Writers' Rituals – Maggie Craig

The Mysterious Writing Habits of Authors From Around the World

Jun 16, 2009

Writing a novel requires an idea, the right words, and something extra. Writer Maggie Craig shares the secrets of her approach to writing, from idea to execution.

Are writers obsessive-compulsive? Overly superstitious? Or do habits and rituals provide security for writers who never know where the next idea, or the words to write it, will come from?

Searching for clues to the secrets of writing, Suite 101 has an exclusive interview with Maggie Craig who is known for her writing in two quite different genres. She has written two histories of the 1745 Jacobite Rising - Damn' Rebel Bitches: The Women of the '45 and Bare-Arsed Banditti: The Men of the '45, published by Mainstream. She also writes novels, which are in a genre that she describes as romance noir: passionate love stories set against a gritty urban background, which are published by Allison & Busby.

How much research and plotting do you do before you're ready to write a book?

A lot of initial research - whether it's for novels or non-fiction for me it all starts with the research - but very little plotting. I like to give my characters an initial problem or goal and then let them deal with it.

What hours do you devote to your writing and what time of day do you prefer to write?

Early morning is my most productive writing time. I write every day, Monday to Friday - weekends too if a deadline is approaching - and since I live in the country, I keep country hours. I usually work from about 7 am to 1 o'clock. Afternoons are for the business associated with being a writer and doing all the other things we all have to do.

Do you take breaks, and if so, what do you do during them?

Drink copious amounts of good Indian and Sri Lankan tea and take a walk around the garden hoping that none of my neighbours will spot me and talk to me, as my head is so full of my characters.

Where do you write?

What do you write with?

...and why is that your preference?

I trained as a touch typist, so I type much faster than I write by hand. I do sometimes revert to pen/pencil and paper - when I'm on a train, for instance, or if I'm sitting up in bed writing. I also find writing by hand can help if I get stuck.

Describe what you like to keep within arm's reach while you're writing.

A cat or two. I have five to choose from, although it's usually the felines who choose me. My calendar of beautiful Scottish scenes.

Describe the things you can see when you look up from your writing.

The tops of the old trees in the garden and lots of birds perched on them or flying around them.

What was the first thing you wrote which was published?

A humorous newspaper article on the high-tech birth I'd had with my first child. At the time everyone was extolling the virtues of natural childbirth and I think putting a different point of view helped the piece get published.

What is your latest book?

There are two which came out within a week of one another. The already mentioned Bare-Arsed Banditti: The Men of the '45 and One Sweet Moment, a romantic novel set in 1820s Edinburgh.

Maggie Craig was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and now lives in rural Aberdeenshire in the North East of the country.

The copyright of the article Writers' Rituals – Maggie Craig in Writing Techniques is owned by Janice Hally. Permission to republish Writers' Rituals – Maggie Craig in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.