Tammy, I believe wholeheartedly that you are never too old to begin writing. Writing benefits from experience, patience and time. It is a field that really lends itself well to age.

The frustration that comes from trying to write through from beginning to end in a linear or outlined approach makes many people quit before they finish. What I emphasize in my classes is that you don’t have to know where you’re going before you begin. When you allow the writing to be a process of discovery, you often get farther and you definitely go places in the story you never expected.

To answer your question, when I say to begin with trouble, I mean that there must be a hint of a conflict or a question that is big enough to sustain the story. There will be other small conflicts throughout as your novel progresses, other obstacles in the way of your protagonist, but the first chapter of the novel needs to have a sense of urgency — a clear reason that we are entering this particular story at this particular time.

You might enjoy the Novel Writing Master Class 1, which delves deep into novel beginnings and opening chapters, or Novel in 9, which guides you through writing a complete novel in 9 months, beginning April 1st.