Easing Into Retirement

Today I am thrilled to be brining you a guest post from fellow Australian author, and my friend, Maria. P. Frino. Maria recently retired from her day job and shares her thoughts on this transition.

GUEST POST

The dream to be a fulltime author is one many authors aspire to, but the financial success to do so is elusive. Although I have been a career writer, it was for advertising, public relations, and corporate companies. I was a copywriter for their clients and products. I didn’t write what I wanted to write.

It was not until I hit my 50s and found an old manuscript I had written in my late 20s that I began my second career as a self-published author. To say I am passionate about writing and books is an understatement. I live to write and am so humbled I was given this gift of storytelling.

  My latest contemporary novel is available as a print, eBook, and audio version.

https://www.amazon.com.au/Fame-Other-Disasters-Maria-Frino-ebook/dp/B0DK89KP6F

But this post is about retirement, so I’ll stop waffling now. I recently retired from being a corporate copywriter, I was the newsletter editor for a utility company, my last job working for someone else. I worked a four-day week for a couple of years then my job was cut down to two days a week, which worked fine for me as I was thinking about retiring from paid work anyway. I worked another year then retired in August 2025.

I’m still settling in, it’s not easy changing your routine even if you have been working part time. There is also the companionship of your colleagues, this is something I’m missing. However, this is offset somewhat by my author friends and the events we organise through Sydney Authors Inked (more about this soon).

Retirement for me means spending more time with my family, seeing more of my elderly mum who lives an hour and a half south of Sydney, and of course, more time to write. I’d also like to do more outings with friends, see more of Australia and maybe do a few more overseas trips. With two adult children who move in and out of our home I am kept busy with them too.

There has been the odd day where I’ve had a couple of hours of ‘what do I do now?’, which is usually filled with reading a book. I will enjoy more reading now I’m retired and I’m happy about that!

I’m glad I was able to ease into retirement, working part time helped the transition. And having a second career as an author, a hobby that certainly keeps me busy, will keep me even busier in the future. I’m not one to sit around, so it is fortunate I found this other career ten years ago. My advice is – have a hobby, be social and plan your week, rest if you need to and all this will keep you from becoming bored.

There is plenty of advice about when and how you should retire, especially from financial and superannuation institutions. Do your research and decide when and if you will retire, it is important to be financially able to do so. Your accountant may be able to help you with advice as well.

So, back to me being an author. I am one of the founding members of Sydney Authors Inked - https://sydneyauthorsinked.wordpress.com/, we are a group of local authors who help other authors to navigate the writing and publishing process. We do free events in Sydney, so give us a follow on Instagram or Facebook or check our website for event dates. If you enjoy reading, are an aspiring writer, or just enjoy all things books, then come along because we have lots of fun.

Self-publishing was a big learning curve for me but I am glad I published my own books. Becoming an author has widened my interests, I have met wonderful people and am slowly making a small business out of selling my books. Now I can call myself a fulltime author, which believe me keeps me busy so I don’t have time to be bored.

It’s still early days into my retirement, who knows what is ahead of me. What I do know for sure is I will keep meeting other authors, do fabulous and fun events and talk to readers who enjoy my uniquely Australian stories (and those of the other Sydney Authors Inked authors).

Plan for your retirement and ease into it. You can look forward to full and rich days to do whatever it is that you’re passionate about.

Maria P Frino

Author

Instagram - @mariapfrinoauthor

Website – www.mariapfrino.com