Soundtrack of My Life - David Clegg

Social media can be a force for good. We first met David a few months before It's A Stray Dog's Life was first published. His encouragement and advice has been invaluable. We now have a chance to get to know him a little better.

What better way to start that letting him describe himself in his own words.

I am an author of military science fiction, who grew up on a steady diet of sci-fi TV, books and films including Star Trek, Doctor Who, Babylon 5 and almost everything else I could get hold of.

Besides writing I work in finance and have been a chef, a salesman and several other things.

When not writing I'm an avid wargamer, student of history, a home brewer and, of course, a reader.

I live in Northampton with my wife, our dog and cat.

He is the author of two military scifi books. You can find them by clicking the images below.

David can be found on social media at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavidCleggAuthor/

Twitter: https://x.com/davidc_author

You can also find David's playlist on Spotify by clicking the link below:

You converted us to a new genre of books. A good story, well written often does that to us! What made you focus on military scifi?

I've always been a massive sci-fi fan, as long as I can remember. I've also always been interested in military history, technology, tactics, strategy and so on, since my earliest childhood. Military sci-fi combines these great interests and gives a focus to the war stories I'm so fascinated by, along with the use of sci-fi settings to magnify, examine and explore the very human issues that come along with it. Things like grief, loss and guilt, the terror, elation and horror of military action, the call of duty and the need to defend one's home and way of life from an outside aggressor. There is so much scope for writing compelling characters and relatable situations in military sci-fi stories, even while creating future scenarios and imaginative settings.

We’ve always found the stories of how people became authors fascinating. What made you follow your dream?

It's actually quite mundane for me. I'd been interested in writing since my early childhood, but it had fallen by the wayside when I moved to Northampton. I was stuck in a dead-end, part-time retail job and I decided to get back into writing to try to earn some extra income, probably by self-publishing. I quickly decided to research traditional publishers instead, and I queried my current publisher, CAAB Publishing, while I was researching agents. I was picked up by CAAB immediately, so didn't pursue literary agents any further.

You’ve always been one of the great helps to us with passing on things you’ve learned about publishing. What are the most important things you’ve learned on your journey that would help others?

The biggest thing is to research and learn about the industry, whether you intend to self-publish or pursue traditional publishing. I see so many posts in Facebook writing groups, asking for agents to contact them, or recommendations for agents, and all that will achieve is to make the writer a target for scams. Scamming is absolutely rife in the world of writing. I see dozens of scam posts a day, and no sooner is one deleted than there's a dozen more going up. Learning to avoid the scammers is crucial, but also understanding how you get an agent, how you get a publisher, how to find honest service providers, and so on, is crucial as well. In the military, there's a saying: “time spent on reconnaissance is never time wasted,” and it's absolutely true in civilian life as well. Spend the time, do the research, or reconnaissance if you like, and learn before you go into it.  

What’s next in the pipeline?

I've got the sequel to The Aule Stratagem in the planning stage. It's slow going, but I'm about 75% done with the detailed plan, which will then allow me to start writing the first draft. No idea how long this will take, but you haven't seen the last of Michael Patterson.

Here's David's playlist:

Amazing by Aerosmith

This song helped me with a lot of teenage depression.

Not A Dry Eye In The House by Meat Loaf

Just a great song, from a great artist, that really captures feelings of heartbreak.

Soldier Of Fortune by Whitesnake

The first song I heard from this band and it became “my song” in the same depressed teenage years.

Escape (the Pina Colada song) by Rupert Holmes

I never really knew about this song until it came on the radio while I was listening with my wife. It reminds me of her.

Supermarket Flowers by Ed Sheeran

I lost my mother a few years ago, and this song sums up those feelings so well, it's uncanny. The religious imagery Sheeran uses is incredibly powerful and I can't hear it without a lump in my throat.

In The Year 2525 by Zager & Evans

What sci-fi author wouldn't have this on his playlist? It conjures up images of epic sci-fi stories spanning centuries of time, with themes of futility, loss, frustration and acceptance of the human condition. Magnificent.

I Was Only 19 by Redgum

A powerful and moving war song, from the Australian perspective on the Vietnam War. It stills gives me chills.

The Band Played Waltzing Matilda by The Pogues

An excellent version of another very powerful Australian war song. I can't get to the last verse without a lump in my throat, and I defy anyone who's got any connection to the military to do this.

Every Time I Hear Your Name by Keith Anderson

I love country music, and this one, despite being upbeat and catchy, taps into feelings of heartbreak and grief for a lost love. I think everyone can relate to this.

Maggie's Song by Chris Stapleton

This one is a gut-punch every time it plays. There's a few songs like this, all about dogs, that are just so powerful, but this one is the best. It encapsulates the love we have for our dogs and the admiration for them in our culture, along with the loss and grief when they're gone. It makes me want to hug our dog, Lady, every time I hear it.

Thank you so much for David. He's introduced us to a few tracks we weren't aware of before.

If you'd like to feature on Soundtrack of My Life, please drop us a line. We'll always find space.

Until next time, when we'll have some big news for you,

TTFN

MaxS and The Stray Army