From a Five-Year-Old Storyteller to Thirty Books (and Counting)

People often ask me when I started writing.

It's a very good question, but a hard one to pinpoint exactly.

When I was five years old, one of my teachers wrote on my school report:

"Margaret has a flair for creative writing."

Perhaps that was the first official sign, because I truly can't remember a time when I wasn't making up stories. As a child, my imagination found an outlet in all sorts of ways. I adored dolls, but they were never just dolls. Every one of them came with a detailed backstory (sometimes tragic), a family history and enough drama to fill a novel. I even made paper dolls, complete with complicated lives, friendships, heartbreaks and adventures.

Looking back, I suppose I was already creating fictional worlds long before I knew that writing books could become a career.

The First Novel

In 1999, I wrote my first full-length novel.

I became so engrossed in finishing it that I did something completely out of character—I pulled a sickie from work so I could stay home and write. It's the only time I've ever done that!

I still have that manuscript tucked away. It will never be published, but it taught me something invaluable: I could actually finish writing a novel.

Over the following years I wrote several more books, started countless others, and kept learning with every story. In 2012, I even won a short story competition, which gave me another boost of confidence.

Still, publishing remained something I admired from a distance rather than something I believed I could achieve.

The Push I Needed

Everything changed in 2019.

A colleague friend of mine read one of my manuscripts and said something that altered the course of my life:

"You HAVE to publish this."

Those simple words gave me the encouragement I'd needed for years.

Instead of wondering whether I should publish, I began researching how. I spent the next year learning everything I could about the publishing world before deciding that independent publishing was the path that suited me best.

It was one of the best decisions I've ever made.

Why My First Books Were Set on Mull

People sometimes ask why my debut series was set on the Isle of Mull.

The answer goes back to one particular holiday. I'd injured my foot and spent much of the trip resting. Naturally, I wanted something to read—specifically, romance novels set on Mull.

The problem?

I couldn't find any.

So I decided that if the books I wanted didn't exist, I'd write them myself.

That idea became the Scottish Island Escapes series, and it marked the beginning of my publishing journey.

Thirty Books Later

Fast forward to today, and I've now published thirty novels.

• 10 Scottish Island Escapes

• 2 Love on the Edge – Barra

• 18 Glenbriar novels

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Sometimes I still have to stop and let that sink in.

Thirty books means creating entire communities of characters, generations of families, friendships, romances, heartbreaks, weddings, disasters, laughter, adventures and, of course, plenty of happily-ever-afters.

It also represents something else.

Roughly 2.5 million words.

That's millions of words written early in the morning, late at night, during lunch breaks, in the car (parked, I should add!), and hastily typed into the notes app on my phone whenever inspiration struck at inconvenient moments.

Behind those words are countless moments of self-doubt, unexpected breakthroughs, editing marathons, publishing deadlines (self set) and the occasional technology disaster that every indie author seems destined to experience.

What I Wish I'd Known

If I could give my younger self one piece of advice, it would be this:

Don't wait.

If I'd known that readers would embrace my stories the way they have, I'd have started publishing years earlier instead of waiting two decades after finishing that first novel. But then again, perhaps every part of the journey mattered. Every unfinished manuscript, every story that taught me something new, every moment of uncertainty brought me to where I am today. Most of all, I'm incredibly grateful. Grateful that I get to spend my days creating stories. Grateful for every reader who has taken a chance on one of my books. And grateful that what began with a five-year-old making up stories has grown into thirty published novels... with many more still waiting to be written.

Tips for Aspiring Writers

If you are a writer or dream of becoming one, here are some practical tips based on my experience:

• Finish your first draft no matter what. Completion builds confidence.

• Keep learning by reading both in your chosen genre and craft books. And seek feedback even if it feels daunting.

• Don’t fear rejection. Use it as motivation to improve.

• Research publishing options to find the path that suits you best.

• Stay true to your voice and the stories you want to tell.

  
  

Writing is a journey filled with challenges and rewards. Embrace the process and keep telling your stories.