with “feeling behind” since I turned 18 😅 I wish I could say that I’ve gotten past it now that I’m 30, but it definitely creeps up on me sometimes. But I’ve also gained perspective on my own writing journey (I’m actually grateful that none of my messy stuff from high school ever saw the world 🤣) and discovered so many published authors who didn’t have those early successes and still have brilliant careers. We all have a different story 😊

This truly made my day

This is such a wonderful video 😊 I turned 29 this week and birthdays are always a time where I look at my life goals and panic but you really put into perspective here the idea of a career in writing. It isn't that we need to publish fast but rather make sure we're happy with what we put out there. I've only had three poems and a short story published and I thought I'd have done so much more by 29, but then I'm so happy with those pieces and what I've put out in the world. Great video ❤

I really needed this video today, so thank you so much for this! I'm 33 and have been really down since I've been struggling with the writing since the beginning of 2020 when the world shut down. I've been writing since I was about 12 years old and have always loved it but didn't get serious about wanting to be a published author until I was in college (which was about 12 years ago now...) I have to keep reminding myself that life happens to either keep you busy (like I am with 2 small kids) or when the world shuts down and really messes with your creativity (like it did for me in 2020 and 2021) or when you deal with a lot of grief from losing 3 very close people and a beloved pet in the span of 10 months (2022). Every day I have to keep telling myself that 33 is not too old to finish your first novel and publish it. But sometimes, it's really hard being my own cheerleader. So, THANK YOU for posting this and encouraging us older writers & authortubers (ew, we're not even that old lol). And I also agree that being a young published author could be a double edged sword. When I first got serious about my writing everything I was writing was YA, and when I turned 26/27, I got married and began having kids and my reading preferences changed into fully adult romance which also formed me wanting to write in adult romance rather than YA. And it's sometimes a struggle to change categories like that. But again, thank you so much for this video. Oh, and happy belated birthday!!!💜xoxo Stephanie

You put into words what I never could. I've always felt this pressure to overperform as the "gifted" student growing up, and in college it led to a lot of burnout. I also felt my passion for art and writing slowly drain away from me. I'm learning to be okay with writing again. I've thought about publishing before, but the idea of keeping a schedule is emotionally draining just thinking about it. I'd rather just...write, and share some of it maybe but...I don't want to stake my whole status on it. I'd rather just write for me. I finally gave up on powering through a novel and went back to writing fanfiction like I used to ten years ago, and my life is much more enjoyable now.

Happy Belated Birthday! Excellent video! I’ve been writing since I was 9 years old and I’m 36. I’m also a screenwriter and I started taking fiction writing more seriously when I was in my late 20s doing my Screenwriting MFA. I didn’t even realize I could get published until I started submitting short stories in 2019/2020 and they started getting accepted. I’m getting traditionally published in October (short story in an anthology, not a novel) and just finished the third draft of my second full-length novel and I still feel behind! This is such an important conversation because everyone has their own paths.

i no longer get discouraged about publishing because all of my favorite authors began publishing in their early to mid thirties and have had fruitful careers ever since. as you stated, people who publish younger tend to either grow away from their older works or stop publishing their writing all together. if i ever got the opportunity to publish i would prefer to do so in my early thirties or late twenties as i’m only nineteen. (reading eragon and seeing how young christopher was when he published his book series made me believe i could get published at eighteen.) now, as a nineteen year old who is no longer an idealistic ten year old, i realize how rare an instance like his is. i think the beauty of aging is growing, and improving your skills as well as your craft. there is absolutely no rush.

this is so comforting to hear. thank you so much for this video 💗

I'm also turning 29 this year and I've only just started to get serious about writing again. I tried when i was 19 to learn more about the craft but I felt very overwhelmed about it and never considered writing seriously again. This time I'm just writing because some ideas just dont go away no matter how long its been and i want to do them justice 😅 still authors come in all ages so thats probably why i havent felt pressured about publishing. At this point, id just be super excited if I even finish a draft one for a book. Thank you for this video 😊

I left a comment earlier...but I'm not sure where it went. Sorry in advance if you're seeing this twice! In my previous comment, I was saying that this is a good reminder for aspiring authors. Everyone travels a different path and will get to their destination when the time is right. I also share the same concerns about trying to publish books by a set schedule. I've heard people say you gotta publish 1 or more books each year or every six months. What happens if you're hit with writer's block or you need to take a hiatus? While I don't have any published books (yet), I have thought about that more and more as I get older. While I do want to make sure I'm creating more work....I also don't want to risk rushing to create something that's garbage. I feel like as you grow in your craft, you're able to tell what is your strongest work and works that are weaker.

Happy Belated Birthday🎉🎉🥳🥳!!

Much inspiration is in your story ...not sure if you realize that you are nurturing new waves of Artisans Kelley...WO AI NI

I thought you were 20! Girlll. You look soooo younge

💚💚💚💚💚💚💚

Brilliant video! Also very sad us 29 yr olds are considered “older “authortubers” LOL rip me

Girl your not THAT old or one of the older people to be doing Authortube :)

Happy Birthday 🎂 🥳