Retirement can mean different things for different women. For Phyllis Smallman, it meant the time to relax, explore new pastimes and forge lasting relationships. It also meant finding a new part-time career as a mystery writer.
Before retiring, Smallman worked in a construction office for 40 years. Upon her retirement, at 61, she picked up a pen. One year later she had published her first novel, "Margarita NightsMargarita Nights. Opens a new window in your browser."
"Once I no longer had to do what I needed in order to survive, I could focus on what I loved," Smallman said. In retirement, Smallman found she had the time to explore her craft. As it turns out, other people enjoyed reading her mystery novels too.
In 2004, Smallman was a finalistfinalist. Opens a new window in your browser in the Debut Dagger Awards, hosted by the Crime Writers Association in the UK. By 2007, she had won the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Unpublished First Crime Novel and was approached by McArthur & Company to publish her work. Today, at 69, Smallman is working on her ninth novel.
“For me, retirement was about finally having time to explore my passion," Smallman explained. And while Smallman's creative success may feel like an outlier, research shows she's not alone.