From Pen to Print: Jay McGuiness on Poison Tides

Actor, singer, and writer Jay McGuiness tells us about his journey to get Poison Tide onto bookshelves around the world. Read on for your chance to win books 1 and 2 in Jay’s fantasy series, too!

Name: Jay McGuiness (He/Him)

Based in: The USA, but I grew up in Newark, Nottinghamshire.

What genres/subgenres are you drawn to?
I have always read fantasy, and mostly “high fantasy”, though more recently have started with horror/folk horror. 

Photo credit: Eva Pentel

Is writing your full-time focus, or do you have a day job as well?
My day job would probably be in theatre, most recently playing William Shakespeare in &Juliet. I write during the day and moonlight as an actor/singer. 

The Book: From Pen to Print

What was the genesis of this book? Where did you get the idea from?

My bandmate Tom was writing his autobiography and I was visiting his publisher. They asked if I wanted to look at their books and I got into a discussion with a lovely woman who picked out fantasy she thought I might like. Her, my manager (Damien), and my bandmate’s book agent (Oscar) discussed if I had ever considered writing fiction. Something clicked in my head. I remember later, opening my laptop, staring at the screen, and my first thought wasn’t “who is this about?” (Bear and his found family), or even “what is this about?” (good triumphing over evil, duh)—it was “where would this be set?” 

And my thoughts turned to my home town. 

How many drafts did you go through before you felt it was ready to query? How long did that take you?

My book agent Oscar Janson-Smith (who was part of that initial conversation) was interested before I had even begun. That’s a privilege that I know many don’t have and one I am so grateful for. Oscar read my first few chapters to get an idea of where it was heading. I remember he said, “You can tell you read a lot of fantasy”, and I took that as the highest compliment. I haven’t forgotten it to this day.  

What was your querying process like? How long did it take?

Due to Oscar being interested from the off we slid immediately into an author/agent relationship without me even considering looking elsewhere! Nor would I; he has been such a cheerleader from my very first steps into the literary world and I can’t picture doing it without him. I consider myself very lucky. 

Once it was in the hands of your publisher, what was the process to get it ready for release?

There was a big edit involved; I wrote well over 100,000 words and could have kept going. I decided (before I had even begun) that the Blood Flowers series would be a trilogy and I had a lot of world building and a huge cast of characters to map out. I knew that book one ended with Bear escaping Calleston, but I had no idea just how fun getting there would be. I really let myself indulge in things that I found interesting, sneaking around a town at night and clambering into places that were off-limits. In the edits, many escapes and fights and deaths were removed in the interest of focussing on what moved the plot forwards, and there are still plenty of escapes and fights and deaths in the final book. It was well warranted I would say. 

And now the second book in this trilogy, Poison Tides, is about to be unleashed on the world! How are you feeling?

I feel ready! I didn’t have any idea of the sort of pleasure I would experience chatting to people about Bear, Felix, Megg, Meya, and Calleston. I really can’t tell you how it makes my brain light up to think about anyone else spending time in that world, knowing how much I enjoyed spending time in Discworld, Westland, Narnia, and The Shire!

What would you like us to know about this book?

This is my thank you to all the fantasy I have ever read. If fantasy taught me anything it’s that good will always win over evil, so come prepared to battle and win, even if we take some hard losses on the way. In a way it is like my own spin on fan-fiction having been such a huge fantasy reader myself, but with many influences, and my own voice telling the story I simply had to write.

Who’s the ideal reader for this one? What sort of things do they like to read about?

Anyone who enjoys getting together a bunch of odd-balls and questing. In reflection I do see these books as a bit of a love letter to the patchwork of communities that spread across UK: forests, fields, small towns, big cities, and narrowboats stuffed with witches getting to explore them. 

Your writing process

Are you a plotter or pantser or somewhere in between? How do you do your first draft?

I’m a wayposter! I start with the end, and pick some wayposts to hit on the way, and ON the way I pantser my heart out. A single thought can lead me down a garden path that adds another chapter where once there was none. I allow myself to do that and feel the most enjoyable sense of freedom while I do it. It’s where I discover characters that I love with my whole heart and explore magic that wasn’t part of the plan. 

How do you approach writing? Are you the type or writer who needs to treat it like a job? Is there a particular time of day you find best for you to write?

I don’t know if I treat it like a job but I do my best writing parked in the library from morning until close. I love long days on my own, headphones in, surrounded by books and book-people. I am so easily distracted at home: Shall I write? Or shall I put on music and make a whole curry from scratch that will take me five hours?At the library, I’m protected from my own distraction. 

Geek out about stationery: do you use a notebook? A specific type of pen? Or are you computer all the way?

Yes, I have about 20 notepads, and all of them have splotchy proto-maps and a hundred scribbled notes that I absolutely cannot forget and absolutely did. I use a uni pin fine line pen to write—0.8. It’s a really juicy drawing pen that feels nicer than a regular ballpoint pen to write. To draw on the go I use a bog-standard pencil and then when I draw the maps properly, I collect what pencil-maps I have scribbled down and draw them digitally on my iPad with an app called sketchbook. 

[Watch as Jay shows his map-designing process on TikTok]

Is any of that different for editing?

Maybe slightly different. I have my notepad with me at all times which becomes a bible to refer back to, and I have “digital post-its” on my laptop home screen. If there’s an edit note I want to query then I leave them stuck there. I’m not sure why I half and half it but it’s become a habit and it works for me. 

Where do you work? Do you have a comfy, creative space at home or are you someone who has to grab the moment wherever it comes?

Let me shout out my libraries! I wrote a lot of Poison Tides in Pearse Street Library in Dublin. They have a lovely quiet study room with large tables and a generous wooden floor. It’s a brilliant spot. Then over in LA I spend most of my time in Beverly Hills Public library; the study room is beautiful with giant windows and greenery outside. I also spent some time in the West Hollywood library which has an amazing view. It’s all white and modern which is nice, but I do like to be surrounded by wood while I’m writing fantasy. It feels more appropriate. Then there is the adorable West Norwood Library in London, which is absolutely tiny and impossible to find a seat. I often end up in the computer room by the window watching West Norwoodians walk by. If it’s too busy though, the library shares a building with the local theatre—so I can always sit in the cinema restaurant and have a snack and a cold beer, although I try not to make a habit of it. I don’t do my best writing if I’m not situated amongst books!

What’s your writing soundtrack?

On my first draft I listen to all kinds of music—lots of folk, classical, movie soundtracks like Thomas Newman etc, electronic, some dance music. Further into my edit I can’t listen to anything with lyrics, and then when my deadline is approaching, I just listen to white noise. It keeps me focused without encouraging me to go down any fun little garden paths. 

Do you have a writing ritual?

I suppose I do; my writing days are usually the same. I eat breakfast, pack an enormous water bottle, then I will normally walk to the library. The one I love is Beverley Hills public library. I watch Hollywood wake up and by the time I’m in Beverly Hills all the rich people are walking their dogs along the green. Then I arrive feeling pretty invigorated and I sit solid in the library until close. I might take a call or two outside but mostly I just type away. Then I walk home and all the night creatures of Los Angeles are dressed to go out and I pass clubs and bars in West Hollywood (the gay district); it’s the best people watching ever. I sometimes TikTok live and chat to people about whatever I was writing that day. Big dinner. Bed. 

Where can we follow you / find out more about your work?

• TikTok: @jmcguiness
• Instagram: @birdspotting
• Or via my publisher Scholastic, tiktok.com/@scholasticuk  and instagram.com/scholastic_uk/

Poison Tides is out now through Scholastic; details here. And find more about Blood Flowers, Jay’s debut novel, here.

Competition time!

Thanks to Scholastic, we have a copy of both Blood Flowers and Poison Tides to give away to five lucky BFS members. Head over to this form, then answer the question and give us your details. The competition closes at midnight on Sunday 10 August, and winners will be chosen at random in the following week. You must be a member of the British Fantasy Society and based in the UK to be eligible.