The author of "The Outsiders" is S.E. Hinton, who wrote the book at the age of 16. She published it in 1967.
While Hinton has written several other books after "The Outsiders", there was no long delay between the first and second. Her second novel, "That Was Then, This Is Now", was published in 1971, only four years after "The Outsiders".
The reasons for the length of time between Hinton's subsequent books vary:
* She was a young author: She was still a teenager when "The Outsiders" was published, and she continued to go to college and build a career.
* She focused on her writing career: She didn't want to rush new books out, preferring to carefully craft her stories.
* She experienced writer's block: Like many writers, she went through periods where she struggled to write.
Hinton has continued to write and publish books throughout her career. Her other notable works include:
* "Rumble Fish" (1975)
* "Tex" (1979)
* "The Outsiders" screenplay (1983)
* "Taming the Star Runner" (1988)
* "The Puppy Sister" (1995)
* "Supervolcano" (2011)
It's important to rely on accurate information about authors and their works to avoid confusion.