Nicola Monaghan interview

Nicola Monaghan picture This interview with Nicola Monaghan was first published in February 2006. To find out even more about her, you can visit our Nicola Monaghan page.

What was it that first got you into writing and when did you start writing?

Nicola Monaghan: I told my maths teacher when I was eleven that I wanted to be a writer. He said 'Well, you can write maths textbooks then.' And it's funny how much influence people have on you at that age because I ended up teaching maths for a while. I never forgot about my literary ambitions though. A friend and I, mad Kev, used to write stories together at University. When I worked in the City I noticed that emails to friends and lovers were getting longer and longer and I realised I suffered from a pathological need to write! It was around then that I started to take my writing seriously.

Where were you born and raised?

Nicola Monaghan: Nottingham, which is where I live now, but I only moved back a few years ago.

Which writers have influenced you the most?

Nicola Monaghan: There are many writers I love, but I'd say the ones who have had the biggest influence on my work are Irvine Welsh and Chuck Palahnuik. Also Alan Sillitoe. On the other hand, I was definitely more into Kate Atkinson and Margaret Atwood when I started out - which is really quite different! I also met the fantasy writer Graham Joyce through my MA course and his writing and ideas have had a big influence on me.

Where do you stand on the nature v. nurture debate? Were you born a writer, or were there factors in your environment that enabled you to become a writer?

Nicola Monaghan: I was definitely born with an ability and, more to the point, a need to communicate through words. I think my environment helped too though. I mean, I think it helps if you have a few unhappy times to motivate you along the way. If I'd fallen in love and settled down earlier I might have made babies instead of books. Who knows.

There are a lot of courses teaching creative writing nowadays, but do you think that good writing can be taught?

Nicola Monaghan: I think so, to an extent. I mean, you can't inject talent, obviously. But you can hone it. I believe writing is a craft or an art that can be practised and perfected. I did an MA course myself and felt I learnt a lot. And I saw those around me come on as well. The workshop format, where you get and give feedback about each other's writing, I think that works really well.

Have you entered writing competitions? If so, have you won any prizes?

Nicola Monaghan: I entered the Bridport Prize a couple of times. They didn't pick me. Bar humbug moan and grumble. After that I decided to concentrate on writing a novel and getting an agent. It felt like less of a long shot.

Do you have any short stories or poems published online? (If so, please provide the URLs):

Nicola Monaghan: Yes I do. At Pulp Net, which is a fabulous online magazine I highly recommend. And a little pithy poem too.

http://www.pulp.net/fiction/stories/12/misconceptions.html

http://homepages.tesco.net/~magdtp/pap4mangoes.html

What kind of things do you write?

Nicola Monaghan: Mostly I write novels, and sometimes shorter stories. Occasionally poems come to me in a flash. I think what my work has in common is that it's very direct and cuts to the chase. It usually involves people with mad lifestyles. I'm not sure what that says about me.

What, for you, is the best piece of prose that you have ever written?

Nicola Monaghan: My novel "The Killing Jar", and in particular a scene in the middle (that I actually wrote first) where my main character goes joy riding while high on ecstasy. I sat down and wrote it one morning after I'd had a crazy night out and I knew that I would build my first novel from it.

What are you working on now?

Nicola Monaghan: A second novel based around the futures markets in the City of London, but back in the late 90s when there was still a trading floor.

What is your writing day like?

Nicola Monaghan: Well I work full time still at the moment, so I have to fit writing around that. I often nick off at dinnertime to write, and first thing in the morning because I don't start work until ten. I find any time I can basically.

Where would you like to be in 10 years time?

Nicola Monaghan: I'd like to be writing full time. I don't care about being rich and famous and having a fabulous lifestyle. Actually, that's a lie, it would be great! But I'd be satisfied if I could make a living out of writing. That's not such an easy thing to do.

What’s the most exciting thing about writing for you?

Nicola Monaghan: Creating characters that feel as real to me as people I actually know. That's how it works in my head, and if some of that translates to the page then that would be thrilling. I also like being taken out to lunch by agents and publishers, and seeing my name in the papers!

What’s the most frustrating thing about writing for you?

Nicola Monaghan: It's a very angsty business because there's always something else to chase. First you worry about whether you'll ever get an agent. You get an agent then you worry about getting a publisher. Your novel goes to print and you worry about getting reviews, and being entered for prizes. All these things happen then you worry about selling copies and winning competitions. And it goes on and on and on.

What’s the best piece of feedback that you’ve had from your audience?

Nicola Monaghan: I read the opening of “The Killing Jar” to some teenage girls I was teaching at a Nottingham School. They said 'That's quite good miss.' Anyone who knows anything about teenage girls will understand what a big compliment that is.

Do you write for a particular audience, or is your first priority to satisfy your own creativity?

Nicola Monaghan: I don't think I write for a particular audience. I want as many people as possible to enjoy my work so they will buy it! I guess it probably appeals to the younger end of the market though. I think people around my age would like it best though because they've experienced the same things as me, historically, like the rave scene for example, and will understand more where I'm coming from.

How do you describe your writing to new readers?

Nicola Monaghan: The novel's probably the easiest thing to describe. I'd say it was Irvine Welsh meets Alan Sillitoe but more optimistic. And the second novel has similarities. Mostly I write about people who lose control.

Do you have a homepage? If so, what’s the URL?

Nicola Monaghan: www.thekillingjar.co.uk

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