Charlie Barshaw coordinates our regular Writer Spotlight feature and interviews writers of SCBWI. In this piece, meet author David Stricklen.
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I remember meeting you in a Grand Rapids-area coffee shop when you first joined SCBWI. When was that? How fresh from your airport job were you then?
I was fresh at learning what to do with my free creative time. Wow, that was about 12 years ago! I think we met halfway between Grand Rapids and Lansing. You were teaching me the ropes in running an SCBWI-MI conference.
Did you have the first book in your Blackwater Pond trilogy written at that point? What prompted you to write an adventurous middle grade novel?
Yes, the first book was in print in 2011. I’ve always thought that if I had any special gifts, they were a result of my active imagination. I thought writing a MG fantasy adventure would be a way to take full advantage of that.
Did you always conceive of the series as a three-book deal, or did the story keep growing as you wrote it?
The story grew. It was as if the characters had more to say and more adventures to explore and who am I to argue?
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Did you attempt the traditional publishing route? How did you find your publishing team, the artist, editors, designers, and printers.
Finding the traditional publishing doors locked up tight despite glowing reviews, I hired Beachhead Publishing. They had an editor with 30 years experience in the industry, a type setter and my best friend happened to be an amazing illustrator with 40 books to his credit.
I used a quality international printer, (Color House Graphics) in Grand Rapids. Being competitive as I am, my goal was to put out a product that exceeded what the traditional houses were producing. I basically hired my dream team.
The BlackWater Pond books are a middle grade fantasy adventure series: Beneath and Beyond (a Midwest Book Review Bookwatch Selection), Through the Eyes of the Beast and The Heart of the Swarm.
Did you set a budget on what you would spend in order to create your dream of writing for young people? Were you ever at the point where you considered pulling the plug on the whole publishing thing?
I was always willing to spend whatever it took to produce a quality book. Glossy hard covers, best paper, best art, quality editor, typesetter, printer, etc. I have never considered pulling the plug. Every door that was closed had me crawling through a window. The books have paid for themselves. The money from my book sales paid for each addition book and my website. Profits always go toward my next creative project.
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I started with the idea of finding the craziest competition that I could find. I then wrapped the plot so tightly around it that how many worms come to the surface in a half hour becomes the most important thing in the world. Ripley Robinson and the Worm Charmer, is reviewer recommended by KIRKUS Review, featured in their October 2019 magazine and on their 35 great indie books worth discovering list.
Any more novels in the works?
I am currently working on a Ripley II. I also have three PB drafts in a drawer that were written after having grandkids.
You incorporate magic tricks into your school visits. What age were your youngest audience? Your oldest?
I normally present to 6th or 7th grade. I will go as young as 5th grade when requested.
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Covid disrupted your school visit regimen. Were you able to do Zoom visits? How have your sessions changed since then?
My presentation is very interactive which does not work as well over zoom. I made the decision to wait and do it right…I just didn’t know it would take so long for Covid to go away.
I did however, produce a zoom video with MA, MFA Erin Brown through her True North Book Club. Erin Brown created the entire very cool program. In the program, students read a chapter from Beneath and Beyond then watch a video and learn how the chapter was written. Erin interviews me on word choice, plot ideas, vocabulary, critical thinking, etc. BTW: The 1st chapter is free…
Below is the link:
https://truenorthbookclub.com/middle-grade/
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You sell a lot of your books when you visit a school. How do you do it?
Normal for me would be 60 to 80 books sold per grade. My record was 147 which was more books sold then students. I don’t go in as a book salesman. I share the creative process and the fun of creating stories on the fly with the students.
I do use my books as examples during my visit and sprinkle in magic tricks as memory cues. I hand out order forms after the presentation. I always come back the next day to deliver books. For more about what I do, simply see the below link to the school visit video that I did for the SCBWI.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sjn7SI_M0PM
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How about that 3-D art you’ve been doing for Art Prize? What inspired your first reverse perspective painting? It was a big piece. How and where did you paint it?
I discovered that I have some kind of a geometric reverse perspective knack for it. I love solving the complex puzzle of angles and then paint the lines and shadows in reverse to make the painting move. My largest painting was 9ft long, however, all my paintings are large.
You’ve done different paintings since then, all employing the painting chops that makes the painting seem to move with you. Were you able to streamline your process each year?
Yes, I get a bit faster and more complex with each painting. I am seeing it all a bit more clearly than I did when I first started.
Below is a link for videos of some of my favorite reverse perspectives showing the movement.
https://www.blackwaterpond.com/artprize-entries/
You’ve won awards, even sold a few paintings. How many years have you entered ArtPrize? Do you have plans for next year’s entry?
I have entered ArtPrize 7 years. I have already started working new angles for 2026.
Exhibition History & Recognition
· Multiple Grand Rapids ArtPrize 3D Popular Vote Finalist placements. (largest attended art competition in the world)
· Several Colors of Community Popular Vote 1st Place awards (post ArtPrize)
· 1st Place 3D at the IQhub Museum Art Competition
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You were the Police Chief at the Grand Rapids airport. What are some of the stories you’re willing to share about your time as the Top Cop at the airport? Any plans to write a memoire?
There are too many stories and not enough room here, but I could easily fill several hours at a coffee shop. There were many over the top crazy incidences, like pulling onto the runway to block a departing Lear jet with a possible kidnap victim. The plane stopped, the door sprang open and a screaming girl (and others) spilled out.
Other things like: organizing/orchestrating security for presidential visits, drunks on planes, working with DEA, grabbing bank robbers trying to get out of town, running into yellow flames in shirt sleeves and fire extinguisher to save the airport from burning down, etc…each life story another cup of coffee.
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| Dave and President George W. Bush |
You are a steampunk rocker and sometimes host a Strickapalooza. Set the scene for the uninitiated.
I do dress up on Halloween. This year was my steampunk costume. We had a few Saturday afternoon concerts in my large backyard over the years and called it Strickapalooza. My son Jordan is an amazing musician. We had 120 people, beach balls in the air, shade tents, dunk tank, 3 bands, you get the picture…a real good time.
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You drove editor Arthur Levine partway to a Mackinac Island conference. What do you remember of your encounter?
It was fun, I liked him…we had several hours to chat about books and writing, etc. What I recall the most is him saying, “Your books exceeded the national average.”
You’ve worked in various positions for SCBWI-MI over the years. Would you list a few, what you did, how long you stayed?
Grand Rapids Shop Talk coordinator 9 years.
Michigan Shop Talk Liaison (Overlord) 6 years off and on again.
Michigan Indie Coordinator 4 years?
Co-chaired the Eberhard Conference with Jay Whistler in Grand Rapids as well as assisted in multiple conferences anytime requested. Co-presented at a few conferences.
Started up the 1st Critique Carousel with Anita Pazner
Some of the non SCBWI events include speaking at the Rochester writers conference 3x, Rally of Writers in Lansing 2X, Gun Lake Women’s Club 2X.
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You had some surgery, but now you’re riding your bike again. How’s the biking going?
I had full knee replacement about 6 years ago. I can’t run on it anymore but I can bike as well as I ever have. I co-lead a bike group every Tuesday called The Tuesday Trail Trek. We ride a different trail within an hour of Grand Rapids every week. Our distances are 25 – 45ish and we average 16-18 mph. We have several pics of our fun trip in the Michigan Trails Magazine every year. I have always been active and don’t sit still much.
Please share any social media you care to:
My Website:
My video on independent middle grade fiction:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mjhi7dsA6eQ
My video on How to Rock Your School Visits:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sjn7SI_M0PM
The True North Book Club:
https://truenorthbookclub.com/middle-grade/
My 3D Reverse Perspective Paintings:
https://www.blackwaterpond.com/artprize-entries/
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