Life-writing for me is a way of finding patterns, remembering, and making connections. It is an act of recognition and also transformation. No-one told me I should write, and everyone, including the Irish Catholic nuns that ran my school with flair, imperceptibly advised that writing was not a serious way of life for a clever, scientifically able girl. There are no writers of any kind in my immediate family, but a bookish lifetime and a fascination with words will eventually out. Over my years as a medical doctor, I have heard the most life incredible stories. I now believe that if everyone has a good tale to tell, that includes me.
After an inventive childhood, I pursued worthy stuff for three decades: peer-reviewed articles, scientific essays, patient case notes, UN Reports. In 2006, I ventured into opinion columns and essays in the medical press, an acceptable way into non-fiction. At long last, I came out as a fiction writer in 2017, with a retelling of a major Irish medical scandal. Because I was furious and wanted justice when in real life there was little. Keep Darkness from the Door was awarded the 2021 Irish Writer’s Centre Novel Fair prize, and I was off. Since then, I have delved into romance, historical fiction, short stories and flash fiction. Last week I submitted a short horror story. These fictional detours help with life-writing, and give me permission to write freely, invent, and edit robustly. Now, for half of my time, I sit on boards, charities, and consult with people and organisations I respect and on topics that matter to me. The rest of the time I write, read about writing, take short courses and have recently moved up the food chain to residencies as a ‘professional’ writer. I multi-task, that works for me but it might not for you.
My current projects? Having won the 2021 Fish Publishing Memoir Prize for Blood and Roses, a story linking my Belfast Childhood to my work in Sarajevo, I am now working on a three generational memoir of women doctors in my family that collectively span the history of the NHS. This is told through the hats we have worn. A series of vignettes from my family home in Belgrade and our floating home on the River Sava is turning into a book length collection. Darkness at the Door, after agent feedback is being edited into a suspense/thriller.
How do I write? I am computer based, but dip into longhand when stuck. As a digital enthusiast, I experiment with software, and have settled into a long-term relationship with Scrivener and ProWritingAid. I have a dedicated desk, a posh candle and a large corkboard for inspiration and plotting. Twelve short courses and two wonderful Arvon Foundation residencies on memoir have improved my craft and birthed writing communities and peer editors. On most days, I join hour-long London Writer’s Café Zoom calls, with over a hundred varied others. Being a Visiting Scholar at the Wolfson Life-Writing Centre is the cherry on my writing cake, or rather the nutritious almond on my worthy sourdough loaf. I never quite know what to expect from this clever, witty and talented group of people, but I hope some of their brilliance will rub off on me. I am, like most writers, absorbent.
I have some advice for you. Don’t wait, just start. Be careful how you share early work; Everyone has stories within, but a robust critique can squish tender shoots. Keep writing, for that is how you get better. Don't delay. Put down words on a page: I am a writer. Then write the next sentence, and the next.
@DrMaryBlack
