THE NEXT CHAPTER

Gorges delivers a thorough introduction to becoming a writer late in life, aimed at the enthusiastic beginner.

Writing in one’s retirement, either with a view to publication or just for the pleasure of it, promises many benefits, observes the author, who’s published hundreds of articles and stories in magazines such as Woman’s World, True Romance, and Cricket. The creative challenges of writing can help to keep one’s mind sharp, she asserts, and bring hazier features of life into sharper focus. Beginning such a career in one’s twilight years can be daunting, but Gorges offers plenty of cheerful encouragement for novices as well as a comprehensive guide to many technical elements of writing and publishing. For example, the book features plenty of advice about the writing craft—she supplies counsel on creating convincing dialogue, for example—and practical aspects of publication, such as marketing and, specifically, driving traffic to one’s blog. She writes in accessible, informal prose and often offers astute guidance, as when she wisely warns readers about unscrupulous vanity presses and online swindles. The work’s expansiveness will be helpful for those looking for an easy reference guide, but its scope also means that each section is little more than a quick primer. In part, this may be because the author attempts to appeal to too broad an audience: “Whatever your dreams, this book is for you.” Also, some of the advice veers into the obvious; to prospective travel writers, for instance, she suggests that they “Observe and respect local culture.” Her section on poetry also has its limitations, as when she gives an awkward example of a limerick: “There once was a guy named Scott / Who thought he was really hot.” Gorges unquestionably writes from impressive experience, as she’s been a professional writer for more than 30 years. Still, there’s no shortage of books designed to instruct the budding author, and this one simply doesn’t stand out from the pack.

An intelligent guide by a seasoned writer that tries to cover too much ground in too little space.