April 4, 2011

Made It Moment: Warren Bull

Filed under: Made It Moments — jenny @ 7:27 am

Murder Manhattan Style

Warren Bull
Warren Bull and I have several things in common, including a passion for mystery, a psychologist background, and of course, a contemplation of the question, How does one ever make it as an author? Read on…

How did I know that I’’d made it? Thanks for asking, Jenny, but, like many writers on your blog wrote, I’’m not sure I have. I recently looked at the description of the Border Crimes chapter of Sisters in Crime, my local chapter, and noticed that it said the chapter includes“… struggling writers and published writers.” I believe I am both, at least at times. I remember being part of a Sierra Club overnight hike and camping trip years ago in Yosemite National Park. Tourists in flip flops and fancy clothes looked at us like we were something special. After they left , we met a hiker who had been backpacking along the John Muir trail for months. It all depends on your perspective.

I have certainly had occasional high points. In December, 2010 when my most recently published book arrived in the mail, I felt like celebrating big time by Snoopy dancing in fields of chocolate roses. Murder Manhattan Style by Ninth Month Publishing Co. is a collection of short stories that I’’ve written since 2004. I was fortunate enough to have it accepted by the third publisher I asked. My first book, a novel called Abraham Lincoln for the Defense, 2003, took nine years to write from concept to publication. I’’ve lost track of how many rejections I endured with that book. I got an acceptance notice on Lincoln’’s birthday, 2002. That was a magical day too.

I believe as a writer you have to identify small successes and take heart from things like getting good feedback from a critique, any response from an agent/editor who takes the time to comment on your work, and winning or being short-listed for an award. Completing a novel, no matter how imperfect, puts a writer in a category that most people will never achieve. Of course, any publication is a big success.

I don’t know any career as slow as becoming an author. I believe that persistence is more important than skill. You can improve writing skills. The only way to become published is to keep presenting your work for possible publication. So far, I’’ve never had an agent/editor show up at my door asking for my work.

But I have had a few made it moments.

Warren Bull is an award-winning author of more than twenty published short stories as well as memoirs, essays and a novel, ABRAHAM LINCOLN FOR THE DEFENSE, PublishAmerica, 2003, Smashwords, 2010. He has been published in STRANGE MYSTERIES II, Whortleberry Press, 2010, STRANGE MYSTERIES, Whortleberry Press, 2009, MEDIUM OF MURDER, Red Coyote Press, 2008, MANHATTAN MYSTERIES, KS publishing, Inc. 2005, Great Mystery and Suspense magazine, Futures Mystery Anthology Magazine, Mouth Full of Bullets, The Back Alley, Sniplits.com and Mysterical-E, and others. Find him Fridays at http://writerswhokill.blogspot.com.






8 Comments »

  1. Congratulations on your successes. I agree it’s a slow process and persistance pays off. I count as a highlight in my writing-working day, the moment when I see what’s wrong with a story and catch glimpses in my head of how I can fix it. Deepening the emotional experience of a main character helps most of the time.

    Comment by Pauline Alldred — April 4, 2011 @ 10:31 am

  2. “Snoopy dancing in fields of chocolate roses.” I am going to have to remember that one. Fantastic! Congratulations.

    Comment by Savvy — April 4, 2011 @ 10:34 am

  3. I know what you mean, Warren. I’ve had two shorts published and was elated. Recently, another short of mine was accepted for publication by my local Chesapeake chapter. When I realized that my name would appear with the likes of Donna Andrews and this year’s Derringer winner Art Taylor, that acceptance was especially sweet–kind of like I’d made the grade. But, I haven’t had a novel published, at least not yet. Congratulations! I just finished reading Murder Manhattan Style and loved it. Next to read-your Lincoln novel.

    Comment by E. B. Davis — April 4, 2011 @ 10:52 am

  4. Good thoughts Mr Bull!

    Comment by sandy — April 4, 2011 @ 11:04 am

  5. Perspective, persistence and chocolate roses.

    Got it, thanks.

    Comment by Peg Brantley — April 4, 2011 @ 11:07 am

  6. Thanks to all of you.

    Comment by Warren — April 4, 2011 @ 11:11 am

  7. Kudos on the short story collection sale. I’ve heard those are particularly difficult to sell, especially if you aren’t a big name writer.

    Comment by Jodie — April 4, 2011 @ 12:32 pm

  8. It sounds to me like you’ve had some pretty cool Made It Moments. My question to you is, are you having fun yet? It sounds like you are. Love the concept of chocolate roses.

    Comment by Marja McGraw — April 5, 2011 @ 10:26 am

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