let’s play a word-associatioN game. When you hear the words “emerging writer,” who comes to mind? A fresh-faced MFA student? A creative-writing ingenue nervously clutching their story before a reading? Chances are that whoever you imagine is under the age of 35.
In its pursuit of finding fresh (a.k.a. young) voices, the publishing industry has unintentionally placed barriers that have made many hopeful new writers over a certain age feel as if they are not working toward a new creative career but rather pursuing a nice, easy-on-the-joints hobby. I’ve watched those frustrations pop up on Twitter every couple of months, often when a media list featuring “30 under 30” or an age-restricting writing contest makes an appearance.