David Barker - Author, Space Admirer, and Former Number Cruncher
David has been writing stories for over ten years, after many years working as an economist. He is a graduate of the Faber Academy and a member of the Society of Authors. Moonlight Robbery is his seventh published book. He has written adventure novels for adults (the Gaia trilogy, Bloodhound Books) and for children (the London Falling series, Tiny Tree). With his wife, Fiona, he has also written scripts for pantomimes (published through Lazy Bee Scripts) and has two short stories included in anthologies.
David has always been fascinated by space, especially the Moon. He’s just too young to have been around the last time humans walked on the Moon, but is keenly following NASA’s Artemis program to return us there. When not staring up into space, he loves keeping fit playing tennis, padel, golf and running. And when his legs need a rest, he enjoys board games and amateur dramatics.
You can find out more about David and sign up for his monthly newsletter by visiting his website: https://www.davidbarkerauthor.co.uk
1. Why did you begin writing? Was it because of a person or something else?
I was researching the possibility of freshwater becoming a rare resource in the future while analysing commodity markets. I imagined a world war for water as a great setting for an adventure story and pictured two British agents trying to keep the world safe. Having worked in the city for a long time as a number cruncher, I wanted to challenge myself with something more creative and decided to have a go at turning my idea into a full-blown novel.
2. What is the hardest part of your job?
Selling books once they are published! Of course, it is difficult to come up with ideas, and it’s time-consuming to turn them into a full-length book, but those parts are down to you and your creativity. When it comes to publicity, advertising, arranging events, it’s not just about you. You have to persuade a shop to stock your book, a school to book you for an event. Online, you have to post something interesting enough that a stranger might become curious enough to buy your book, amongst all the other things competing for their attention. And while all authors have lots of writing skills, we don’t necessarily have any marketing skills!
3. What part of your job do you have the most fun doing?
Creating new characters, worlds for them to inhabit, and finding some plot that will test those characters and bring out the best in them. The early part of the writing process is very liberating. You can do whatever you want.
4. What is your schedule like when you’re writing a book?
There’ll be several weeks of fleshing out an initial story, adding depth to the world, making the characters more rounded, and making sure the plot has enough events to sustain a full-length book. Once I have a rough outline and know the people and setting, I’ll work on the first draft. That normally means a few hours every day (weekends off) for a month or two. Then I’ll leave it for a few days/weeks (depending on deadline pressure) before coming back to it with fresh eyes and knocking that first draft into something more polished. I might share it with fellow writers at that point, re-draft some bits, then send it in. All told, it might be 4-6 months from start to finish.
5. What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?
Don’t give up. Lots of people have ideas for stories, many of them start. But finishing a book is hard. Editing your own writing is even harder. Accepting the inevitable flurry of rejections, that are part and parcel of this industry, is hardest of all. But if you can keep going through all that, chances are you’ve got the stamina and self-belief to make it.
6. What are the essential characteristics of a hero you can root for?
These are all just personal preferences but I love a hero who is an under-dog, who puts others ahead of themselves, who isn’t fearless but faces down those fears, not flawless (because perfect is boring), and who is very good at something specifically important to the plot. For example, in my latest book, Moonlight Robbery, Max is an orphan living with his cruel uncle and aunt. He’s rather nervous and copes with life’s traumas by sticking to a list of 43 self-devised rules, and he’s a very skilled coder, which comes in very handy when he’s forced to take part in a dangerous heist.
7. Do you carry around a journal to note inspiration?
Yes, I do. I have many journals full of ideas, maps, and random thoughts. Sometimes I have to get up in the middle of the night to scribble in my latest journal when I wake with an idea or an image that I might have forgotten by the morning. My creative brain has an annoying habit of being productive at 3am!
8. How do you come up with titles for your books?
Something simple or catchy that relates to the story, and if possible with a hidden or double meaning. My first novel, Blue Gold, imagines that water has become as precious as gold, for example. For my latest novel, Moonlight Robbery, the title is a play on the well-known phrase ‘daylight robbery’. But is also refers to the heist that takes place on the moon. And the light is an important part of the plot too, but to find out why, you’ll just have to read it!
David, thank you so much for the glimpse into your writing journey and your advice for budding authors! Please follow David on social media to show your support. Don't forget to check out his newest novel, Moonlight Robbery, in our Bookshop! Keep shining!
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