We were lucky to catch up with David Kelly recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi David, thanks for joining us today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

For me, success is being able to live comfortably while doing what I love (still a work in progress!), and I feel that self-belief and determination are the most important qualities needed to achieve that. Early on in life, my interest in writing and creativity was shot down by teachers and careers staff with an “it’s not a proper job” mentality. So I gave up on writing and ended up working in IT.
The push to start writing again came when I was faced with an extremely long train commute. I wanted something to fill the time and thought I’d give my long held dream a go. To my surprise I ended up writing a novel. It wasn’t a very good one and it’s never been published, but nevertheless I was hooked and have been writing ever since.
Imposter syndrome is a regular visitor for many creatives, and I know it plagues most, if not all, writers. Now and again, a less than flattering review will drag me right down and make me question what I’m doing, but luckily that feeling usually doesn’t last very long. The trick is to ignore the negatives (which, for me, include not reading any news early in the day!) and focus on the word count and the positives that make this all worthwhile – those 5-star reviews and the people you meet who say “I love your books!”
Determination definitely plays a big part in the writing process too. When you’re on your fourth or fifth round of editing the same book, you need to drum up plenty of grit to push on to the finish.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I write fast-paced, near-future sci-fi thrillers with engaging characters, cynical humor, and plausible science. I’m the author of the Joe Ballen series, Logan’s World series, and the Hyperia Jones series, and have been published in Canadian SF magazine Neo-opsis.
My interest in science and technology began early. At the age of six my parents allowed me to stay up late into the night to watch the television broadcast of Neil Armstrong stepping onto the surface of the moon. From that day I was hooked on everything related to science and space.
An avid reader, I worked my way through the contents of the mobile library that visited my street, progressing through YA titles (or “juveniles” as they were known back then) on to the classics of Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, and Harry Harrison.
I worked for many years in project management and software development. Along the way, my interests have included IPSC combat (target) pistol shooting, working as the crew chief on a drag racing team, and several years as bass player/vocalist in a heavy rock band. I also managed to fit in some “real” work in manual jobs from digging ditches and working on assembly lines to loading trucks at a haulage company.
Originally from the wild and woolly region of Yorkshire, England, I emigrated to Canada in 2005 and settled in Northern Ontario with my patient and supportive wife, Hilary. Foot surgery in 2014 temporarily curtailed many of my favorite activities – hiking, camping, piloting my own personal starfighter (otherwise known as a 1991 Corvette ZR-1). But on the plus side, it meant a transition from the world of IT into life as a full-time writer—an opportunity I grasped enthusiastically.
I am passionate about science, especially astronomy and physics, and am a rabid science news follower. Never short of an opinion, I write about science and technology on my blog davidmkelly.com. I’ve supported various charity projects such as the Smithsonian’s Reboot The Suit (restoring and preserving Neil Armstrong’s spacesuit) and the Lowell Observatory Pluto Telescope Restoration. I also co-host the “Fun Classic Reads” YouTube channel, where myself and author Christie Stratos, along with other guests, live read from a variety of classic and modern stories.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

When I first started writing I didn’t know how to structure a novel, and after my first couple of attempts I realized I had to try and find some help. I read many books on the craft of writing, but found many of them unapproachable. I kept looking though and eventually discovered the books by James Scott Bell. They immediately spoke to me and were an incredibly useful guide in how to approach the business.
Bell started out as a lawyer, but always wanted to write, so he taught himself. This was a good fit for my own situation, and his down-to-earth style made the information in his books very easy to digest. He also promoted the idea that writing fiction was something that could definitely be learned by anyone as long as they were prepared to put in the work: analyzing books by other authors as well as self-analysis of your own writing. He’s authored books on every aspect of writing, from the language itself, to editing, and the business side of being an author. I think I’ve read almost all of them.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Two episodes spring to mind. In 2001, I was living in England with my future wife when I had an unusual accident on an escalator. This resulted in me having a torn calf muscle. It started to heal, but then I started having problems breathing. A few days later I was rushed into hospital and it turned out that the clotting in my leg had turned into a pulmonary embolism- clots on the lungs -and was very nearly fatal.
While I lay in hospital wondering about whether I was going to get out, I finished my first novel. This was what put me on the path I was later to take. But I also realized how unhappy I was in England. I’d wanted to move to Canada since I was a young boy and an uncle who lived there visited. The time in hospital made me determined to do something about this long-held dream if I got out.
Moving forward to 2014, I had a second big health scare. A small injury to my foot became infected, and as a result I had a partial foot amputation. Initially, the doctors said I’d need my entire lower leg removed, but I got stubborn and insisted that they only cut off the bare minimum. While recovering from this I finished the novel I had been working on for many years. This became my first published novel, and eventually turned into a five book series. Again during this period, I reflected on my situation and realized how unhappy I was working in IT., and after several long discussions with my wife, we agreed that neither of us wanted me to return to my stressful career. I’m happy to say I’ve been writing full-time ever since and have published ten books since then.
Never ever give up on your dreams – and stay stubborn!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://davidmkelly.com
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/David.Kelly.SF
• Linkedin: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/davidkelly2008
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@David_Kelly_SF
• Other: https://mstdn.ca/@David_Kelly_SF
  www.goodreads.com/DavidMKelly
  https://www.amazon.com/David-M-Kelly/e/B00PQXCCHU/