ASJA’s popular chat about retirement from a career as an independent writer is returning with a new host and new topics, with the initial meeting scheduled to take place Thursday, Oct. 30, 3 to 4 p.m. Eastern time.
Lifetime ASJA member, former ASJA president, and “mostly retired” writer and financial planner Russell Wild will moderate the chat, which he says will focus on “how to get there, and how to make it fun.”
The chat is free for ASJA members at all levels. Get more information and find a Zoom link for the retirement chat here.
Save the date–the second installation of the revived retirement chat is already scheduled to take place Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, 3 to 4 p.m. ET.
What to Expect from the ASJA Retirement Chat
According to Wild, the retirement chat will cover such topics as:
* Knowing when and how to retire from an independent writing career
* Retirement-related big money questions
* Keeping your creative energy alive in retirement
* Reclaiming old projects from ideas left behind
* Writing as a spiritual or reflective practice
* Self-publishing a lifetime’s body of work
* Coping with identity shifts–if you’re retired, are you still a writer?
* Dealing with ageism in the creative industries
* Tools that make writing easier on aging eyes and hands
* Starting a blog, newsletter, podcast, or passion project you never had time for in retirement
* Exploring writing grants, residencies, or contests
* Experiencing a retirement-related identity crisis — once you were important, are you still relevant?
* Relationship issues that crop up in retirement (she’s still working, he’s done)…
* Opportunities to review each other’s bios, websites, or project pitches
Other ASJA Resources on Retirement
For more information about planning for retirement, watch a recording of the 2024 ASJA webinar, “Retirement Planning for Writers — at Any Age” featuring ASJA member Richard Eisenberg and financial writer Emily Guy Birken, who answer questions and provide guidance for squirreling away money for the future, whether you’re in your 30s, 40s, 50s or older. The webinar recording is free for ASJA members, $20 for nonmembers, get more information or buy the recording here.