Here's what it's all about...
Set in Cork city, Detective Garda Collins is at war with the leading local criminal, Dominic Molloy. Unwilling to accept the human degradation caused by Molloy’s drugs, violence and prostitution. He has made up his mind to bring Molloy down, but just how far is he willing to go to make that happen? What is he willing to do and what fall-out will ensue for himself and his garda colleagues? This tense crime novel (the first in a series featuring Collins) tells the story of two immovable forces colliding. Something has to give. Running out of time before the murder of two teenagers becomes inevitable, and with a traitor in the garda station feeding information back to Molloy, Collins takes his battle to new heights. He is determined to win, whatever the cost, whatever it takes.
Here's that interview for you...
First question-bit of a cliche-how did you get into writing?
I’d always wanted to write, so
when I retired from my full-time job in 2015, I decided to seize the
opportunity. I signed up for an MA in Creative Writing in UCC and
have never looked back.
Do you write full time & if so,
have you always done this?
At the moment, I still work a
little part-time, but for the most part I’m writing full-time and
have been since 2015.
Do you have a particular writing style
or genre that you prefer to write?
I don’t think I have a
particular style – it depends on the work. My first book was
sports fiction, my current book (Whatever It Takes) is crime
fiction, and my next two books are in different non-fiction genres.
I don’t prefer any particular genre or style, it depends on the
book or piece of work. I do like stories, though – I think all
writing must have an element of story.
How do you develop your characters as
you write, are any of them based on real people?
In fiction, I don’t base my
characters on real people. I look at character and voice first and
these general grow organically when I put the characters in
situations and with other people. I don’t plan out my novels, they
tend to grow quietly like a garden. When something flourishes, I’ll
try to build more around it. When something fails, I’ll let it go.
What was the inspiration behind your
book?
I’d never read a crime novel set
in my city of Cork and so I wanted to rectify that omission when I
began Whatever It Takes. That was the beginning point. Then I
wanted a character who wouldn’t accept the impacts of crime, who
would do ‘whatever it takes’ to prevent it. The book grew from
that, with characters, plotlines and situations evolving as it went
along.
What is your writing process-do you
plan it out first? Write a bit at a time?
I tend to begin with characters
and voices. Then, until I have a plot worked out, I will write
scenes and see where the characters take them. I like to test the
characters and get them out of their comfort zones in difficult
situations. That’s when we see the real personalities behind the
day-to-day facades we all create. Books also need tension and again
that’s very revealing and readers enjoy it.
How much of you is reflected in your
writing?
It’s hard to say. I hope I’m
compassionate in my writing, even if some of the situations in
Whatever It Takes are difficult for the characters (and
readers). Because it’s a crime novel, involving professional
criminals and police, there is a lot of conflict, which I prefer to
avoid in my own life. I don’t agree with a lot of what the main
character Collins, does, he’s certainly not like me, I think. I
wouldn’t last ten minutes as a detective or criminal!
What kind of research did you have to
do before/during writing behind your book?
It depends on the book. For a book
of essays I’m working on, I did a lot of research. For Whatever
It Takes I did some research about ‘true crime’ and garda
procedures, but then I deliberately changed aspects of those to suit
the needs of the book. I asked friends and experts who know about
crime, policing and medical issues a lot of questions. With location
I was very attentive to detail, going to all the places where scenes
take place in the book.
How much attention do you pay to the
reviews that you get?
I try not to, but luckily for my
first book the reviews were very positive. I think the main thing
about bad reviews it to learn from them and not to take them
personally. The aim is for everybody who reads your work to love it,
but in reality that’s unlikely, and that’s okay. Conversely I
tried not to get too carried away with good reviews for The First
Sunday in September, either. Reading is so subjective, it’s
important not to lose sight of that.
Are friends and family supportive of
your writing?
Incredibly so. My wife Ciara is
amazingly supportive and I’m not sure if I could keep going
without her. All my family have been wonderful. They even did a Zoom
launch for the ebook version of Whatever It Takes, when it
came out in late April on Amazon. All my friends have been
brilliant, too, and I give thanks for them every day.
How do you feel leading up to your
publication day?
It’s very exciting and I try to
enjoy it all because it’s so rare. Most books are ideas or dreams
that are never put down on the page, and most that are begun are not
completed. So to actually finish a book (which isn’t easy), have
the guts to send it out, survive the rejections, keep sending it out
until it’s accepted – all that is really brave and takes great
inner resources. I try to float on the wonder of it all, and I’m
hoping for that again on July 31 when Whatever It Takes hits
the book shops.
Which other authors inspire you or are
there any you particularly enjoy reading?
All writers inspire and amaze me. My
favourite writer is Kate Atkinson. Her Jackson Brodie series of
crime books have such a light touch – as does the work of Fred
Vargas and Andrea Camilleri – and I admire that so much. I also
greatly admire Elizabeth Strout; her novel Anything
is Possible is
simply wonderful. My favourite crime writer is Peter Temple, the
great Australian novelist. But I also love Tana French, Karin
Fossum, Jo Nesbo, James Lee Burke and Henning Mankell. I love the
short stories of Wendy Erskine, John McGahern and Danielle
McLaughlin and the essays of Sinéad Glesson, Zadie Smith, Deborah
Levy, Olivia Laing and Joan Didion. I love the pure storytelling of
Philip Pullman and the humour of Terry Pratchett.
Finally...what are you working on right
now?
Right now I’m working with a
famous sportsman on his autobiography and a book of essays on sport.
After that I’m hoping to return to Detective Collins of Whatever
It Takes, to see what trouble he gets himself into next …
About the Author
Tadgh Coakley is from Mallow and lives in Cork city. His debut novel The First Sunday in September was shortlisted forthe Mercier Press fiction prize and was published in 2018 to much acclaim. His sports writing has appeared in The Irish Examiner and The Holly Bough. He has also been published in The Stinging Fly, The Honest Ulsterman, Silver Apples,Quarryman and the From the Well anthology. He is a graduate of the MA in Creative Writing course at University College Cork. www.tadhgcoakley.com
Thanks to Tadgh for stopping by the blog today!
Thank you very much for being part of the tour!
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