I didn't always want to become a writer. I'd been a nurse, a china restorer, a pharmaceutical rep, a public relations consultant. I was doing a Masters in PR and studying how pharmaceutical companies in Cork communicated with environmentalists. As part of my research, I discovered that there were no books to guide people targeted by activists/pressure groups. For no particular reason outside of the fact that such a book was needed, I wrote Managing Activism, which was published by Kogan Page in the UK and Ireland.
Two things happened while writing the book. Firstly, I learned that it was a possibility - I could actually complete a book, something I'd never even considered. Secondly, I really enjoyed it. Then it was like being bitten by a bug. I had to write a novel. It was a visceral thing. I was very busy at the time with a young family and running a PR business. But I wanted to do it so badly, I gave up the business to write what turned out to be my first novel, Turning Turtle - which everyone thinks is an autobiography - but isn't!
I didn't find it difficult. With both the articles and novels, I tend to write in a very straightforward style. I keep my writing pared down and find humour slipping in quite a bit. I still do the odd article for the Evening Herald. I enjoy the mix - the deadlines for articles are short and I find that a good thing. Writing a novel can, at times, seem endless to a person obsessed with 'making progress'.
It is work. I do see it as my career. I've looked on it that way from the beginning - even before I found a publisher. I gave up my business to write, so for me it has always been important. I block off about three and a half hours a day to write.
When I'm actually writing, though, it mostly doesn't feel like work. I enter the mind of the main character and experience everything she does, so really it's more like living two lives than actually holding down a job. My children bring me back to reality the minute I pick them up from school.
Editing can, at times, feels like work. Over and over and over things you go. I'm not sure you can ever edit enough. Unfortunately!
Two weeks into writing Time in a Bottle I found myself in hospital with my little girl. Despite being a nurse, I couldn't work out what was wrong. Neither could the doctors - we quickly moved up the ranks from junior doctor to consultant. In the end we had three consultants looking after her. I knew it was serious. For five days it was test after test. Still they could find nothing. She was in a huge amount of pain and was spiking very high temperatures. On the fifth day, they found a 'mass' but couldn't biopsy it because of its location. For two weeks we held our breaths as they tried her on high dose intravenous antibiotics. She started to improve, Thank God. Because she responded to that, the doctors felt it must have been some kind of abscess - we will never know for sure. She had to stay on antibiotics for two months after discharge.
When you find yourself in that situation your whole world stops. Nothing else matters. You learn so much - who your friends are, how strong you are, how wonderful and inspiring sick children can be, not only in terms of keeping their spirits up but in helping each other. This kind of experience changes you forever. You become more philosophical - less worried about little things - you realise that little things are little things! I hope some of that some of that came across in the book.
The nursing background meant that I was familiar with the hospital environment and also illness. I spoke with the main children's cancer specialist in Ireland, Dr Fin Breathnach who gave me an afternoon of his time and was particularly helpful in terms of parents' reactions to bad news. He was a dote! I spoke to people in the Irish Cancer Society. But the most helpful thing was, ironically, having to go through what we went through with my daughter.
Strangely, it wrote itself. The characters took over. Jenny's editor for example did not have a big role - originally. He just muscled in and made a whole subplot for himself. I fell in love with both love interests to such an extent that there came a point where I dithered, almost went against my original plan of who Jenny would end up with.
I knew that leukaemia could be a heavy subject and that wasn't what I was aiming for. I wanted the book to focus, not on the illness itself, but on how it forced Jenny to face things in her life she was avoiding. I didn't want the leukaemia to take over. I worked at making the characters so engaging that you would really want to know what happens to them. I also worked at having plenty happen in the plot. I do think there is a lot of humour in life, even through difficult times. And I brought that in as much as possible. I also wanted to show how people can gain strength from difficult times, and how good can come from bad. I do believe that it is our struggles that make us who we are.
Be true to your voice.
At the beginning: don't think too much about it. Just do it.
When you've had the manuscript refused one million times: Don't give up. Get advice. And edit, edit, edit. My agent and publisher initially refused me. I got advice on editing. And worked and worked at the manuscript. Then went back for more abuse! Second time round they opened the door. If they hadn't, I'd have kept trying. I'd already started my second novel, just so I wouldn't be stopped by rejection.
For being consistently great - Anne Tyler.
They say there are only six plots and they are all in the Bible. That would be number one. Number two, if it existed, would be an encyclopaedia of obituaries - I love reading obituaries. People's lives are just so interesting.
The Speckled People, Tatty, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Veronica Decides to Die.
I'm working on number three. It's a story about a woman who falls for a man who appears to have it all. Of course, he doesn't!