There’s Something I Have To Tell You

I sat down with Michelle McDonagh to chat about her debut novel: There is something I have to tell you.

How did you get started as a novelist?

Writing a novel has been a lifelong dream of mine. Over the years, I did a number of creative writing courses, and read countless books on writing. The problem was I spent a hell of a lot more time talking about it, then ever actually sitting down at my desk and writing. The deep compulsion to write wouldn’t leave me alone though. Sometimes cajoling and encouraging. More often nagging.

While I started and abandoned a number of books over the years, I kept writing myself into a cul-de-sac and could never get beyond about 30,000 words. It wasn’t until I started a Faber Write Your First Novel course at the start of 2020 and learnt how to plot that I realised that’s where I had been going wrong all along. Unlike some writers who can just take off with a vague idea of where they are going, I need to have my route mapped out first. I don’t have to stick religiously to this route, but when I get lost, it helps me get back on track. My debut novel There’s Something I Have To Tell You was the first book I plotted properly, and the first book I ever finished.

Where did you get the idea for the novel?

The seed of the idea for my book,  dark family drama, was planted a number of years ago when I was listening to the radio. A woman had written in about her toxic sister-in-law, who was causing ructions in the family. She called her the Queen of Sheba. That sister-in-law and her impact on the family stayed in my head and inspired Ursula Kennedy, one of my main characters. My original working title for the book was actually The Queen of Sheba.

Where is the novel set and what is it about?

It is set in a fictional town in East Galway, my story opens with the discovery of the bodies of Ursula and her long-suffering husband Jimmy in the slurry pit on their family farm. The local community are shocked at what appears to be a tragic accident. However, it’s not long before rumours start to swirl about tensions in the Kennedy family, and the Gardai begin to suspect there may be more to this incident than meets the eye. Everybody seems to be keeping secrets from each other. It’s a whodunit, and much more importantly in my opinion, a whydunnit!

We hear about stories like this all the time, shocking tragedies that rock small communities and devastate families. Rows over land and money, feuds going back many generations, modern day Field scenarios. I covered courts and inquests for years myself as a journalist and while there are always all kinds of rumours and gossip in the wake of these kind of events, it’s often not until the inquest or court case that some of the truth starts to emerge. Although nobody, apart from those living behind those closed doors, ever knows what really went on. Truth really is stranger than fiction in my experience.

Any plans for another novel?

It’s already in the oven 🙂