Hilary Conor Guest-blog post below.

How a tragedy and a passion to give voice caused me to self-publish a debut fiction novel focusing on Ireland’s Social History.

Back in March 2017 I was not a person who religiously watched the daily news bulletins or read the daily news-papers.

On March 3^rd last year I called my mother to wish her a happy birthday. She related her gratitude and then asked me a question that was to change the direction of my life and the predominance of my thoughts forever. It was an innocent question about one of the biggest national scandals ever, that had broken that day.  My mother asked:

Did you hear on the news that nearly 800 babies’ bodies were discovered in a septic tank in Tuam, Co Galway?

In that moment something took a tight grip on my heart. I still don’t know what it was, but it was painful, and I knew that somehow the scandal had deep resonance within me.

My mother went on to relate the story revealed on the news.  Continue reading →

Maria Rushe writes The S-Mum Blog.  She is a columnist with Donegal Woman, an English Teacher and Director of Letterkenny Musical Society. She is currently writing her first novel.

Bless me Bronte for I have sinned. It is 6 weeks since I last opened my manuscript…

For me, writing is something that comes in bursts. Sometimes, (recently) I have struggled to know what to say about anything.  Then suddenly, today I am like that porridge pot, overflowing and there aren’t enough hours in the day to get the words down.

When did I start to think of myself as a writer? I’m not sure.  I’ve been writing my blog, The S-Mum for over 3 years. I’ve had a few articles published in magazines and newspapers.  I write a weekly parenting column for Donegal Woman and I’m in the middle of writing my first novel, which will obviously be snapped up and published and eventually Cameron of the Diaz shall win an oscar for her performance as “Lisa with the legs.”  (I practice puke-inducing optimism…)

But I’ve been writing much longer than this.  As a child, I used to write another chapter if I was dissatisfied with the ending of a book.  When travelling, I have made companions snort and snaughle as I regale them with the story of what is really going on in the lives of the people who pass us on the street or in the pub. I still do this in restaurants if out with Hubby. “See those two over there…” I start. Continue reading →

My name is JB Johnston and I suffer from Imposter Syndrome. I’m currently working on my first novel and want to vomit when I have to admit to being a writer or when anyone even asks me what the book is about. Am I a proper writer because I’m unpublished or just a wannabe who thinks she can write and actually can’t? It’s so confusing. I’m a member of the Romantic Novelists Association New Writers Scheme and submitted my novel for critique last year. While the critique stated some really helpful advice I will admit initially to jumping up and down screaming ‘I’m pants at this writing lark! It says so here!’ Once I’d calmed down I saw some positive things in the critique. Since then I’ve been working on ‘fixing’ my novel and I plan to re-submit it again this year.

As a fledgling writer my biggest hurdle to overcome has been time. I simply have little time to write and so therefore I’m writing in short bursts. I’ll literally be 1000 years old by the time the novel is finished.  I know we all suffer with time constraints but as someone who works, is a carer and runs Brook Cottage Books virtual book tours promoting other authors I find little time to get my own book off the ground. But I enjoy what I do and just need to work better on my time management.  I’ve recently applied for a promotion in work that would reduce my working week to 3 days, so I can keep one of my days off to write. So, keep your collective fingers crossed that I get the job! Continue reading →

Mairead Hearne from the wonderful Swirl And Thread blog tells us about her writing life. Thank you for joining us Mairead. x

My Blogging Life

Completely unexpectedly, I received a message from Sharon Thompson asking if I would consider writing a guest post for a new website she was setting up. What was so surprising is that, I am normally the one stalking writers for content posts for my own site. What do I do? I am a book blogger. I have my own site www.swirlandthread.com that I set up in February 2016, as a means to challenge myself and to put myself back out there again. I would never have considered myself a writer, but I do have a huge passion for other people’s writing, being an avid reader all my life.

I studied Commerce in UCC, followed by a Postgraduate Diploma in Computer Science, in the late 1980’s – early 1990’s. Having no real idea of what I wanted to do next, I initially worked in Computer Sales and eventually found myself working in the Telecommunications industry up to 2004. My first child was born. I never returned to the industry, as at the time I felt the hours and traveling weren’t compatible with having a baby, so I left my job. Continue reading →