Mark McAvaney: 'Friends and family might tell you something is 'great' but that won't help you improve.'
BY Emily Powter-Robinson
22nd May 2024
Mark McAvaney studied on our Writing Your Novel – Six Months London course in 2014. His debut novel For Everything a Time is out now in Australia with Ultimo Press.
We spoke to Mark about his time studying with us, the inspiration behind his novel and navigating dual timelines.
You worked on your debut novel For Everything a Time during our Writing Your Novel – Six Months London course in 2014. How did studying with us impact your approach to writing?
That sounds so long ago now! I do remember though that studying with CBC helped me find some validation in my writing itself. Before that I never really talked about writing with anyone so the just encouragement and being in the same space as other new writers was invaluable.
On a practical level the course really helped me learn how to analyse writing - that of others, and, my own. Notes from other students were great in improving what I'd written. Friends and family might tell you something is 'great' but that won't help you improve.
I also learnt the value of just getting a draft down, rather than worry too much about writing the perfect sentence which might end up being cut. My mantra now is: Ideas first. Words second.
Many of our students find lifelong writing friends on our courses. Are you still in touch with anyone you met on the course?
We kept in touch person for quite a while, but for the most part now on socials! That said a good proportion of us reunited at the UK launch of the best seller, The Circus Train, by the talented and lovely Amita Parikh and always supporting each other. It's always fantastic to see material we workshopped together come to life.
Your debut novel For Everything a Time is out now with Ultimo Press. It is a coming-of age novel about second chances and the split-second decisions that can change our lives forever. Can you tell us a bit more about the book and the inspiration behind it?
The story is about two best friends in an accident in their last year of high school. Thirteen years later they have to come to terms with what happened and how it has shaped their lives and their own.
Dual timelines can be notoriously tricky to navigate but you manage to weave the past and the present together seamlessly to build suspense. How did you go about approaching a dual timeline?
I love reading dual times, but writing them was another matter. Rather than just sit down and write away, I'm quite the 'plotter', so from the very beginning I knew the ending of this story. That helped me shape the exposition and drama in both timelines and have them build progressively together. That said, it wasn't automatic or easy! If I needed to change the order of events in one time line there was always a ripple through to the other one which meant I'd have to shuffle voice and scenes around too which sometimes felt like an endless loop!
Do you have any tips for the aspiring authors reading this who are thinking of applying to a writing course?
There is no doubt in my mind that I would not be published if I had not applied for the CBC novel writing course. It fundamentally made me a better writer which led to me getting an agent and then publication. So my advice would be to stop thinking about it and just apply!
What books have you enjoyed reading recently?
I'm currently in Australia and I've been reading Pheasants Nest - the debut fiction novel from an amazing Australian Journalist, Louise Milligan. It's a brilliant page turner with great characters, drama, suspense and humour.
The biggies - David Nicholls, Dolly Alderton and Matt Haig are next on the TBR.
Finally, what’s next for your writing journey?
I find myself always having ideas for stories though I know not all would have the legs for a full novel. Still I've plotted out and have short, first drafts for two more novels. One in a similar vein to my debut and the other a more commercial romantic comedy. So I'll have just have to see what happens next.
For Everything a Time is out now!
Some of the books linked in this blog can be found on our Bookshop.org shop front. Curtis Brown Creative receive 10% whenever someone buys from our bookshop.org page.