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Meet David Seaburn – An Author!

I’ve said this before, usually with each author interview I conduct, but interviewing authors is so much fun! I meet individuals, like me, who write, often out of the spotlight. Each author I’ve interviewed- and there have been many- gave me food for thought, and stoked the fire of creativity within me.

The only thing I knew about David was that he was a Black Rose Writing author. Other than that, I didn’t know anything about him. What I learned is that he is an author alright, but he is so much more!

At age twenty-four, he became a Presbyterian minister and served a small rural church in western New York, and was their pastor for six years. While he loved the work and his people, David found the ministry not his true calling.

He went back to graduate school to get a masters degree in counseling, and began working in the mental health field. He worked in community mental health for five years before being recruited to the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Department of Psychiatry, and the Department of Family Medicine. Along the way he got his PhD in Psychology and became an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Family Medicine.

For the next twenty years, he worked at the medical center and did marriage and family therapy in both departments, but eventually centered his clinical work in the Highland Family Medicine Residency Program.

David became one of the founders of the subspecialty Medical Family Therapy and did extensive writing, including over sixty papers and book chapters, as well as two academic books, one for family physicians on how to work with families, and one for mental health professionals on how to collaborate with heath care professionals.

Whew!

At first, David didn’t think he had a fiction bone in him, but he started writing fiction in 2000, while at the medical center. His first novel was published in 2005. His tenth novel, Until It Was Gone, debuts today, December 12, 2024.

Folks, meet David Seaburn- an author, and so much more!

What was it that made you decide you had a story to tell and to become an author?

I never thought fiction was in my wheelhouse. As noted, I did other kinds of writing, but not stories. In 1990, a patient told me a story about a tragic incident that, for years, I couldn’t get out of my mind. I wrote notes on a possible novel, then put the notes in a folder for the next ten years. I didn’t know what to do with it. It wasn’t until I read a novel written in the first-person (I don’t recall the title) that I got an idea on how to create a story out of my notes. And so, my fiction writing career began.

As an author or writer, what sets you apart from others?

Hard question. Readers have admired how I develop characters and how realistic my dialogue is. I think both skills emerged from being a marriage and family therapist for thirty-five years. I listened to how people spoke to each other, how they revealed things and hid things, how they shared their stories in layers.

How do ideas for your stories present themselves? How do you know what story lines to follow and which to ignore?

I’m not always sure! A couple of my novels have come from unusual news articles, one from my experience in the ministry, but most out of thin air. As for story lines, I don’t have as much difficulty as one would expect. I have a primary plot line, but I also have several (usually six) other character subplots. So, there are multiple voices. Weaving them is the challenge.

What genre do you write, and why?

I would call my novels family life literary fiction. They are character driven, and I fully develop multiple characters, such as their lives, their struggles, their secrets, and their hopes.

Besides writing and telling a good story, do you have any other talents?

If you asked my grandchildren, they’d say I’m funny. I would not use ‘talents’ to describe most of what I do in life, except for writing. I read, and I’ve kept a journal for well over fifty years. In a prior life, I was an athlete. I’ve even done consulting on organizational matters.

If you were to name one or two books that you deem unforgettable and that had a major impact on you, what would they be, and why?

There are many! The Courage to Be by Paul Tillich, I and Thou by Martin Buber, The Cloud of Unknowingby Anonymous, The Denial of Deathby Ernest Becker, The Last Temptation of Christ by Nikos Kazantzakis, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard, Letters to a Young Poe by Rainer Maria Rilke, Our Town by Thornton Wilder, Death of a Salesmanby Arthur Miller, The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, Night by Elie Wiesel, Job in the Bible, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and The Social Construction of Reality by Bergen and Luckmann. Whew! I’ll stop there. They have helped shape my thinking about human connectivity, meaning, time, loss, resilience, hope, God, and suffering. These matters are reflected in all my novels.

What authors do you read regularly? Why?

Jesmyn Ward because I think she is the best writer in America right now. Alice McDermott because I was amazed by her novel, Someone, which was remarkably engaging. George Saunders because when I read him, I realize anything is possible. Colson Whitehead because he is so varied, and he is writing about race in a way that punches you in the face. They all write literary fiction.

If you were to have dinner with 5 individuals living or dead, who would they be and why?

Henry David Thoreau. We lived near Concord when I was in seminary. I went to Walden Pond frequently and loved his writing. Abraham Lincoln. I’ve read many books about him. I’m impressed with how his depression shaped him as a leader. Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He was a theologian who publicly opposed Hitler and was executed for his beliefs. Vincent Van Gogh. I’ve been to the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and was amazed by his work, and the influence mental illness had on him. Bob Dylan. Hero of my youth, and a hero of my elder years, too. His early albums influenced how I looked at the world.

What is your writing routine? When you write, do you plan or outline ahead or are you a “pantser”?

I am a pantser, so I let the story emerge as I write it. It is embarrassing to say I don’t have a routine. There are days when I don’t write at all. Sometimes this is because I am busy with other things. Sometimes, though, I don’t write because I need to think or let what I have written settle. Giving myself time often yields greater depth to my writing. Usually, I write four days a week, sometimes five, and I edit as I go. I find that what I am going to write is shaped by what I’ve already written, so I like to make sure the narrative bricks are squarely in place before I go on. I stop writing after every fifty pages and do a thorough edit before going on.

Describe where you write and what an observer might find there.

Half of our basement is refinished. My desk, which is really a long table, faces a wall that is covered with family photos, artwork from my grandchildren, and mementos from trips abroad. My desk is a mess. More pictures! Ten framed that span a lifetime. Also, stones and sea shells I’ve collected from beaches and lakes. Other random objects including a brick from the elementary school I attended, a Thoreau paper weight, a Bob Dylan key chain from my adolescence, a dog leash, a handheld balls-and-strikes counter from when I umpired as a teenager, a high school graduation picture of my wife. Scrap paper to write notes on. Laptop and printer. Around me are bookshelves full of books. Behind me is a play area for the grandkids.

When writing, how much do you read? Do you read in or out of your genre?

Twice when I was working on two different novels, I had to stop writing because I had read books that were so well written. I thought, ‘What’s the point!’ Usually, I read what I read. It doesn’t seem to affect me. Literary fiction, usually.

Is there something you set out to do, but somehow, it didn’t work out for you? (In writing, or something else you felt was important to you at the time?)

I’ve been lucky as a writer. I’ve been able to complete the novels I’ve started, and in each case, I had written the stories I had intended to write. This question is, in part, about regret. I went into the ministry when I was in my late teens. College and seminary followed and by the time I became a minister at age 24, I was a very different person. I knew it wasn’t the right match. I hoped I was wrong and served a church for six years and loved the people. But I knew too much had changed for me to continue down that path. So, I went into mental health work, which was the right match. When I look back, I have a sense of loss, a sense that I didn’t complete something. I wouldn’t go back, because leaving was the right thing to do, yet I don’t feel satisfied with how it ended.

What tips would you give to new or even experienced writers?

Don’t worry if you feel uncertain about where your story is going. If you keep writing, you’ll find your way. Also, don’t wait to be inspired. Sit down and write, even when you don’t feel any magic.

How did you “teach” yourself to write or did it just come naturally? What lessons would you pass on to others?

Before writing fiction, I had many years’ experience writing creative nonfiction, academic papers, books, and even sermons. I had experience being edited, so I understood the value of having other eyes on my work. When I started my first novel, I had had no training in fiction, but I knew how to structure a long project, and how to persist even when there didn’t seem to be any light at the end of the tunnel. I read a lot of craft books. Perhaps surprisingly, I taught novel writing at a local literary center for many years, which helped me learn how to write better. It’s hard to think of lessons to pass on from my experience. Mainly, keep going and be open to opportunities to learn.

How do you handle a negative critique?

I gnash my teeth, rend my clothes, and decide to give up writing altogether! Once I calm down, I review what’s been said, figure out what I can disregard, and then use anything that will make the book better.

Is there a type of writing/genre that you find difficult to write? Why?

I am unsure how to answer this. I have written no fiction outside my genre, which is literary fiction. But I think I am most humbled by poetry, though I don’t think I could be a poet. So much meaning packed into so few words.

How important are the elements of character, setting, and atmosphere to a story, and why?

The most important element in my novels is character. Aside from the main character, I often have at least five other characters whose thoughts, feelings and stories are developed in detail. While their stories are intertwined with the main plot, they also have a life of their own. What readers say is that they are drawn in by the depth with which my characters are developed and presented. Setting has been important in most of my books. I have used aspects of my home when the story is set in the past, and I’ve used detailed settings to increase the intensity in scenes that call for it. Honestly, though, I give very little thought to atmosphere. Please don’t shoot me. At most, I try to vary the tone depending on the situation and the character. I often use humor to create balance.

Do you see yourself in any of the characters you create? How/Why?

Yes, I do. I think all fiction is autobiographical. I don’t mean that the writer is always writing about him or herself. But I do mean, for example, if you read all my novels, you’d know what matters most to me. I have borrowed scenes from my life. I have also given greater weight to some characters’ affect based on my own feelings about a similar issue. When I finish a novel, I usually can find parts of myself in all the characters.

Is there an unforgettable or memorable character that will not leave your head, either of your own creation or from a book you’ve read?

The main character in my novel, Charlie No Face, is a boy named Jackie. He is eleven and eventually meets the town boogie man, who everyone calls ‘Charlie No Face’ because of his disfigurement. Anyway, much of the story is unabashedly autobiographical. It was great fun to reimagine what it was like to be an eleven-year-old growing up in the late fifties and early sixties. Most fun I’ve had writing.

Tell us about your most recent book. How did you come up with the concept? How did you come up with the title?

My latest book, that was published today, December 12, is Until It Was Gone. I am not sure why it happens this way, but I start each of my novels with three things—the title, the main character, and a dilemma. Here, the main character is a seventy-year-old man, Franklin, and his fifty-nine-year-old wife, Laney. In the first scene, they are getting ready to go to their favorite restaurant to celebrate their fortieth wedding anniversary. At the end of the meal, Laney announces she is leaving him. When Franklin finally asks her if she ever loved him, she says, “Yes, until it was gone.” The outcome of this scene generated the rest of the novel. I actually didn’t know she was going to do this, but when she did, my wheels started turning. What other characters do I need to tell this story? They have an estranged daughter who left when she was barely sixteen. Laney goes in search of her. Soon after Laney leaves, Franklin develops Covid, which morphs into the long-haul type. His sister, Gretchen, moves in from out of state to help take care of him. The reader will learn that her husband was killed in a mass shooting four years earlier. Laney will find their daughter who has a nineteen-year-old daughter of her own. The nineteen-year-old will get pregnant and then learn it is a molar pregnancy, which is not a real pregnancy. It requires surgery to remove tissue, or she could develop cancer. Unfortunately, the nineteen-year-old and her mother live in a state where abortion is outlawed, even if there is no fetus. Each character will have their own dilemma, and their own story with its own arc and conclusion. All the stories will crisscross, influence each other, and come together in the end. I was well into this novel before I decided that this family would be touched by several of the contemporary problems we face in our society.

From your book, who is your favorite character? Who is your least favorite character? Why?

My favorite character is Gretchen, Franklin’s sister, because she has great strength and grit. In a way, I think of her as the hero of this story because of her resilience. Least favorite? It’s interesting, I work hard to make sure the primary characters are complex, multidimensional, and because of that, I come to understand and care for each of them. Because of this, there is never a least favorite character.

There you have it! David Seaburn, an author and so much more. I told you, didn’t I? I hope you found his story as fascinating as I did. I would love to hear what you think, so please use the comment section below. And I hope you check out David’s writing, especially his newest book, Until It Was Gone.