Thanks, Maeve.

Novelist and Playwright, Maeve Binchy

Many years ago, around the time I was first published, I caught a televised interview with novelist, Maeve Binchy. Perhaps it was the Irish lilt to her voice, her obvious enthusiasm for life, or simply that she seemed like a nice person, but I came away from that interview -- changed. I can only remember three things she talked about, but they must have been important, because they left a big impression.

Firstly, she spoke about her time as a newspaper journalist with the Irish Times and how working to a deadline quickly made her discard the notion of perfection. In her words -- Don't get it right; get it written.

What that said to me was that if I was going to be a professional writer, I couldn't wait to be inspired. I had to plant my butt in the chair and make myself find the right words whether I was in the mood or not. Writing wasn't a toy to pull out when the muse came to call. It was a craft that required continuous honing. It was my job and I had to work at it every day.

In a later interview I found online, Writers & Artists Interview (2012), Maeve Binchy covered the topic again.

Interviewer: Do you ever have writer’s block?

Maeve: No, I never got it because I used to work on a newspaper and you weren’t allowed to have writer’s block there. You had to do the damn thing – no matter how you felt. Writers block is often an excuse not to get down to it. Be very ruthless. Pretend someone is waiting to read it – like an angry newspaper sub-editor. It’s amazing how you’ll get it done.

The other two things I took away from the television interview had to do with how important it is for a writer to be observant. Maeve said, "Use your eyes like a camera and your ears like a tape recorder." In other words, be aware of life's details, so you can recall them when you need to.

I keep that bit of advice at the back of my mind, when I'm writing. I've never felt description was my strong suit, but my efforts are better when I'm able to include details readers can relate to, details that bring a scene to life.

Since I use a lot of dialogue in my stories, a good ear is mandatory if the conversations are going to be realistic. In my current novel, Lady of Bethnal Green, the majority of my characters are working class people from the slums of Victorian East London, and they have thick cockney accents. Having watched A Christmas Carol more times than I can count, and having read Jack London's accounts of conversations during his time in 1900 Whitechapel, I can hear my characters talking. I want to convey their accents to my readers, but if I make the dialogue too realistic, they won't understand a word. So I'm having to pick and choose what to include -- hopefully enough to establish the accent without making it incomprehensible. My biggest problem is overcoming my own understanding of grammar. Sometimes I forget to write "she were right chuffed," and write "she was right chuffed" instead.

But never fear. After 19 or 20 rereads, I'll catch all the mistakes.

---

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch

Closer to Far Away has been shortlisted for the 2026 Diamond Willow Award, a Saskatchewan Young Readers' Choice Award. I couldn't be more pleased.

I attended the Ladysmith Spring Book Fest last Saturday. Martha Attema and I shared a table and gabbed and laughed away the day. There wasn't a flood of people, but there was a steady flow for the first three hours. We talked with so many interesting people, and I even sold 17 books!

My friend, Martha Attema, another writer of historical fiction for middle grade and young adult readers read Bran (click the link and you can read it too), and was kind enough to share her thoughts. Thanks so much, Martha.

"I couldn't put it (Bran) down. The interesting and well rounded characters kept me reading. Bran is such a strong character for a young boy and I was moved by his relationship with his mother. I found Cara intriguing. At first I was a bit puzzled by her interactions with Bran, but then she grew on me.

You managed to build the tension between Bran and his father until it grew into the climax of the story. You painted life in the castle so well, I felt I was there.

You shouldn’t give up on this story. It deserves to be read by young and older readers.

It’s well written, well paced - a story of courage, love, loyalty and magic."

And that's it for this month. If anything struck a chord with you, please leave a comment below or email me. Thanks for reading.