Interview with Author Stuart Clark: On Process, Research, and Writing A Successful Book Series

It is my pleasure to welcome Stuart Clark, author of The Sky's Dark Labyrinth, the first in a three part series, which is now available through Amazon and other fine retailers. I highly recommend you add this book to your collection; I couldn't put it down!

Q. When did the creative epiphany strike for your new trilogy, The Sky's Dark Labyrinth?

SC. It was shortly after finishing a previous book, The Sun Kings. That was a non-fiction work but written in a narrative style about the Victorian astronomers who witnessed the largest solar storm in history. I structured it as a three-act play, and used dialogue where it had been recorded to give a novelistic feel. After publication I started thinking about the possibility of taking the next step and writing historical fiction based upon the true stories of these important astronomers. As I researched their lives I realised that their stories were so dramatic that I had to relate them in this way.

Q. How long was the research process in creating such an accurate depiction of the 17th century for Book I of the series, The Sky's Dark Labyrinth?

SC. About five years from having the idea to publication. I had to research everything, just totally submerge myself in it. The amazing thing that happened was that as I came to understand more about life, politics and religion in the 17th century, so the work of my characters, Kepler and Galileo, made more and more sense. I saw their influences from astrology as being integral to the birth of science. That gave me more confidence as to why The Sky’s Dark Labyrinth was a valuable work to produce.

Q. Many of the writers who follow my blog are working on a book series in varying genres. What advice would you offer to an aspiring author looking to pitch a series to a publisher?

SC. The good news is that publishers are interested in authors with more than one book inside them. So, from that point of view, series are good. But, they don’t want to make an open-ended commitment. So, be clear about an arc for the first three books, would be my advice. One criticism I received from some editors about The Sky’s Dark Labyrinth trilogy was that they could not see the connection between the three books because I had no recurring characters. The action moves from Kepler and Galileo, to Newton, then Einstein. Yet in my head I understood exactly how I was going to do it, because the characters pick up each others’ work and carry it on. So, be clear with your concept and your arc.

Q. Do you have a specific writing process when working on large projects such as your trilogy, and how has this process evolved over the years?

SC. I have to totally live it. I aim to write the first draft in three months and then craft in a more sedate fashion afterwards. I find short bursts of activity followed by time off works throughout the day, which makes me quite antisocial during the writing period. I’m constantly looking to find ways to correct that. I used to write 9-5 office hours but the creativity and inspiration needed for fiction makes that harder. Plus, the more successful I have become, the more demands there are on my time. I should not grumble about that but it means promoting one book, writing the next and planning the one after all fall together. It’s extremely exciting but I’m still adjusting to it all. And I love meeting readers, they always give me something new to think about.

Q. And the question I always ask last: who published you first?

SC. A publisher in Abingdon, UK, called Andromeda Illustrated Reference. I wrote one book, called Stars and Atoms, in a family encyclopaedia series for them. It was a great experience. The funny thing is that Andromeda is the name of a nearby galaxy. When the publisher mentioned that they were part of a larger company called ‘M31’, I started laughing. Blank faces greeted the hysterical writer. I explained that M31 was the catalogue number of the Andromeda Galaxy. Thankfully, they laughed too because until then they had not realised the connection.

The Sky's Dark Labyrinth
Written by Stuart Clark

Paperback | 288 pages
ISBN 978-1-77087-126-7

At the dawn of the seventeenth century everyone believed that the sun revolved around the earth. Yet some men knew that the heavens did not move as they should. And some men began to suspect that this heresy was in fact the truth. As Europe convulsed in conflict between Catholic and Protestant, these men prepared to die for that truth. This is the story of Kepler and Galileo, two men whose struggle with themselves, with the evidence and with the forces of reaction changed not simply themselves but our world.

The Sky's Dark Labyrinth is the first of a trilogy of novels inspired by the dramatic struggles, personal and professional, and key historical events in man’s quest to understand the Universe.

Published by McArthur & Company; available through Amazon, and other fine retailers.


About Stuart Clark
Stuart Clark is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and a former Vice Chair of the Association of British Science Writers. In 2000, The Independent placed him alongside Stephen Hawking as one of the ‘stars’ of British astrophysics teaching. He divides most of his time between writing books and writing for the European Space Agency in his capacity as senior editor for space science, alongside producing features for the BBC and many publications.

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About Krissy Brady

Krissy Brady is a freelance writer located in Gravenhurst, Ontario, Canada. If you have a writing-related question, would like to write a guest post, or have a content suggestion, e-mail Krissy at info@krissybrady.com. You can also keep in touch with Krissy through RSS, facebook, twitter, and LinkedIn.