Aaron David: A Mind of His Own
I have to say I did not stumble upon Aaron David as an author first. I discovered him through a friend. Pat McDonald, mentioned him as one of those two special people who helped her stay motivated during some difficult health issues. That was good enough for me.
When I asked Ian Hutson about his newest book, I began following him on Facebook. The one thing I noticed when I needed a smile was reading a post on FB by either Pat or Ian, most often had a comment by a humorous quick wit. There was a third clown in the triumvirate, Aaron David.
That was my introduction to Aaron. He is a quick wit. It’s as simple as that. Whether Aaron or Ian or Pat shares a post, the other two chirp right along with some of the most outlandish humor. Timing is everything in humor and even on Facebook it is evident that Aaron has a quick sense of timing to go with his quick wit.
I soon discovered that he was also an author. Well, good company sticks together. Perhaps, I was unfamiliar with these wild and crazy Brits because their books are not as widely known in the US as in England (UK) but they are well worth reading wherever you live.
I contacted Aaron and asked him for an interview. His books are full of laughs and irreverence. Sometimes an eye on reality with a touch of cynicism or truth can create plenty of smiles. Aaron David has mastered the short story in the first compilation I read, Enjoyment Is Forbidden.
Wanting to know more about this character who writes about anything that comes into his mind, I asked him to share a little about himself. And, here it is….
I hate talking about myself but here goes. I was born at a very early age in 1965.
If you look at a map of the UK, there’s a mountain range called The Pennines; often referred to as ‘the backbone of England.’ On the east side is Yorkshire and on the west is Lancashire. Nestled in the western foothills is Bolton.
Bolton is widely thought to be the biggest town (that isn’t a city) in Britain. Someone recently told me it’s the biggest town (that isn’t a city) in Europe. In a few weeks it will probably be the biggest town (that isn’t a city) in the universe.
Back then, Bolton was still a mill town, producing and treating cotton and cotton products. Most of the walls were coated in soot and fluffy, filthy cotton waste.
I couldn’t and wouldn’t describe my childhood as happy; my parents were not a happy couple and they constantly argued. My Mum was one of the best examples of a human being I’ve ever known, but she had rotten taste in men. The least said about my Dad, the better.
Aaron may not this many of us know the wehereabouts of Bolton, but believ e it or not, I have actually passed Bolton, not through Bolton, but close enough.
Years ago, when Aaron was young enough to be getting into mischief, I lived in Windermere in the Lake District, about 70 miles north of Bolton.
I excelled in school, being alternately known as ‘the brainy one’, and ‘the class clown’. In the seventies, we had grammar schools and the eleven plus exam. The pupils who scored in the top ten percent were offered a place in grammar school. I went to one and have always been and will always be grateful.
Aged fifteen, I decided my vocation was photography. I set up a darkroom in the loft and spent as much time and money as I could to become competent. When I left school, I was a professional photographer for nine years.
Aged nineteen, I had the tremendous good fortune to meet the prettiest woman I’ve ever seen. Thirty four years later we are still happily married.
I became disillusioned and bored with photography and, aged 25 I started a business, installing and repairing burglar alarms. I still own and run the company.
In 1993, we had a son, in ‘95 we had a daughter and in ’97 we had another son.
Julie, my wife, worked for social services and did three twenty-four hour shifts per week. Being self employed I would stay home when she was at work and go to work when she came home. It meant we never had to use any kind of childcare.
Dear reader, I don’t know if you have children but if you do you’ll know that there’s a lot of time spent waiting; waiting for them to wake up, waiting for feeding time, rocking a cot at 4.00am, etc.In ’97, just before our youngest was born, I decided to use this time to test a theory; I’d always thought maybe I could write but was always busy with other things.
I bought an exercise book and pack of ballpoints and set out to write ‘a funny book’. I wasn’t interested in changing anyone’s life, critical acclaim or winning awards, just writing a funny book.
The first night I wrote page one. The second night I wrote eight pages. Doing some quick maths, I worked out I’d finish it by Christmas and be able to retire on the royalties by Easter. Sure enough, a mere ten years later, I finished the bloody thing. This was 2007, I didn’t do anything with it until I launched a website in 2009 and published on Amazon in 2010.
By 2013, I’d sold six copies and decided I’d better have a go at marketing. I joined social media and made some amazing friends, most notably Ian Hutson, Pat McDonald, Carol E. Wyre, Tony Gilbert, Christoph Fischer and many, many others.
Towards the end of 2013 I started writing short stories. I now have a dozen books published (three are compilations) and I’m working on a film script with an American screen writer.
Did I mention I hate talking about myself?
Where Does Aaron Get His Ideas?
If there is one thing that interests me, it is where authors get their ideas. Naturally, my big question to Aaron David was, “Where do you get ideas for your stories?”
Not surprising, his answer was similar to that of most successful authors. Here is his response:
Where do my ideas come from? Ooooh! Sometimes a phrase, a TV program, sometimes something will pop into my head while I’m driving but most often I get ideas late at night; I’m an insomniac and never get to sleep before 3.00 or 4.00 a.m. Something just goes ‘ping’ in the back of my head and the adventure begins.
Here’s an example; a couple of years ago I was talking to a friend who owns a small publishing company. He said they were putting together an anthology of horror short stories and did I have anything to contribute. I said it wasn’t my genre but he said if I came up with anything to let him know. That night I was watching the original Jurassic Park films. In the second one (The Lost World) Vince Vaughn is translating for one of the islanders and says they call the island ‘the five deaths’. Ping! My mind wandered off and when it came back I had the nucleus of a story which I called ‘The Six Deaths’ (nothing to do with dinosaurs).
Short stories start with an idea or a few ideas, then it’s just a case of writing them. I choose to be concise; no starter, bread rolls or flower arrangement, just the main course. My short stories are typically five to ten pages long. Just over half of them are sci-fi (I call them ‘skiffies’ in my wacky, northern English way).
A novel is a completely different beast; I have an idea of what will happen but once I set about writing, anything can happen. I have to write in solitude; I can’t have anyone in the room with me and normally have the TV or radio on in the background. Thanks to the wonders of technology, my phone has a large screen and has Word and Kindle installed so if I’m waiting in a car park I can carry on with whatever I’m writing. I used it to finish off two short story collections when I was in hospital, following a heart attack in 2016.
Since March of last year I’ve been writing a film script with an American screenwriter. Once that’s finished I have a few short story ideas and I really must crack on with my second novel; I’ve written just under 10,000 words of it.
The Man
As the interviewer of Aaron David, I am going to take a few liberties I have not taken previously and may never take again. But, as one who is struggling through my first work in progress learning more about Aaron has inspired me to plug along. And, I suppose this page is dedicated to all starting writers who may be struggling along finding the time to write, maintaining a family, running a business, and being a kind human being.
I must thank Aaron for taking the time to share his story with me and through me, with you. His schedule is filled with what matters. Yet, he was kind enough to share a bit of insight into himself, the man, with us.
Aaron David, like so many grew up in an urban environment, a rather bleak one by his description. He excelled in school and like many of us who write, Aaron became the class clown as a means of expressing himself. Sometimes it is hard to stay within oneself when ideas circle the brain constantly.
As for his childhood, I imagine Aaron had a childhood that was similar to many around the world. His mother was his rock. His relationship with his father was… well, the less said the better. I identify with Aaron so much on this point. My father was my rock, my encouragement. My mother, not so much. Enough said. But, I am sure there are many other aspiring writers who grew up similarly and turned out all right.
About the writing experience, it also comes as no surprise. For those among us who know we have a story to tell, Aaron’s story gives each of us hope. He purchased a composition book and pens and started writing. He wrote for himself. He didn’t write for you or for me. He wrote because he knew he had a story to tell and he was going to tell it. And, he did this while very happily married, while bringing up three children, and while working full time building a business. No excuses.
I am always impressed by a man (or woman) who is “in love” with his wife (or husband) and is proud to say so. After 34 years, Aaron is still that man.
But, of all the things that made an impression on me, it was another author. Pat McDonald mentioned in her interview that there were a few people who stood by her during a health crisis, when it looked as if her future days were possibly numbered. Aaron David was one of the names she mentioned, along with Ian Hutson.
The mark of a man (or woman) is when he (or she) does not turn a back to family or to a friend, but offers hope and encouragement even in the most dire of times. Aaron and Ian did just that for Pat. In her words, “They helped me enormously in that they ragged and insulted me unmercifully (both knowing what I was going through). They are damned fine human beings!”
That’s Aaron David, the man.