Retiring from writing is to avoid the inevitable bitterness which a writing career is bound to deliver as its end product in almost every case.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
Retiring from writing is not to retire from life.
People think retiring is fun. Well, maybe, but if you have a certain kind of fire inside, there is no end in sight.
The only time I ever really consider retiring is when I get fed up with the press. Which is often.
To me, the pinnacle of my career is writing for youth. I can die happy: I have succeeded in doing what I have always wanted to do.
Unlike a typical professional, I can't quit my job to become a full-time author; I don't have that luxury. For me, writing is therapy; if I choose to write full-time, it might start feeling like work.
Retiring gives the impression that you're relieved that your job is over.
The pain of retirement means loss.
One of the sad things about retiring is that you just become increasingly irrelevant. The world flows around you, and you don't seem to be impacting it any longer.
When you retire, it's a place in life, a part of the journey. You just don't quit work; you develop an attitude where you can do what you please.
When you do something that you like, and you think you can keep doing it, you don't think about retiring.