Age and individual differences in artistic productivity: Trends within a sample of British novelists

This study drew on biographical and bibliographical documentary material to investigate individual differences in productivity within a large sample o f 20th-century British novelists. Length of literary career predicted the o utput of both fiction and nonfiction work. Judged literary eminence and gen der predicted variation in nonfiction output but not fiction output. Howeve r, a substantial proportion of the variance in output could not be explaine d by career length or the other variables included. Age trends in productiv ity were similar to those predicted by Simonton's (1984b) information proce ssing model, but there were differences in the trends of the least and most prolific authors. Consideration of biographical information about individu al authors revealed lengthy gaps in the literary careers of the least proli fic novelists. The results suggest the need to include both intra-individua l factors and social support factors in explaining variation in creative pr oductivity.