William McIlvanney
What were your first writing experiences like?
“In my late teens I wrote a lot of short stories. I kept writing
whilst at university then eventually thought that I had what
might be a book, “Remedy is None”. I sent it to a publisher,
receiving a strange letter back saying “I can see this book
being published and perhaps it ought to be, but I don’t want
to publish it”. I was advised to get an agent, contacting
George Greenfield in London, and sent him the book.
Within a few days he replied telling me he would handle it.
Two months later I received a telegram saying “masterpiece
accepted”. I was off and running! I kept teaching; the £200
advance for my book was hardly enough to retire on!
My first big success was Docherty, based in fictional
Graithnock (really Kilmarnock). It was highly publicised,
giving me a bit of clout with publishers. I have changed
publishers a couple of times during the course of my career.”
How do you deal with rejection of your work?
“The best way to deal with rejection is not to know how
often it happens. Sending a book away and being rejected
time and time again could break your heart. It’s really
important to get an agent if you can; they know the people
who may be interested in a particular type of book. The
agent deals with everything, it becomes their problem.
To be honest I don’t know how often I have been rejected
by publishers, because the agent was dealing with this. I
only ever got word when my work had been accepted.”
How do you start writing a new book?
“This varies for everyone. I have always taken notes. In
my teens and at university I kept notebooks and was
always observing. Books grew from these notes; they
were the preparatory work for writing the book. They
allowed me to remember things I would otherwise have
forgotten. I had a desire to understand things besides
just living through them, notes were my initial attempt
to understand my experience not just to live them.
Writing was never a mechanical process. Ideas formed
from my notes and I basically discovered what I wanted
THE STUDENT VOICE: EDITION 1
to write as I went along. For me, the secret of becoming
a writer came from my almost manic need to take
notes. I always wanted to understand what was going
on. We live through things and quite often when they
are over, we’re not sure what happened. I kept notes
to try to make my experiences more coherent.
I’ve always written long hand and still like to carve
words on to paper with the pen. I like the idea of writing
by hand as it slows you up and you can think more
carefully about what you are writing. Most characters
are based loosely on someone I’ve came across.”
Is there somewhere particular you write?
“It tends to vary. I write at home and always have, but
sometimes when I feel I really want to get on with a
book I’ve gone to a country cottage and or booked
into a hotel. Sometimes when the pressure is on you
need isolation, you need to be utterly focused.”
What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
“I don’t know of any secret method for becoming a writer
but I know you need to believe in yourself. It’s a big thing
to write a book and hope that someone will publish it.
You have to generate self-belief, you need to believe that
what you are writing is worthwhile and that someone
will want to read it. Take advice but never let the advice
control you, it’s got to be your book, your creation.”
Are there any courses/writers clubs that you rate?
“Writing classes can be valuable as you are among other
people that have the same m