Gillian McAllister Discusses Writing Career, Chronic Illness, and New Paperback
Bestselling author Gillian McAllister, known for novels like Wrong Place Wrong Time and That Night, recently spoke with Caroline Reilly for Forbes about her journey from lawyer to full-time writer, the impact of chronic illness on her work, and the release of That Night in paperback. McAllister, based in the UK, revealed that she always wanted to be a writer but lacked connections and money, so she became a lawyer. A lupus diagnosis in her twenties prompted her to send the first three chapters of a manuscript to a literary agent, which eventually led to her publishing career. She discussed the challenges of achieving her dream, noting that life felt surprisingly normal after her first book sold, and she struggled with guilt when things weren't perfect. McAllister is candid about the realities of the writing profession, including low wages and the pressure to use AI, and she co-hosts the podcast Honest Authors with Holly Seddon. She also spoke about navigating lupus, which is largely in remission, and how chronic illness has given her characters themes of exile and incarceration. That Night, about a woman who helps her sister bury a body, is now out in paperback. McAllister emphasized the importance of creating depth in female characters, saying she writes thrillers with romance, jealousy, and yearning to make protagonists relatable.
Key facts
- Gillian McAllister is a bestselling author based in the UK.
- She was a lawyer before becoming a full-time writer.
- Her lupus diagnosis in her twenties led her to start writing seriously.
- She sent the first three chapters of a manuscript to a literary agent while off sick.
- She had to complete two more manuscripts to get signed and two more to get a publisher.
- Her novel That Night is now out in paperback.
- That Night is about a woman who gets a call from her sister saying 'I've killed a man. Please help me.'
- McAllister co-hosts the podcast Honest Authors with Holly Seddon.
- She has written multiple novels including Wrong Place Wrong Time and Caller Unknown.
- She discusses chronic illness and writing on Instagram.
- She believes chronically ill people understand suffering deeply, which may make their books deeper.
- Her characters often experience exile, incarceration, or ongoing mystery.
- She writes thrillers with romance and other emotions to make characters relatable.
- She deleted a large chunk of a work in progress recently.
- The average writer makes about $70K a year according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Jennifer Ward wrote about AI's adverse impact on young writers in Fast Company.
Entities
Artists
- Gillian McAllister
- Holly Seddon
- Caroline Reilly
- Jennifer Ward
- Reese Witherspoon
Institutions
- Forbes
- Fast Company
- Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Reese's Book Club
- Read With Jenna
- Richard & Judy Book Club
Locations
- UK