How a stressed Cork mum sealed book deal

A CORK mum who used writing as a means of helping offload stress, says she had her light-bulb moment after one particularly challenging parenting experience.

Michelle Teahan, like so many other mums, had struggled getting both her baby and toddler into their car seats safely after a doctor’s appointment.

“I’ve always used writing and journalling as a coping mechanism for when I found things hard,” explains Michelle.

“And that particular evening I sat down and opened my journal, but rather than venting to the page about my stresses of the day, I started to write a fictional scene instead,” she recalls.

“The scene was about a mother struggling to get her young children into her car, but of course, my twisted imagination led to one of those children being taken, and rather than helping to alleviate my stress levels, it served to boost them instead!

“And so there was only one thing I could do, I continued to write.”

This was back in 2017, when Michelle was on a career break from her job as a medical scientist in the Cytology and Histology Lab in CUH.

“I wrote more and more in the small gaps between feeds, nappy changes and potty training, and I absolutely loved every second of it,” she said.

All her hard work paid off and her début novel, a pacey thriller, Go Seek, is now on shelves; her second book is with her editor and she’s started on her third!

It sounds like it’s all happening at once, but Michelle points out she started the first draft in 2017.

“The writing process was enjoyable, but with two tiny humans to look after it was slow. That was fine by me because an earlier attempt at writing a novel more than a decade ago, had been rushed and unsuccessful.

“I had been more concerned with getting published than I was with having something worth publishing. I read every book promising me the knowledge I needed to get a book deal, but what I should have been focusing on was learning how to write a good book.”

Her turning point was in 2018 she attended a Summer School of Creative Writing at Cork City Library, taught by Catherine Ryan Howard.

“That’s where I learned two very important things. I learned how to pace my novel, and that there was no point in worrying about how to get my book published until it was finished.

“It was thanks to Catherine that I realised there was no benefit in focusing on the ins and outs of publishing, making s, increasing social media presence or any of those things until I had a book written.

“And not just any book, a book that I felt was good, that was polished, that had been written and re-written and re-written again.

“And that’s exactly what I did. I wrote Go Seek, then I re-wrote it and then I re-wrote it one more time,” she said.

After all that blood, sweat and tears, there was another hurdle to overcome.

“I couldn’t bring myself to send it out to agents, even after the third re-write. The fear of failure after putting so much work in was too great,” said Michelle.

“Until one evening, sitting on my couch, escaping the dramas of 2020 with Catherine Ryan Howard’s The Nothing Man, I ed everything she’d taught me and everything I’d learned about how to get published.

“That’s when I opened my email, wrote up my cover letter, attached a synopsis and my first three chapters, and sent Go Seek out to an agent.”

Not only did Michelle secure an agent, but after a “long, long, anxiety-inducing wait”, she got a publishing contract and a life-long dream of hers came true.

“Seeing Go Seek on shelves in bookshops has been the most surreal experience. Dreaming of something for so long and then seeing it in reality definitely takes some getting used to, but I’m loving every second of it,” she said.

Michelle in fact secured a two-book deal.

“The first draft of book two is done and sent off to my agent and editor, so I’m just waiting to hear back about edits now.

“Writing book two has definitely been a learning experience as it was my first time writing a first draft to a deadline, so rather than the years that I had previously, this time I only had months.

“It was also the first time I knew someone would be reading my first draft when it was done, which I had to keep putting out of my head so I didn’t panic while I was writing.

“And now, to keep myself distracted while I’m waiting to hear back about book two, I’ve started writing book three!”

Michelle is originally from Donoughmore and now lives in Coachford with her husband John and their daughters, Christina, nine, and Johanna, nearly seven.

Since she started writing seriously when they were very young, she is used to carving out time to plot and plan.

“Now that my girls are older and in school, it’s definitely a whole lot easier.

“I’m also doing some part-time hours in the lab so it can be a bit of juggle at times, but completely worth it,” she said.

Michelle’s tips for anyone who wants to get writing?

“Get your story down, then edit, edit, edit. Concentrate on the writing and don’t worry about anything else.

“Writing is a long process, don’t rush it. Settle in and enjoy it because I really believe if you love it enough and stick with it for as long as it takes, you will succeed.”

Go Seek is available online and in bookshops.