When is the writing done—with you?

We writers often debate when a piece of writing is ‘done.’ When a poem or story feels done, when it feels complete, when we know the amount and quality of revisions have reached an end-point, lest any damage be done.

Yet have you ever asked yourself: When will I be done with writing?

As in, have you ever considered when you might retire from writing anything ever again?

A few writers have made an exit when the time felt right. Philip Roth has handed in a self-declared pink slip. And, just recently, Alice Munro—who most recently authored the award-winning Dear Life—has casually stated in an interview with National Post that she is done. Finished. Calling it a day. “Going out with a bang.”

Read a response from Slate here.

Then, think about it. Really think about it. Do you ever daydream about some day in the future calling it quits, handing in your retirement papers, and just not writing anymore?