Coffee Chat with Mary-Clare Terrill
Pour yourself a nice steaming cup and settle in to get to know Mary-Clare Terrill a little better.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I'm a Canadian-Australian indie author, publishing my debut historical romance novel in July 2024. I'm also an English and History teacher and am wildly passionate about bringing history to life. I live on a farm in regional Victoria, Australia with my husband and three children.
How do you take your coffee? I drink tea!
What Blank Spaces issue were you first published in? June 2020.
When did you first know you wanted to write? I think I've always known, but it took much longer to be able to say aloud that I want to be a creative writer, and even longer to call myself a writer.
What are you reading right now? What is it about and what keeps you coming back to the pages? I make a habit of reading like a writer. I read slowly and analytically, considering how I might apply techniques to my own work. Currently though, I am going through a bit of reading drought as all my efforts are concentrated on putting my book out into the world.
What role has Blank Spaces played in your creative journey? Blank Spaces holds a special place in my heart because it was the very first literary magazine to accept and publish my work. It is also special because it is specifically for Canadian artists and I feel privileged to be included as a Canadian-Australian.
Tell us a little about the piece Blank Spaces published and how it was received by family, friends, and the greater community? The piece is called “Ghosts of Women Past” and shares excerpts from my great-grandmother’s journal and the many ways her influence is still felt. The feedback from readers was so encouraging, suggesting that I found my voice as a writer.
Describe how you see the landscape of Canadian publishing: As a Canadian-Australian writer, I have found greater opportunities within Canadian publishing. I am so proud of my Canadian heritage and feel privileged to be a part of the Canadian literary scene - I was born, and live, in Australia but I am a Canadian citizen and Canada is such a large part of who I am.
Where has your creative journey taken you since being published in Blank Spaces? Since being published in Blank Spaces, and earlier, my thoughts and imagination has been captivated by the story of my great-grandparents. It a story of love, longing and loss; and one I could not let go.
What does your writing process look like? I am a ‘morning pages’ kind of writer. Each morning, I rise at 5:30 a.m. and write until my children wake. If it is a home day for me, I will ship the children off to school and maximize my writing time between school drop off and pick up. I do not find it difficult to be motivated to write, but I do find it difficult to leave my desk.
How do you invest in your writing goals? I try to progress the story, however slow going. I find having realistic goals is essential to see the project to the end but I am also conscious that when I try to speed up the process, however tempting, the writing suffers.
What one thing would you give up to become a better writer? Sleep. That is the choice I have made and I adore sleep; but I adore writing more.
If you could tell your young creative self anything, what would it be? Just be. As creatives - especially young creatives - it is so easy to get caught up in the misery of wondering whether or not we are ever going to achieve our dreams and become frustrated by the things we cannot control. Instead, there comes a certain point when the creative needs to stop waiting to be chosen. If it's to be, it's up to me.
Who are your writing influences and how do they motivate you? My favourite author is Ann Patchett. I've written and published multiple articles on my love for Ann Patchett. There is a quote printed on one her books that says Patchett's writing is like ‘life.’ And that is exactly how I feel; and what I aspire to. I want my writing to feel like life. I want the emotion to ring true. I read that, for Patchett, even if she is not writing from a point of lived experience, the emotion is her own.
What do you tell yourself every time it gets hard and you want to quit? Martha Alderson talks about this is in The Plot Whisperer, likening the story’s crisis to the writer’s ego and internal obstacles. Alderson suggests the writer — like the protagonist — must take action in order to continue. They must “recommit to the craft.” So, when the writing life gets hard, I may feel quietly devastated — and then, I resolve to recommit to my craft.
Do you have any writing rituals that help the words flow? I plan and prepare and then write unreservedly. I come to the page equipped with the research in my head and some brief dot points of what needs to take place and then I simply let the words pour out. I find this to be the most fun way to write and it's often surprising to discover what comes.
What advice do you have for writers struggling to break into the industry? Elizabeth Gilbert gave this advice in Big Magic when discussing creative writing courses. She said, “You can do this yourself.” There are so many inspiring creatives out there dispelling this strange notion of feeling like we need permission to create. And I believe the only way to break into the industry is to 'do the thing.’ Don't wait to be invited to take up space. Consider indie publishing - why not pave your own path. Also, know why you write. Understand what writing gives and keep that at the forefront of your mind.
What are your creative goals? Where do you see yourself in five years? I do have plans and ideas and dreams but currently, I'm only looking forward to July when I release my book into the world.
What are you currently working on? The second book in the Maplecroft Family Saga series (in between preparing for the release of book 1). Writing is rewriting and that's where I'm at. I won't really know how close I am to completing it until I'm there; when I realize that it is as good as I can possibly make it.
What should we be watching for from you? The waves made from the release of Maplecroft: A Heartbreakingly Beautiful Romance Novel of Love and Betrayal, Based on a True Story. I'm not sure how big or small these waves will be but I can't imagine another human reading the love letters of my great-grandparents and not feeling something deep within their heart.
The book will be released July, 2024 and will be available on Amazon, Kobo and Apple Books.
If you’re a past Blank Spaces contributor and would like to be featured in a virtual coffee chat, please complete our online interview form.
Learn more about Mary-Clares’s work that has been featured in Blank Spaces here.
