Mark Baillie
I’m Mark Baillie, an Edinburgh-based writer with a long interest in gypsy and Roma history, stemming from my own traveller roots. I’ve had fiction published in Analogies and Allegories Literary Journal and Livina Press, and nonfiction published in the Journal of Media Ethics and in the National Library of Scotland magazine. When I’m not writing, I like to get outdoors and enjoy surfing (yes, even during the Scottish winter!) and climbing.
Question 1: What inspired you to start writing?
I did an oral history with my grandad about a year before he died. He was a traveller and had some amazing stories from his early life, though his memory was patchy by the time I spoke to him about it. A few years ago, I was being interviewed for a podcast about it and the interviewer said, ‘There’s definitely a book in that.’ It stuck in my mind and I began writing some of his stories as scenes, adding what I imagined were the events leading up to them and the events following. It was a lot of fun bringing the different characters to life on the page.
Question 2: How have your past experiences influenced you as a writer?
I'd been researching my family history and traveller roots for years and, as a result, also learned a lot about gypsy-traveller history, which is tragic, fascinating, and under-represented in fiction. I've done quite a lot of nonfiction writing on the topic, including being published in an academic journal (though I'm not an academic) and I’ve been channeling all of that knowledge into creative writing as a way of further exploring the topic.
Question 3: What have you written that you're the most proud of?
I’ve had a few short stories published but I'm hoping to finish my first novel soon. There have been two previous points where I thought I'd finished it, taken a break, then came back to it and spotted ways to improve it. So I'm hoping it'll be 'third time lucky' for this current draft!
Question 4: What do the words “writer’s block” mean to you?
When I'm feeling really uninspired, I just write the very basic elements of a scene - something that looks almost like a screenplay. When I return to it I'm able to add detail and bring it more to life, like adding layers of colour to a painting. So writer's block is something I've avoided - so far.
Question 5: When did you first call yourself a writer?
I was finishing the second draft of my novel and had been putting in a lot of hours every day, and I thought: when I get finished with this I'm going to take a decent break from writing - at least a month off. But when I got up on the first day of my 'break' I still had an urge to spend an hour or two writing. It probably wasn't particularly healthy, but I certainly felt like a writer at that point.
Question 6: What is your writing process like? Are you more of a plotter or a pantser?
The first year of writing, I was a pantser - and that gave me about 80,000 words, less than half of which was usable. Then I became a plotter, drawing out a story from what was left and rebuilding it back to a full draft.
Question 7: What is your kryptonite as a writer?
The call of the great outdoors during summer!
Question 8: Do you play music while you write — and, if so, what’s your favorite?
I’m a massive music fan but don’t listen to much when writing. When I do, though, it’s usually dub reggae. It has a good, driving rhythm and not many vocals so I can tune out from it when I need to.
Question 9: What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?
Just keep going. Even if you only manage a quarter of a page each day, that adds up to a chapter by the end of the month. Maintaining the discipline of carrying on is more important than the quality of what you produce week to week.
Question 10: What do you think is the best way to improve writing skills?
Reading what you’ve written out loud is very helpful. It's weird but there are sentences that look totally fine on the page but don’t work when you say them. Editing as you read your work out loud is a bit like fine-tuning a musical instrument.