In our digital series ‘the art of writing’ we chat with talented Irish writers to celebrate the artistry of writing in all its forms.
Chloe Michelle Howarth is a Cork-born novelist whose debut novel, Sunburn shot her to success and received multiple accolades along the way. Her 2025 novel, Heap Earth Upon It, also published by VERVE Books, has made a big splash on both the literary scene and ‘BookTok’ alike. Chloe’s writing focuses on themes like rural Irish life, desire and shame through a queer lense. Here she chats us through her writing process and shares her thoughts on writers using AI.
Tell us about yourself and the writing that you do
I’m from a village on the coast in West Cork, which inspires a lot of my writing, even now when I’ve been living in Brighton for five years. I write about the queer, rural experience, about families, love, and the emotions that fuel everything.
Have you always known that you wanted to write?
From a young age, writing was one of my main hobbies. It’s something that I’ve always done, but not something that I imagined I would – or could – make a career from. I would say writing is my dream job, but it never seemed like a job that was available to me. So I never thought I’d take it this far, but I knew I’d always be writing away privately for fun.
Take us through your writing process
I usually describe my writing process as really disorganised, but I’m trying to reframe that as really creative! I normally have a vague idea of what I want to write about, maybe the main emotion of the piece, the season, a colour palette, little details like that. Then, the more I write, the more they build up to make their own world. I usually write for a few hours everyday, and try to find the balance between pushing myself and forcing myself, because when I start forcing it, it doesn’t work.
Describe your writing space
I don’t really have a dedicated writing space, probably because this developed out of a hobby. I like writing in social spaces like the kitchen or living room, so that people will pop in and chat with me. Usually I’m with my laptop on the couch; although now I’m about to turn 30 I’ve been thinking more about keeping my back in good condition, I might need to get a desk!
What is a piece of writing you wish you wrote and why?
Such a good question. There’s honestly too much to choose from. I admire so many writers, but I don’t covet what they’ve written if that makes sense.
What are your thoughts on AI and writers using it to assist their work?
I’m yet to see a compelling argument for why it’s a good thing. Being totally honest, I think it’s the height of laziness. It makes me really sad that people would pass up on the joys of creativity to let AI do their thinking. Writing isn’t a requirement, it’s a form of expression, I really can’t see the sense in involving AI in that. If you can’t be bothered to write a novel on your own, you don’t have to write one.
What tips do you have for aspiring writers?
My best tip is to write without any readers in mind. The idea that everything I write will remain completely private is really freeing to me, and helps me to actually get words on the page without wanting to edit them right away. Just do it to keep yourself entertained, and have fun with it.
