Author QA with David Gilman, author of the Master of War series

14th March 2021

TF: What first drew you to the 14^th Century (and The Hundred Year’s War), quite a difficult period to conjure up in one’s mind, let alone in a book? I for one was never really taught about these times in history at school….

DG: I had recently finished my Young Adult trilogy (Danger Zone) and was thinking of writing a new crime series. My wife came back from her art class and showed me a fresco she had done of a handsomely attired medieval man on a magnificent horse. I had seen it years before in Florence’s Duomo. It was of John Hawkwood who was a 14^th Century mercenary captain in the 100 Years War who fought primarily for Italian states. I knew nothing of the period and began researching it. I soon realized that it might be a time that had received little attention in fiction.

The English and Welsh longbowmen were critical to many of the major battles, and rather than leap into a series with an adult hero, I created a 16-year-old stonemason and archer, Thomas Blackstone, who went to war in 1346. My idea was to expose this young man and the reader to the horror of war as seen through his novice’s eyes. It is Blackstone’s experiences that takes the reader through history. Now, in the seventh volume of the series, he is in his 30s, no longer an archer and has been knighted. He is the English king’s Master of War.

TF: How do you research the era because there are so many factors to consider – customs, food, manner, dress, location, architecture, fighting etiquette (if you can call it that)?

DG: It’s a long process. I search for obscure books on the subject and have built up a modest but fairly comprehensive library. That’s my first point of reference and I have hundreds of websites that offer snippets of information that I often cross-check. It’s important to find a balance between facts and authenticity. It’s not an author’s job to show how clever they are, but to weave these elements skilfully into a story so that it comes across as natural as possible.

TF: Which titles by other authors have particularly inspired you in your writing – do you go out of your way to choose authors who write in a similar period? And for leisure, who are your go-to authors to wind down and relax?

DG: So many authors have contributed over the years. Any book ever read from childhood to adulthood feeds into the unconscious. Now, though, my research takes up most of my reading time, whether that’s for historical fiction or contemporary thriller. I avoid any fiction remotely close to what I am writing. That’s because I am so absorbed in my current project that to spend even more time with similar subjects is overload. That even extends to watching television series. I prefer to find some neutral ground. A favorite retreat for me are authors like Carlos Ruiz Zafón and Dennis Lehane, to name but two favorites.

TF: Setting is of course going to be hard to research, I imagine. I guess that in England, France and Spain there are plenty of relics, buildings and remains from the period to get a bit of a feel but it’s often about bringing the sights, sounds and smells to your readers that is key. How did you carry out your research for that?DG

DG: I’ve been lucky to have travelled a lot and memory recall is always a handy tool in the box, especially now during lockdown. I suspect getting “down and dirty” in my life has helped. And recalling the times I experienced fear plays its part. The heart-pounding memories are very close at times. Beyond that let’s not forget imagination, which is the essential key to unlock any story. And if a new author feels boxed in because their own experiences might be limited, read others’ journeys through the world. Those images and feelings are written to be shared.

TF: I imagine that when you are in the midst of research, you can get carried off topic and down rabbit holes – did you find that this happened to you at all?

DG: I can change direction at any stage of the writing process. I never plot or plan a book. I have a vague instinct, often generated by visual images, places I need my characters to go. What takes them there? Why are they there? I might find that when wading across a river they don’t reach the far bank, which is where I was taking them. They get swept downstream ending up somewhere else. That interests me. I am on a journey of discovery.

TF: What does your typical writing day look like?

DG: When does the writing ever stop? I carry the problems of the story with me all the time. So those scenes are being juxtaposed and fiddled with day and night. The physical act of writing is a simple, uncomplicated discipline – sit down and write. I often write for 8-10 hours a day, but that isn’t strictly accurate because for some of those hours I am dipping in and out of research, going up dead ends and trying to figure out how to escape them. Frustration plays a key part.

TF: And finally, do you have any tips for aspiring authors?

DG: It’s your job to tell a good story and carry your readers along with you. It’s a shared journey. It’s often hard work. And at times difficult to know if you have taken the right course in your storytelling. There’s no right or wrong way about it; there are no rules. You can study structure, characterisation and dialogue, but you go to work and you write. If it’s still a part-time, after-hours venture (very sensible until you find your feet) and it’s your first book, then take all the time you need to write, edit and rewrite because if it gets published, and if you get a contract for another book, that’s when the clock runs down. There’s a deadline and you must hit it. So hone your skills, don’t be scared by the blank page. If you like to write out every scene and plot your course so that you know where you are going, good for you, if you fly by the seat of your pants, happy landing.  Work your magic in your own way.

Thank you so much to David. Do give him a follow on Twitter

Join team TripFiction on Social Media:

Twitter (@TripFiction), Facebook (@TripFiction.Literarywanderlust), YouTube (TripFiction #Literarywanderlust), Instagram (@TripFiction) and Pinterest (@TripFiction)

Subscribe to future blog posts