NK Chats To… David Anderson

Night is when the ideas come unbidden. The cold light of morning is when I forensically examine those ideas for flaws, and test them for workability. Before I sit down and manipulate them into shape in the afternoon. Rinse and repeat.

No rituals.  I set a target of between 500 and 800 words and I sit there until I have achieved this bare minimum.

What’s your favourite word and least favourite word? Why these?

I is my least favourite word. Although I enjoy writing in the first person as it feels intimate and confessional, I detest seeing a multitude of I’s scattered throughout the text as it strikes me as kinda narcissistic.

Ethereal is a word I adore. For me, it evokes visions of fog-enshrouded, moonlit forests and a willowly nymph flitting through a thicket of trees. It has a beautiful, yet haunting quality. At its core lies ambiguity. Is it real, or a dream?

Which authors do you admire?

When it comes to dialogue, nobody comes close to George V. Higgins. When his characters speak, it feels as though you are eavesdropping on a conversation on public transport. Bret Easton Ellis is a master satirist. His novels slice through the dark underbelly of the American Dream. When I’m in the mood to inhabit the damaged psyche of a psychopath, I’ll reach for a Patricia Highsmith novel. Her characters are terrifying because they reflect the bland face of evil. Last, but not least, is the Godfather of crime fiction, the late, great Elmore Leonard. A guy who could sum up in a short sentence what most writers would take a paragraph to describe.

What are you currently working on?

 Cracked Actors, a psychological thriller that can be best described as Taxi Driver meets Doubt for the digital age.

If you were putting together a playlist for The Drowners, which song would you choose?

So Young by Suede. Not only does it bristle with the vibrant energy of youth, it was the anthem of my teenage years.

Now you are this side of writing your book, what would you tell yourself at the beginning of the process if you could?

The same thing I would tell my 16 year-old self: ‘Hang in there, pal. It’ll get rougher than you ever imagined but it will be all worthwhile in the end.’

How important was it for you to tell this story and did you feel a responsibly for Aaron and Robbie to tell their story right?

The ’90s was the last decade where we were free from the microscope of social media. If you wore a horrible sweater you might catch flak from your friends, and the odd wiseass on the street, instead of a multitude of random strangers lining up to ridicule your fashion sense. A stroll down the high street didn’t entail appearing on camera more than Ryan Reynolds. But that freedom came at a cost: racism, homophobia, and misogyny ran rampant throughout society. Mental health was a taboo subject. Without a platform, people struggled to have their voices heard. And a culture of secrecy prevailed.

I owed it to the characters, and the people who inspired them, not to gloss over the sins of the past. Nostalgia is wonderful, but some things should not be forgotten or swept aside. As I said previously, I wanted to capture the essence of what it was like growing up back then, warts and all. Because our lives were no High School Musical. We fought, we argued, we waded through a hell of a lot of crap, but hey, we did have a soundtrack of killer tunes to see us through. And, yeah, we enjoyed some wicked laughs along the way.

Would you rather (just for fun)  –

Have the ability to see into the future or be able to visit the past?

Visit the past. Seeing the future is akin to skipping to the end of a movie. If the finale isn’t to your liking, would you want to sit through the middle? It is the not knowing that allows us to dream and hope. Even if it’s a great ending, you’ve robbed yourself of the magic of discovery. Going back in time offers you the chance to right wrongs. Or, to tell your younger self to put every penny you have on Leicester to win the 2016 Premiership at 5000/1.

Have the ability to move things with your mind or read minds?

Read minds. Imagine how much easier job interviews would go if you knew what your prospective employer was thinking. The flip side is you would always know what people truly think about you. Double-edged sword, that one. However I’m taking it, because if I could move stuff with my mind I’d be the laziest SOB on the planet.

Sing or dance to your favourite song for the rest of your life?

Sing. Despite not having a note in my head, I couldn’t imagine not singing along to my favourite song.

Have money or power?

Money. Power doesn’t interest me in the slightest.

Have an endless summer or winter?

Uff, that’s a tricky one. I hate the cold and have SAD, so Winter always makes me depressed. But I live in Spain, where the Summers have become hellishly hot. Enough to send a sane person loco. On balance, I’d prefer to be sweltering and crazy as opposed to freezing and miserable.

Drink tea or coffee?

Tea.

See the movie or read the book first?

Movie first, unless it is a whodunit. Due to time restraints, films can only offer a streamlined version of a novel. Therefore, coming to a book after a film adds fresh layers to the narrative. Besides, a good book is not about the story, it’s about the writing.

Read a Paperback or eBook?

My whole library is now on Calibre, so, ebook.

Would you rather have magical powers here on earth or live in a magical place without powers?

It strikes me that even enchanted places—if Oz, Narnia, and Wonderland are anything to go by—have their bad elements. So, being without magical powers might be somewhat detrimental to your health if you lived there. Whereas, the only downside to possessing superpowers here on Earth is you’d be on call 24/7 (you never see Superman binge-watching The Sopranos with a tub of Ben & Jerry’s in his lap!)

About David Anderson – 

Hailing from the cold, wet streets of Dublin, David Anderson is the author of The Drowners.

Like a Hummingbird, after college, he migrated south to warmer climes. Namely, sunny Spain, where he teaches English to students who are confused by his Irish brogue.

In his early thirties, he caught the writing bug. He has written several articles for the GMS website about his other obsession in life, football. In 2021, he won a YA Watty award for his novel The Art of Breathing Underwater.

Say hello to David on Threads and Bluesky.

For Aaron, this world is an unfathomable puzzle. Haunted by disturbing dreams, he drifts through empty days, shielding himself behind sarcasm and cynical wit. After being expelled, he sees an opportunity to rewrite his future at a new school. Connecting over a shared love for De Niro films with Robbie, an aspiring actor of Jamaican descent, he unexpectedly finds his companion piece, one person who truly understands him. Together, they navigate the chaotic waters of adolescence, from dramatic first dates to sociopathic bullies, iconic concerts, and a dead body.

With adulthood fast approaching, the crushing weight of societal pressures and devastating revelations threaten to shatter their unique bond. Confronted by the ghosts of his past, Aaron must choose whether to blaze bright or fade away.

A funny and poignant meditation on the forces that shape us, The Drowners is an ode to that time when your tolerance for hypocrisy was zero and life seemed infinite.

The Drowners is due for release on 18th March 2025. Click to buy from Amazon.

by

Laura

I’m Laura. I started Novel Kicks in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.