Retirement left Paula Panariello with a question she hadn't spent much time asking before: What would I actually like to do?

An avid historical-romance reader, Paula decided to try writing one herself. Her first manuscript needed plenty of help, but the story was good — and seven novels later, Paula now comfortably calls herself an author.

In our conversation, we talk about:

• finding something meaningful to retire to, not simply something to retire from
• becoming a beginner later in life
• getting past the Who am I kidding? feeling
• what can happen when someone else sees possibilities in us before we do
• learning the technology and craft required to pursue something new
• how decades of life experience can feed creativity
• staying curious and continuing to learn
• maintaining activity and social connection after retirement
• preserving family stories while the people who remember them are still here
• hearing criticism without letting one negative opinion outweigh everything else

Paula's experience is a reminder that sometimes an entirely new chapter begins simply because something interests us enough to try it.

Learn more about Paula and find her links at The Boomer Woman's Podcast