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I think sometimes writing can be a 'mid-life crisis' thing, or simply a way to rediscover earlier joys of self-expression after the better part of a life spent doing the 'right' thing or being otherwise responsible. Our society doesn't exactly reward artistic endeavor.
However, I think the other possibility is simply that for most of us, writing (or any kind of art) needs to be refined in age. Everyone is publishing at 16, 17, and 18 now, which I think can be a bad thing, since it's hard to be original and not simply emulating (or outright plagiarizing) your influences at that age. Life experience, travel, children, and a lot of reading make for better writing. I think when we get into our late 30's things start to click and we get a better idea of what stories we want to tell, what stories continue to resonate with us, and what kind of writers we really want to be. Before that, writing is more about being famous, making money, etc. It can still be about this to many people, mind you, but I think as you turn a pivotal corner you simply want to record something and/or express yourself in a meaningful way.
In my case, I have a profession (I'm a professor) that I spent 10 years preparing for. I have a stable job which pays me decently, and I'm happy in my chosen profession. Writing is something I always did, but for the first time, I have the clarity and (occasionally) the time to actually do it correctly. I can write a story from start to finish without losing track of it. I put out my first novel recently for this very reason; it was the first work I felt 'made sense' and that I could read without pain after the passing of a year. I don't know if everyone feels this way, but for me, I needed to get to the right place mentally before I could say "okay, guys, here it is." I knew that the dust had to settle from my professional life before I could see my way through a complete work of fiction.
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