David Harrison

Author Pre-Interview: I appreciate your invitation and am honoured to be part of “A Writer's Playground.” With that in mind, here’s a little about me — and how I ended up being an author and adding “writer” to my résumé. I’m a writer (that still sounds weird), a designer, musician, and ex–pirate radio DJ — but my day job is working in a medical devices company. I’ve always had a deep curiosity about the human condition and how our minds work. In 2009, at the age of 64, my father was diagnosed with early-onset dementia. He joked about it at first by singing The Beatles' "When I'm 64",  but it terrified me because I saw firsthand how it affected him and our family, and it made me question my own future. I became deeply curious about how the brain functions, how it can be protected, and what we can do to keep our minds resilient. Shortly after that, I was misdiagnosed with swine flu — when in fact, I had meningitis. My head had swollen, I was eating painkillers like they were M&Ms, and at the ripe old age of 39, I truly believed I wouldn’t see 40. I asked my wife to drive me to the out-of-hours medical service for a second opinion. The doctor who finally got it right told her that, had I been sent to the emergency department by ambulance, I would have died on the way.

I obviously survived, but for some time afterwards, I struggled with memory and cognitive skills. Everyday tasks became harder, and I hit a mental roadblock — a stark reminder of how fragile our mental well-being can be. Despite years of researching brain health, in 2022, I had let stress get the better of me and suffered a severe mental and nervous breakdown, which affected me both mentally and physically. I struggled with panic attacks, could barely concentrate, and suffered constant shaking, stuttering, and nervous tension. I was stuck in perpetual fight-or-flight mode, terrified to leave the house, and unable to function in everyday life. Those experiences pushed me to put my research into practice — to find a way back to some sense of normality without relying on heavy medication. The result became 

The Mental Toolbox: Practical Brain Training for a Stress-Less, Productive Life. The ebook was published on my 54th birthday, December 31st, 2024, fulfilling a promise to myself to release it before the new year — literally at the 11th hour — with the paperback following on January 4th, 2025. As Dr. Joe Masterson noted in a verified Amazon review,

“The Mental Toolbox by David Harrison is a practical, jargon-free guide for an overloaded mind… It's about managing stress, anxiety, and brain fog with actionable techniques that fit real life.” When I’m not writing, reading, working, researching, or being “Daddy the taxi,” I enjoy good food, music, and family life in Ireland with my wife, Lillie, and our three kids, who constantly inspire me with their creativity and humour.

Author/Writer Interview:

1. What inspires you most to write?

I’m driven by curiosity. I like understanding how things work and finding practical ways to make life a bit better. I think I've got a technical mind. Writing has always helped me process what I’ve learned. I love being able to share my knowledge in a way that others can actually use day to day.

2. What is your favorite genre?

I don’t really have a single favorite genre — I like a bit of everything. As a kid, I loved the Moby Books Illustrated Classic Editions(see Image Below); they were small, square paperbacks that helped kids appreciate the classics, like Black Beauty, Robinson Crusoe, and David Copperfield. I went from swashbuckling with Robert Louis Stevenson and Alexandre Dumas to getting my imagination sparked by Jules Verne and L. Frank Baum, and my wit sharpened by Mark Twain. In my teens, I discovered Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett, later Ben Elton, and Stephen King (via The Bachman Books) — basically a crash course in dark humour, absurdity, and human nature.

Before I became obsessed with brains, I read a lot of biographies and autobiographies, mostly about rock stars — partly to feel better about my own questionable life choices. That mix of chaos, humour, and fantasy shaped my taste in books — and explains the way I write today.

3. Who is one author you admire, if any and why?

I’d have to say Douglas Adams. He had a brilliant way of writing about complex ideas and making them completely accessible. His tone was down-to-earth, which is rare in science fiction, and he nailed the absurdity of being human better than anyone I’ve ever read. He could make you laugh at the chaos of existence and still leave you thinking about it long after you’d finished the page.

4. How do you overcome blank writing spells?

So far, I’ve only written non-fiction and self-help books (although I’ve only published one), but I’ve found that having a good outline or framework makes life a lot easier. It gives you a map to follow when the ideas aren’t flowing. I also like to keep a few projects on the go — if I hit a wall with one, I can usually write a bit on another. But forcing it never works. If you do, you’re not writing from your true self. The best writing happens when you stop chasing it and just let your thoughts catch up.

5. What legal publishing advice can you give?

Buy the rights! Own your images or create them yourself. Get your own ISBN so you can distribute your book however you like. I’m a first-time publisher — this is my first book — but I made sure it was registered with the Library of Congress and covered by American copyright. When you write something, it’s automatically yours, but having the copyright in place proves you did it first. If someone ever decides to plagiarise you, at least you’ve got backup.

6. How many books have you written? Are any a bestseller yet?

I’ve partially written four books, but The Mental Toolbox was the first to escape — I mean, be released. It’s not a bestseller (yet), but it’s out there doing its thing. I wrote it to help people, but I’ve gotta be honest — the "bestseller" tag would be nice too.

7. If you had the opportunity to rewrite one movie script, which would it be, and why?

It would be Star Wars: The Last Jedi — specifically the scene where Princess Leia somehow survives being blown out into space. As a sci-fi fan, I love Star Wars, but that moment completely broke the logic of the story. And while I’m at it, I’d fix the whole Snoke situation — he turned up, muttered something mysterious, then got sliced in half before we even knew who or what he was. I’d have preferred a grounded, powerful send-off for Leia that truly honoured her character, and a villain who actually stuck around long enough to make sense.

8. What are some difficulties you've experienced in your writing career; how do you handle book critiques/criticism?

Being a first-time published writer is tough — it’s a steep learning curve. There’s so much information out there that it can get overwhelming, and if you don’t already have a following, promotion takes a lot of time and effort. But that’s all part of the process — you learn by doing (and by making a few mistakes along the way). As for criticism?

As Swift said, “Haters gonna hate,” and as Dale L. Roberts put it, “If you get called an ass once, get over it. It happens six times — buy a saddle!” I think that sums it up perfectly. If the same criticism keeps coming up, it’s worth paying attention to. People have paid for your book, so they have every right to share what they think. The key is to look at it from a practical point of view — use what’s useful, learn from it, and leave the rest behind.

9.What are your best experiences in your writing career?

Calling it a “career” might be stretching it — I still have a full-time day job — but publishing my first book has definitely been one of the best experiences of my life. Seeing 'The Mental Toolbox' finally out in the world after all that work was a real moment of pride. Hearing from readers who connected with it, or said it genuinely helped them, has been even better. It’s nice to know there’s a part of me in print — a small legacy that will be there for others long into the future. If that’s the start of a writing career, I’ll take it.

10. Do you prefer to write in silence and or have some sort of sound in the background?

I need silence — just me and my thoughts. With three kids and a dog, finding that silence can be a challenge. I work nights and usually get home around 3:30 a.m., so that time in the morning is the only real peace and quiet I get. It’s when the world feels still enough to think. My cue to stop writing is usually birdsong — that’s when I know it’s time to call it a night (or morning, technically).

11. What are some encouraging words you'd give to another author/writer?

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!

Start. That’s the best advice I can give. For years, I researched bits and pieces here and there, until one day I realised I had a book in me. I sat down, made an outline that linked all the elements together — and suddenly, it started to breathe. I gave the manuscript to John McInerney, a therapist I know, and when he rang me and said, “Did you write this?” I knew I was onto something. 😁 John later went on to write the foreword for The Mental Toolbox, which meant a lot. My advice? Just start — and keep taking those bites until it’s done.

12. How did you decide the pricing of your material? How did you go about promotion/advertising and distribution of your work?

I priced 'The Mental Toolbox' in line with similar books in its genre. As for promotion, I’ll admit I didn’t do the traditional thing of sending out advance reader copies or building pre-launch buzz. I just wanted to get it out there and see if it had legs. But the truth is, you can’t sell a secret — your book needs to be seen to be read. Promotion is where most indie writers fall short, myself included. I don’t have the time or inclination to post to social media three times a week, but I do run the odd promotion here and there. I’ve paused my other projects so I can focus on pushing 'The Mental Toolbox'. It's only available on Amazon at the moment (shameless plug), but I’m planning to get it onto more platforms before the end of the year. It’s been a steep learning curve, but every step forward feels like progress — and that’s what keeps me going.

13. Why should anyone read your book?

People should read 'The Mental Toolbox' because it’s practical, down-to-earth, and written in plain English — not psycho-babble. There are already enough influencers shouting “think positive” and posting "you’ve got this" memes. People need something real — something that helps make sense of the noise and provides tools to build resilience, improve well-being, and handle the curveballs life inevitably throws at all of us, whether we’ve faced mental challenges or not. That’s what I tried to do with this book. It’s not about quick fixes or perfection — it’s about small, realistic steps that make life easier to manage. It’s about building your own Mental Toolbox and becoming a better version of yourself. As the title says, it’s practical brain training for a happier, stress-less, more productive life.

14. Did you have a book coach?

Not exactly. I didn’t have a personal book coach, but I did sign up for the AIA Publishing course from Publishing.com, which has some great resources — it’s handy having everything in one place. Their Facebook community is also full of supportive, engaged authors who really help. I leaned heavily on YouTube. Dale L. Roberts’ channel is excellent, and Dave Chesson’s Kindlepreneur.com is probably the most valuable collection of information on self-publishing on the internet — he and his team do Trojan work and are always up to date with what’s happening in the indie publishing world. I also read Julie Broad’s books "Self-Publish and Succeed" and "Self-Promote and Succeed", and her Book Launchers YouTube channel is another great resource. Caroline Hurry’s "Write Successful Self-Publishing" deserves an honourable mention too.

So, I didn’t really have my own coach — but I put in a lot of late nights standing on the shoulders of giants, learning from their books, YouTube channels, and websites.

15. What was your favorite subject in school?

My favourite subject in school was English (of course), especially poetry. I think it’s my musical ear that draws me to lyrical writing. That said, my spelling is atrocious — if it wasn’t for the software on my computer and phone, I wouldn’t be able to write a shopping list, never mind a book!

16. Are you self-published or have an established publishing contract elsewhere?

I’m self-published because, honestly, I couldn’t see any other way to do it. Going indie felt like the only real option — I wanted to get 'The Mental Toolbox' out into the world without waiting for someone else’s approval. The creative control turned out to be a bonus, but the main thing was just getting it done. There’s a real satisfaction in knowing 'The Mental Toolbox' came together mostly through my own effort, more than a few late nights, and the odd sausage roll to keep me going 🥐 — because they taste better than elephants! 🐘😄