Irish writer Margaret Skea grew up in Ulster at the height of the 'Troubles', but now lives with
her husband in the Scottish Borders.
Her debut novel, Turn of the Tide, published by
Capercaillie Books, won her the Beryl Bainbridge Best First Time Author Award 2014. Both Turn of the Tide and its sequel A House Divided are historical fiction set in 16th century Scotland.
What does writing mean to you?
It’s hard to fully explain what a joy it is to know that
folk want to read what I write. And that they are entertained, moved and
sometimes challenged by it. But with that joy comes a sense of privilege and
responsibility. The ability to write is a gift and one that mustn’t be either
ignored or wasted.
How did you teach yourself to write?
As well as being an innate gift, the ability to write is
like a muscle: always there, but needing to be exercised and toned in order to
function effectively. I ‘exercise’ by lots of reading: discerning the best and
the worst in the writings of others, is an essential step towards being able to
self-edit. Practice is also very important, as is the discipline of regular
writing.
What do you think are the most difficult aspects to learn?
I think the single most difficult aspect is the art of
editing. Three things I consider vital are:
1)
Learning to constructively criticise your own
writing.
2)
Developing the confidence to discard what may be
beautiful writing, but which doesn’t contribute to the story you want to tell.
3)
Being ruthless in excising padding – non-words
such as ‘actually’ and ‘just’ and so on.
What situations / locations inspire you to write?
The area in which I live is littered with tower-houses, both
ruined and standing, and both they and the physical characteristics of the
landscape surrounding them have been very much part of my writing journey,
particularly in relation to historical fiction. Sometimes I need to get in the
car and drive to where the landscape fits the part I’m writing at the time, so
that I can get a sense of the atmosphere (and often the weather). However I need silence to write, so home isn’t always the best place and I have been fortunate several times at critical stages in my writing in being offered an isolated space in which to work, and have found that to be, not so much inspiring, as essential.
Apart from research, what are some of the challenges of writing
historical fiction?
Finding a way to write from within the mindset of a
different era. It’s not just about knowing what
people did, or how they behaved, but
trying to work out possible reasons why. Religious
belief systems, for example, are considered by many 21st century
historical novelists as one of the most challenging aspects. Fortunately for me
this area is one in which I’m comfortable, as I can draw on my own faith
experience.
Does having studied the Ulster-Scots vernacular for your Ph.D research
result in the dialogue of your books having more significance than might
otherwise be the case?
I certainly hope so, particularly in relation to the syntax.
However Ulster-Scots vocabulary was part of my childhood, so incorporating
dialect words came naturally, I didn’t make any conscious effort to include
them. What was an issue at the editing stage though was to check whether words
I’d used were specifically Ulster-Scots or could be traced back to Scotland.
How has your experience of growing up in Ulster during the ‘Troubles’
affected your writing?
A piece of advice often given to debut novelists is to
‘write what you know’. For me, living within conflict was what I knew. Living
with ever-present danger, we went out each day, not expecting to be killed, but
knowing it could happen at any moment. A situation not very different from that
faced by my 16th century protagonists and their families. (And,
sadly, not unlike the situation many folk today find themselves facing all
around our world.)
What sort of short stories do you write?
Most of my short stories are contemporary, but often set in
exotic locations - as far removed from me in space as my novels are in time.
Whatever I’m writing I enjoy the challenge of seeking to transport the reader
to a time or a place that neither they nor I have ever been. More recently,
spurred on by a competition, I have written several historical short stories
and have thoroughly enjoyed the process.
As a writer of novels and short fiction, which would you say is the more challenging?
I can only speak for myself, but for me it’s definitely the
novel. The challenge of maintaining pace, atmosphere, characters, tone etc for
c 120,000 words is a much bigger ask than maintaining it for 3,000, which in
some ways remains my ‘comfort zone’.
You have an impressive list of prizes and listings. How have these affected your motivation as a writer?
Some of them have been significant – for example Neil Gunn
and Fish, others more low-key; but all have been a source of encouragement at
times when I felt like giving up. In
particular I have two rather tasteful trophies that sit on my piano so that I
can look at them when I’m tempted to feel discouraged.
What are you currently working on?
I’m in a bit of a hiatus just now, with my second book
having gone to the printers last week. However I am mulling over the
possibilities for book 3 and intend to put together a collection of short
stories to come out in the spring of 2016.
What advice would you give to beginning writers?
Only write if you would feel incomplete without it, as it
isn’t an easy option. But if you’re sure it’s what you want to do, then be
prepared to persevere, to work hard and give it your best shot.
How can readers connect with you?
Readers are a writer’s life blood and I love hearing from
them. Please contact me through Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/MargaretSkeaAuthor.Novels
And via my website www.margaretskea.com (I’d love some new followers…)
A House Divided is being published on October 15, and can be pre-ordered.
A House Divided is being published on October 15, and can be pre-ordered.
Thank you, Margaret, and the best of luck with your future writing.
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