Martin JP Devaney
Author & Writing Coach
Helping You Start, Finish and Publish Your Novel
The Novel
Culture Night 2026: Free Writing workshop
How to Murder Your Dear Wife
If you want to write a novel, maybe, learn from someone who’s written one.
Meet Martin, a broke British drama teacher trying to make ends meet in a picturesque Irish town. Saddled with a subprime mortgage containing terms & conditions that even loan sharks would disapprove of, he seeks a deadly escape route. A healthy payout would be some consolation should anything happen to his dear wife…
Enter Laura, a nurse and medieval weapons expert with plans of her own, and none of them involve getting murdered.
However, the stage is set. Someone is going to die. Most likely during the Lough Ree International Pike Fishing Festival.
Join us for this free writing workshop as part of Culture Night 2026.
Date: Friday, 18 September 2026
Time: 6.00 pm
Venue: Monksland Community Centre, Athlone (N37 WK25)
Admission is free. You are welcome to drop in on the night, or reserve your place in advance by emailing bookings@martinjpdevaney.com
This event is supported by the Arts Council and Roscommon County Council Arts Office.
The Art of Writing a Novel
The Courseware
Step-by-step guides for writers and tutors.
The Art of Writing a Novel – The XYZ Method is a practical, comprehensive guide by author and writing coach Martin JP Devaney. It takes you from first idea to final draft — ready for publication or submission. Structured, flexible, and grounded in real-world publishing, it’s more than a book — it’s a complete course.
Launch Offer
For a Limited Time: Access the FULL courseware FREE on Kindle Unlimited, or purchase your copy at the special launch price of €9.99. Again that’s a full writing course as we get the word out! The catch? We will be seeking a credit in your book and a review. It’s nice to be nice.
You may have 80,000 words to tell your story, but an agent or editor may decide whether to keep reading within the first few pages.
A strong opening must establish character and voice, create curiosity and give the reader a compelling reason to turn the page. It is also the section most likely to determine whether an agent, editor or publisher continues with your manuscript.
Drawing on techniques from Martin Devaney’s book The Art of Writing a Novel – The XYZ Method, this practical workshop will help writers develop, refine and strengthen the opening chapter of their novel.
Through discussion, analysis, writing exercises and constructive feedback, participants will explore what makes an opening work, why some openings fail, and how to create a first chapter that engages the reader from the very first page.
Participants will examine successful examples from contemporary fiction and apply these techniques directly to their own work.
The workshop will also cover the essential dos and don’ts of submitting a novel to agents, editors and publishers.
Suitable for writers at all stages, from beginners working on a first novel to experienced writers preparing a manuscript for submission.
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Martin JP Devaney
Martin JP Devaney holds a degree in Drama from Trinity College Dublin. He authored The RTÉ Writer’s Guide for RTÉ/Blackwater Press and has written plays, comedies, and dramas for RTÉ Radio One, along with short stories broadcast on RTÉ and the BBC.
He has written for RTE television; has produced a comedy quiz show for Radio One; produced/written several short films; has had plays produced in Ireland, America, Canada, Australia, and Poland. He worked on Sky 191 where he produced over ninety-nine weekly television shows, winning a national media award.
He has lectured in creative writing in third-level colleges and universities, delivered hundreds of writing workshops and helped many writers create professional-level submissions before publication.