Never stop learning and watching, listening and analysing, because the job of a writer is to craft the world into words.
Felicity Hayes-McCoy
On this week’s Write Smarter Blog, I am delighted to introduce you all to my guest, USA Today bestselling Irish author, Felicity Hayes-McCoy. Born and educated in Dublin, Felicity built a successful London-based career, as an actor and voice-artist, and as a scriptwriter in theatre, music theatre, radio, TV, and digital media.
She began writing books in her late fifties and is the author of the best-selling Finfarran series which has been widely read on both sides of the Atlantic, and in Australia, and has been translated into seven languages. With her husband, the opera director and writer Wilf Judd, she divides her life and work between inner-city London and Ireland’s Dingle Peninsula.
Felicity’s next novel, A Winter Wedding, will be published with Hachette Ireland in September 2026. (further details below).
Having spent almost fifty years making my living as a writer, I know that giving (and seeking) advice is often no more than a would-be-virtuous substitute for actually sitting down and doing some work. On the other hand, while craft can only be learned through trial and error, there’s a lot to be gleaned from others who’ve stayed the course. Right now, I’m fathoms deep in editing my next novel, but surfacing and taking time to breathe is part of that process and I reckon that being the recipient of wisdom I value highly comes with the duty and privilege of passing it on when asked.
At school, I was lucky enough to have Maeve Binchy as a teacher. Back then, it was all about history essays, revising for exams, analysing arguments and conjugating French and Latin verbs. Years later, when Maeve and I became friends and occasional colleagues, I’d read tips she gave to writers and hear echoes of lessons learned long before I’d wanted to write myself or Maeve had turned from journalism to being a novelist. Maeve never blamed herself or anyone else for being human but she always returned to the importance of discipline and time management, and said that the bedrock of discipline was a willingness to face facts. “Time doesn’t appear from nowhere, you have to make it and that means giving up something else. Regularly. Like sleep for example, or drinking or playing poker, or watching television, or window shopping or just lounging about with your family. You don’t have to give these things up completely but you do have to release five hours a week.” On her website, that sentence was immediately followed by another. “Now you may be a night owl, or you may have Thursdays off, or you may have quiet weekends so no doubt you will choose something more suitable for your lifestyle.” And then, getting to the heart of the matter. “You will also have a whole different set of excuses to mine.” I love how, in that brisk assessment, her choice of the word “excuses” recognises displacement activity as a pitfall that lurks for us all.
Here’s another statement she repeatedly made about writing. “If you get over-dejected by refusals then you’re not nearly tough enough for this game.” This may sound cruel but experience has taught me that it’s not. Writing is an overcrowded profession in which, if your goal is to make a living, it’s hard to succeed and very easy to fail. You need to be tough but you also need to find a balance between toughness and the empathetic compassion that’s necessary if you’re writing about the hopes, dreams, idiosyncrasies, viciousness, foibles and kindness that make human beings do what they do. Maeve knew that. It’s central to the enduring quality of her novels.
In my own years as a writer, I’ve discovered that one way to find that balance is to recognise that self-care is part of a writer’s job. (If, like me and Maeve, you share your life with a wonderful partner, then you’re lucky. But not everyone does and, anyway, taking charge of one’s wellbeing is empowering.) So, get outdoors. Shop locally. Talk to your neighbours. Talk to strangers. Give something back to your community. Read newspapers, watch TV news, listen to news podcasts, and question every single thing you’re told. Take public transport. Bake bread. Join a political party. Join a union. Get yourself a proper chair that supports your back when you’re writing. Find out what too much screen time does to your eyes. Eat – or, better still, grow – nourishing food. Laugh. Smile. Keep hydrated. Breathe deeply and keep coming up for air when you’re working. Never stop learning and watching, listening and analysing, because the job of a writer is to craft the world into words.
Oh, and here’s what may be the best lesson Maeve left for the rest of us. “Don’t wait for permission be happy. Make your own life.”
https://felicityhayesmccoy.com/
[ About A Winter Wedding – Cover to be Revealed ]
Pre-order Purchase Link
A wedding should bring a family together…
Lisette Lynch is planning the wedding of the year. At least, that’s what everyone else is calling it. What she’s hoping for is a chance for her to step away from the limelight for once and enjoy an intimate celebration of love and family.
If only her own family was getting along better.
Lisette’s sister Jools is doing her best to keep the peace. She knows their mother Ali – also Jool’s boss at Pizzazz magazine – has her own ideas about what Lisette’s big day should be: big, glamorous and picture-perfect. And Ali, like Jools, is happiest when she’s in control.
Ali has earned a reputation for herself as a ruthless businesswoman, but her highest priority has always been her daughters’ happiness. She once thought this meant lying to them about where she came from, and now she fears the spotlight drawn by the wedding will raise questions she can’t answer.
And then a letter arrives that threatens to uncover the secrets Ali has kept hidden for years…
What readers say:
Fantastic advice, really enjoyed it! xx
Nicki thanks so much. Felicity is such a positive individual xx