Unlimited writing opportunities are all around us. Or better yet, unlimited creative opportunities are all around us. This blog is primarily geared toward aspiring writers, and specifically senior aspiring writers. I was surprised by the responses when I asked seniors (not in high school, but in life) what they wanted to write about. Most didn’t involve huge projects that sap their time. Those represented the navy blues and deep greens in their minds. Most wanted to write that story that most impacted their lives.
Starting small, they said. They may have wanted to preserve it for their families or wanted to share it with someone who needed encouragement. The people I asked were not up for another year-long project that might not be done before they are, if you get my drift.
We have been concentrating on writing life stories and/or books, both of which are exhausting projects. I don’t know about you, but just thinking about that makes me tired. I mean, we have lived our lives, raised our children, changed the world in our marketplaces and businesses, forgotten more names than we remember, and left permanent impressions in the lives of our families and friends. We also have thoughts of repeating our best vacations. Often.
Are you currently driven to that level of commitment? Unless you are really, truly sold on writing your entire life story or a novel that will change lives, let’s face it, your heart is not in it.
You are the people I am writing this particular post for.
Those for whom that writing itch just won’t go away. Writing or creating is in your thoughts, even when you aren’t thinking about writing. My mind could be nowhere near my next book or blog post, but I find myself being creative, making up stories. I can find unlimited writing opportunities for seniors everywhere.
Let me give you an example. I may see a mom walking with preschoolers. She is trying to keep them out of the street, and keep them from shoving each other. At the same time she is trying to rehearse her shopping list in her head, and successfully being pleasant about all of it. (That is what I believe about her, at least.)
Cue the story teller. That’s me. More often than not, in my head, I am writing a story about her. For instance, under normal circumstances, if that were me, I would be snapping at the kids, reminding them about consequences for bad behavior. I would be shaking my head because I had the beginning of the list for the store but left the copy at home and have forgotten most of it.
However, in my story, that woman is able to handle it all because she has a wonderful thing about to happen. Possibly her husband is getting a leave from the Army and will be home soon. It could be she is expecting her mom to arrive any time for a visit and she has really missed her. Or maybe she just got great news from a friend. Clearly, I have no idea what is going on with her.
See what I mean? I make up stories all the time. Glancing up at the snow covered mountains in our state could have me thinking about the young people up there, tied together with a rope at their waists, climbing and laughing. I have no idea if anyone is up there, but the stories keep coming.
Am I crazy? Am I trying to escape reality? I don’t really think so. I do, however, believe, that the creative personality can find ways to express itself. Most other regularly-normal people don’t understand that.
If you are that creative person, but aren’t sure you want to undertake a huge project at this time, what can you do? You can make up stories like I do, but you can also take advantage of places that actually want writers to contribute to their projects.
Suggestions of Unlimited Writing Opportunities for Seniors
I used to write poetry and submit it to publications. I think I won something once. However, it was not my strong point, so I moved to writing other things.
I once wrote a letter to the editor of Time Magazine in an election year. Talk about a long shot! But Time published it. I saved it for years but lost it in one my my many moves.
I was asked to write a quarterly article for a magazine on the topic of parenting. That is an exercise I have done for more years than I can remember (parenting, that is). That was interesting. Submitting articles could open up other writing opportunities for you.
Here are some places to write short stories and submit them. Remember, published or not, the joy is in the writing.
Be sure to check each publication’s guidelines before submitting. Hint: As you think about unlimited writing opportunities for seniors, please note that you shouldn’t submit the same story to different publications until you hear your story is accepted or rejected. To complicate matters, some publications don’t notify on rejected story submissions. You will find that clearly explained in those publications submission guidelines.
Here’s a nice surprise too. Most places you submit articles/poetry to do not have a submission fee. That makes them the color yellow, particularly if you enjoy the topic the publications cover. And many award prizes for writing.
Listing of Writing Opportunities for Seniors
- Readers Digest. Everyone’s go-to. They get thousands of submissions each year, but your story could be just as interesting as the person whose story got published last month. Readers Digest is accepting submissions.
- Letters to the editors of local newspapers commenting on your position on today’s issues.
- Comments are always welcome on X and some other social media platforms. I have seen story tellers on X, even though I don’t submit there.
- Grocery store newsstand magazines at checkout stands. Those magazines frequently invite their readers to submit stories to weekly sections. It’s not a literary publication, but it is a fun place to start.
- You could see if blog writers might like you to submit a post for their blog. (For instance, I may open a third pillar of this blog and invite our readers to submit short stories. I’m doing some research on that. Let me know what you think here.)
- Most states publish magazines about their favorite spots. If you like to explore your state, you could submit an article about something you have discovered in your travels.
- Think about the publications you read. Check them out to see if they accept submissions. Since you are already interested in the subject, you could write a helpful article.
- Freelancing as a writer. Advertising yourself as a freelance writer, you could actually get paid. Fiverr.com is one place to check out, but there are many more.
- Does your church or denomination have regularly-published articles? You can always offer to share your expertise with them. This is another place you might become a regular contributor.
- Do you like the outdoors? Google “outdoor magazines” and look for submission guidelines for ones you like.
- Do you like the outdoors and working with boy scouts? Check this out.
- Check out topic-specific magazines such as golfing or fishing publications.
- How about foodie magazines? Do you like to cook? Google food magazines and check out submission requirements.
- Script writers. If you can write stories, you may be able to turn them into scripts for local community theaters.
- If you are drawn to poetry, there are many places to submit poetry. Many offer prizes for submissions. Here is one link to check out Poetry Submissions that lists several places to submit poetry. Another is EveryWriter.
- Some podcasters also accept submissions on topics of their themes. You could submit something there and perhaps get an invitation to be on the podcast or be acknowledged anyway.
Additional Resources for Seniors
Okay, so this wasn’t really a list of Unlimited Writing Opportunities for Seniors. However, I will give you a few websites where you can check out several dozen more places to submit your writing, depending on your area of interest. I have done searches for senior writers, which may preclude some places you want to write. You might want to do a broader Google search to open up more opportunities.
A Giant List of Magazines That Pay Writers (Apparently a really big list)
Write for Magazines (21 publications that pay writers)
Winning Writers (Suggestions for writing outside the box)
To find more, Google “places for writers to write” and get several websites with suggestions about just where to write – at home in pj ‘s, at coffee shops, etc. Just a bunny trail to follow if you get weary of the other searches.
So, with my list of 16 and perhaps 50 others contained in the few sites above, you have lots of places to submit your stories, thoughts, or expertise. This post was written in the spring of 2025. The nature of a blog is that it lives forever and will be referenced by people in the future. Some of the links may not be active, but they were at the time of publication.
Just a word of caution, avoid those shady gray areas you are unsure of. Be sure to read samples of every magazine or website to make sure they align with someplace you would want your friends to find you or your writing. Enough said.
Until next time…