Pig-Headed Determination and Storytelling.
There’s a certain type of camaraderie that emerges in the trenches of writing; especially when history, military interests, and storytelling collide. Stephen Callaghan, a well-respected military historian (and someone I greatly admire) offered a few kind words of support recently on my writing journey. In reply, I shared a quote that seemed entirely appropriate and one which I reach for whenever the going gets tough:
It is truly advice for the ages from the immortal General Sir Anthony Cecil Hogmanay Melchett, VC, KCB, DSO who once said:
“If nothing else works, then a total pig-headed unwillingness to look facts in the face will see us through.”
I think Old Walrus Face was right. Baaah!
For those not in the know, General Melchett is a fictional character from Blackadder Goes Forth, a satirical British comedy set during World War I. Played brilliantly by Stephen Fry, Melchett is a caricature of the out-of-touch British general—bombastic, deluded, and often hilariously wrong. And yet, in his absurdity, there’s a grain of truth. The quote while fiction, delivered with full moustache-bristling bravado, captures something real: the sheer stubbornness required to see things through, even when the facts seem grim.
From mud, through blood, to the green fields beyond!
Writing can feel like a slog through endless mud and mire. There are days when the words don’t come, when entire chapters feel like a lost cause, when one’s darlings are placed against the post and shot at dawn, and when the inner critic launches its own offensive. The facts, the word count, the pacing issues, and the cavernous plot holes can be disheartening. But sometimes, pig-headed persistence is the only way forward.
I’ve come to learn that no matter how much planning I do, or how many drafts I churn out, there will always be a point where the process feels like madness. On the shell cratered route to this novel’s potential publication, there have been several of those. The key, I think, is to press on anyway. Not blindly, but with a kind of stubborn defiance. To ignore the facts just enough to keep going.
It also helps to have allies. Those who encouraged me this week and every week remind me that I’m not alone in this campaign, and have never been alone. Above all others are my family with whose love all things are possible. Michael J Whelan, Wayne Fitzgerald, and Paul O’Brien my long standing comrades, mentors, and inspirations; have been joined over the years by new compatriots such as Damien Larkin, Phil Parker, and Tripp Ainsworth. The incredible Michelle Dunne who has always lent her support, while being a guiding light. A beacon of tenacity.
Whether you’re writing a novel, researching a forgotten regiment, or battling imposter syndrome, solidarity matters. Solidarity is appreciated, so a nod to Mick O’Toole and Stephen Callaghan. We all draw from the same well of resilience, humor, and most assuredly no small amount of pig-headedness.
We will all have to go over the proverbial top one day in this writing lark; to stick our necks out into no-man’s-land. None of us, despite our elaborate cunning plans, has one as cunning as a fox who has just been appointed Professor of Cunning at Oxford University; so it’s likely that our plans resemble ourselves, most probably flawed. But we’ll do it anyway, and why not? As after all who would notice another madman around here?
So here’s to Melchett, in all his moustachioed glory. And here’s to everyone who keeps going, “From mud, through blood, to the green fields beyond!”
A note on Stephen Callaghan.
Stephen is an incredible historian whose blog, which you can find below, shares compelling snippets of his research on soldiers connected with Ireland. The story of each soldier featured on his blog is told through an object such as a grave, memorial, medal, or letter; with somewhat of a focus on County Offaly.
Stephen is also the author of several books, dozens of articles, and other written contributions to military history; some of which I’ve included below for reference. You would be well advised to explore his exceptional work if you have even a passing interest in military history.
His latest book ‘Bully’s Acre, A history of Birr’s forgotten graveyard’ explores the story of a long-neglected cemetery in the town of Birr. Opened at the start of the nineteenth century, Bully’s Acre became the final resting place of soldiers—battle-hardened veterans of the Napoleonic Wars—as well as townspeople from all social classes. However, through years of neglect, it also became a place where undesirables gathered and lingered.
Stephen’s book offers an extraordinary insight into this forgotten slice of Irish history. The cemetery is an important, if overlooked, part of Birr’s heritage, and this book aims to bring both the burial ground and the stories of those interred there back into public awareness.
- Callaghan, S. (2024). Bully’s Acre, Birr’s Forgotten Cemetery. Tullamore: Offaly County Council.
- Callaghan, S. (2023). Kilcomin Graveyard, County Offaly. Tullamore: Offaly County Council.
- Callaghan, S. (2020). Birr Military Cemetery, A history of the cemetery and those interred there. Tullamore: Offaly County Council.
- Callaghan, S. Society of Old Lucan (2020). Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Lucan, County Dublin. Memorial Recording Project. Lucan.
- Callaghan, S., O’Brien, C. (2016). Heart and Soul, A History of St Brendan’s Graveyard in Birr. Tullamore: Offaly County Council.
A note on Michael O’Toole.
You’ll find Michael O’Toole floating across Social Media under the handle @mickthehack where he is the Crime and Defence Editor of the Irish Daily Star and Irish Daily Mirror. You also find his work wherever you buy your books, as this Irish Crime Writer is the creator of ‘Black Light’, and the exploits of Detective Sergeant John Lazarus. A novel I could not recommend more. It is just super. A must read.
The man is everything one could admire in a journalist. Dedicated to reporting, courageous in the pursuit of the truth, and resilient in the face of adversity.
His www.writing.ie profile tells us that:,
” He was born in Belfast in 1970 and has been a crime reporter in Dublin for more than 20 years. He specialises in covering organised crime. He has written several non-fiction books, but has now published his first novel, Black Light. It is set in Dublin.”
Then it casually throws into the blurb:
“He studied Italian and French at university and also speaks Spanish and is learning Arabic.”
So to add to Mick’s many talents he is also an accomplished polyglot, however it goes on to tell us that there is even more to the Belfast writer’s already brimming CV:
“He has won four national awards for his crime journalism. He was voted crime journalist of the year in 2017 and 2021. And he also won crime story of the year in 2017 and in 2018.”
In the many years of reading Mick’s work as he was covering Defence matters, I think what shone through most for me is what I truly believe to be a genuine respect that this street smart, battle hardened, crime reporter has for the men and women of the Defence Forces, Garda Síochána, and the Emergency Services.
This respect and appreciation for those who don a uniform each day and who go out the door to help others; when combined with his impressive knowledge of Defence and Security matters; has made Mick, for me at least, one of the foremost Crime, Defence, and Security journalists in the country.
Well done Mick. Keep hacking! And while you’re at it, if you can give John Lazarus and the sequel a nudge then we wouldn’t complain at all.
“Chi la dura, la vince!”
Paper Never Refused Ink! 
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