Hi,

This piece is in the current issue of U Magazine – the text may be slightly different as they edited it a little. (Gosh, that’s a bit of a tongue twister isn’t it – edited it a little.)

Hope it’s useful. And thanks to all the writers for letting me interview them.

Best, Sarah X

 How to Write a Bestseller by Sarah Webb

Always dreamed of being a bestselling novelist? Want to see your book nestling against Cecelia Ahern’s blockbusters? To tell you how, I’ve picked the brains of some of the top women in the Irish book business, along with some young authors. Read on . . .

Writing a book isn’t easy. But it helps to start young. Ruth Gilligan, who recently turned 21, was only eighteen when her first novel, Forget, was published. She became the youngest every Irish author to top the mainstream fiction list. ‘I think in a way my age was an advantage,’ she says, ‘because that’s what gave me such a unique voice. Finding the time to write is one of my biggest problems. Particularly now. I am in my final year in Cambridge University, whilst also trying to edit my new novel – at times it can be a bit of a nightmare. But I always believe if you want something badly enough, you’ll find the time to get it done.’  

‘A few years ago I was just another aspiring writer,’ Ruth adds, ‘so it does prove that it can happen to anyone. So just go for it – give it your all, and hopefully, the hard work will pay off!’

Amanda Hearty, 30, is currently working on her second book, the follow up to the highly successful Are You Ready? She has to juggle her writing around her job as a Marketing Manager at Veritas, and looking after baby Holly, fourteen months. ‘It’s really hard,’ she admits. ‘I write in the evening mainly. There’s less noise and less people ringing you. I start at nine or ten and write as long as I can. To me, the most important thing is to write about something you really love, then it’s not a chore. And you know, having a baby and a job does make it more difficult but it would have never happened without Holly, she was my main inspiration. I owe it all to her.’

Ciara Geraghty works part-time as a claims manager and has three young children. She also finds the juggling hard work. ‘I used to get up at about 4.30 in the morning to edit,’ she says. ‘I’d work until 6.30. At night-time I write when my children and husband are in bed. It took me two years to write my first book, Saving Grace. I had a lovely publishing experience – I got an agent pretty quickly and Hachette took it on immediately; it’s been fantastic, a really exciting time. My advice to would-be writers is to buy a really lovely notebook – one that fits in your handbag. That’s actually all you need.’

If these busy girls can do it, you can too! But where to start? Staring at a blank computer screen or a blank piece of paper can be pretty scary.

The first thing you need is motivation, the will to glue that bum to your seat. Many people say ‘I’d like to write some day’, but few people actually do it. So first, motivate yourself. It’s not going to be easy, but if you work hard and put your heart and soul into it, you will succeed, your book will get finished.

Then make the time to actually write. This may sound obvious, but being a writer means making sacrifices. Switching off the television in the evenings is a very good place to start. The best way to actually finish a short story or a novel is by writing a little every day on a regular basis – there’s no real secret, you just have to stick at it.

Now comes the hard bit – coming up with an idea. The most common question writers are asked is ‘Where do your ideas come from?’ Ideas come from living, from the world around you; but also from newspapers and magazines, from travelling, books, plays, dreams, things that have happened to you or to other people . . . ideas are everywhere.

Keep a notebook and jot down interesting things you hear and read. Keep newspaper and magazine clippings. My latest book, Anything for Love, is set in the glitzy world of charity fund raising. I became fascinated by the kind of larger than life characters you read about in Hello or VIP and what their lives must be like.

Next comes the fun bit – creating your characters. Characters that linger in the mind long after you’ve read the last page make a book truly memorable. Think of Bridget Jones in the book by Helen Fielding; Bridget certainly touched a universal nerve.

Your characters must seem real, and to do this you, their creator must know everything. Especially their motives and what makes them tick. I build up a detailed character sketch or biography for each main character before I start writing: height, hair colour, eye colour, size, birthday, dreams, hopes, hates, loves . . . the works. Give them names that mean something. In Anything for Love, I chose the hero’s name carefully – Jack Wiseheart!

Then plot your book. Many writers never use a plot outline, but it’s a method that works for many newer writers, including Ruth Gilligan. ‘I think planning is so crucial when undertaking to write a novel,’ she says. ‘I am meticulous with my planning – I know exactly what is going to happen in what chapter, how it’s going to develop and interlink.’

But remember that your characters may not stick to your outline and if this happens, congratulations! It means you’ve created real characters with a mind of their own.

Finally – open the book with a bang. Here’s how Anything for Love begins: ‘How was your dirty weekend?’ my sister, Grace asked.

I rolled my eyes. ‘Don’t ask.’

Makes you want to read on, doesn’t it? I do hope so.

Now, get writing. And good luck!

Useful contacts:

Inkwell runs excellent writing courses and also has a critique service – www.inkwellwriters.ie

Your local library may have details of writers’ groups that you could join.

Anyone interested in writing can become an Associate Member of Irish Pen, the national writers’ organisation. They run regular events where you can meet unpublished and published writers. See www.irishpen.com for contact details

Tips from the Professionals

Top tips from Faith O’Grady, Literary Agent at the Lisa Richards Agency

3. I am always on the look out for unique and compelling new voices in fiction, both for adults and children, even though, like a lot of agents, I am being quite cautious about taking on new writers at the moment.

Top Tips from Alison Walsh, Freelance Editor and Journalist

1. Don’t send publishers a ‘rough draft’ of your work, in the hope that they might transform you into a bestseller: it is your job to see that your work is the best it can possibly be before submitting it to a publisher.

2. There are a range of outlets for short stories: Some magazines – eg Woman’s Way – publish them, take a look at a range of magazines to see if your work would be suitable.

3. If you have written a novel, you can approach publishers direct, but do your homework - don’t send your thriller set in the Florida drugs underworld to a religious publisher.

4. If the answer is no, don’t give up, send it to the next publisher on your list. Every writer, no matter how famous, has been rejected at some stage, and it’s all part of the process.
 

The Most Asked Questions on Writing a Bestseller (this bit didn’t run in the article due to space restrictions but I thought it worth posting anyway)

Paula Campbell, Publisher at Poolbeg Press gives her expertise:

1/ What are Poolbeg looking for at the moment?

We have just introduced Crimson which is a new imprint roughly described as Romantic suspense – this imprint allows us to expand our range of books whilst at the same time continuing to build our list of our more traditional romantic fiction.
 
2/ How should someone send in their work to Poolbeg?  

Our guidelines are that aspiring authors should send in a typed copy of the first six chapters of a manuscript with a one page synopsis of the overall plot to let us know where the story will go. Submissions should be double-spaced so that it is clear to read. It does not need to be bound. If people want their material to be return if it is not suitable for us, then they should include the correct postage and return address envelop. It is important to keep in mind that the minimum word count for a fiction title is 100,000 words. We do get a lot of material in every day, so keep in mind that normally a response can take up to 12 weeks. 
 
3/ Will the current economic climate stop you taking on new authors?

Not really - our list is full for 2009 now so we hope that things will have improved by 2010 so no - we are still on the lookout for that page-turner!