Bestselling Author- Warren Adler

[author title=”Warren Adler” image=”http://https://www.almostanauthor.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/warrenadler.jpg”]Warren Adler has just launched Writers of the World, an online community for writers to share their stories about why they began writing. Warren His Film/TV projects currently in development include the Hollywood sequel to The War of the Roses – The War of the Roses: The Children, along with other projects including Capitol Crimes, a television series based on Warren Adler’s Fiona Fitzgerald mystery novels, as well as a feature film based on Warren Adler and James Humes’ WWII thriller, Target Churchill. Explore more at www.warrenadler.com and www.greyeaglefilms.com[/author]

 

Can you share a little about your recent book –

The novel I most recently finished is titled TORTURE MAN. The story deals with two loaded topics – terrorism and torture, among other themes. The story follows the privileged life of prominent anti-war activist Sarah Raab as her life begins to splinter after her daughter is kidnapped. Desperate to save her, Sarah turns to former CIA operative Carl Helman, a man she has only just met and who stands against everything she has been fighting for. You can find out more about the book here.
Why do you write? Do you have a theme, message, or goal for your books?

I have to write. It’s necessary for my survival and endurance. So I write feverishly every single day of my life. My themes deal primarily with intimate human relationships, the mysterious nature of love and attraction, the fragile relationships between husbands and wives and parents and children, the corrupting power of money, the aging process and other important universal themes.

How long have you been writing? And how long did it take you to get your first major book contract?

I’ve wanted to be a novelist since I was fifteen years old. Various obstacles prevented me from becoming a full-time writer. I was 45 years old when my first novel was published. I’m now in my ninth decade of life and I’m still going as strong as ever with my novels and my forthcoming film developments.

How long does it take you to write a book?

Most of my books have taken about as long as it takes to grow a baby in a woman’s womb, from conception to birth. Just as in the creation of a human being, it is a miracle.

What’s your writing work schedule like?

Throughout my early career, I would write from five to ten in the morning every day before going to my office, a habit that has stayed with me since.

Do you have an interesting writing quirk? If so, what is it?

What is a writing quirk?  If you mean my writing habits, I rise, have breakfast, read digital news, go into my writing room and go to work. In writing my novels I try to do five pages a day at the minimum. From long experience over many years I have learned that once immersed in a novel my subconscious is deep at work in composing “what happens next” whether I am aware of it or not. My primary fear is returning to work the next morning, confronting a blank page, and not knowing where the novel is going.

What has been your greatest joy(s) in your writing career?

My greatest joy was to see the physical book of my first novel. After nearly fifty novels I still get a kick out of seeing the covers of a finished novel whether digital or in print.

What has been your darkest moment(s)?

My darkest moment in the writing game was to see my first bad review. After consultation with my muse no bad review ever bothered me again. My strategy to cope was never to read my reviews, most of which I am told are quite good these days.

Which of your books is your favorite?

Like, my three children, I fight all forms of favoritism. I treat my many novels and short stories the same way. They are all my favorites.

Who is your favorite author to read?

My favorite author to read is Stendhal, particularly his work, The Red and the Black.

What advice can you give aspiring writers that you wished you had gotten, or that you wished you would have listened to?

My only advice to aspiring authors is to continue to test the quality of your talent. If you truly believe that it is your calling, then you must maintain an iron will about this aspiration and follow your bliss. The hardest thing in life is believing in yourself.

What is the single greatest tool you believe a writer should have in his or her toolbox?

The single greatest tool I believe a writer should have in his or her toolbox is unshakeable belief in their talent.

How many times in your career have you experienced rejection? How did they shape you?

I suffered through endless rejections of my work until I was able to interest publishers. Rejection made me stronger. I have written extensively on Rejection and working to get past it in On Rejection and Renewal: A Note to Aspiring Novelists.

Do you have a favorite character or scene in one of your books?

I have grown accustomed to and enjoy the company of Fiona Fitzgerald who is the heroine of my mystery series, now up to nine books. In my mind she is the perfect woman: smart, independent, sexy, and fearless. On balance, I love all my characters with all their faults and imperfections. To me, they are very much alive.

Where do you get your ideas?

All of my stories come from my biography, my experiences, and my observations. For example, my works like The Henderson Equation, We Are Holding the President Hostage, my Fiona Fitzgerald series and many others are set in Washington D.C. where I lived for about 30 years, and Torture Man, New York Echoes (and New York Echoes 2), Banquet Before Dawn, The Housewife Blues and others are set in New York City.

What are common mistakes you see aspiring writers make?

If you are a true writer you will never give up, no matter how many rejections and bad reviews you might receive. I´ve had them both. Controlling my own destiny has always been one of my principal obsessions.

Where/How do you recommend writers try to break into the market?

Getting an agent is a tough chore, but it helps tremendously. My advice has also been to get a copy of Literary Market Place, write a one-page letter, beginning with “Are you interested in a finished manuscript (or book)” then spell out the theme and idea. Send it to every agent listed and see what comes back. Resources like IMDb,com can be useful in tracking down an agent for the independent or aspiring writer also thinking about the possibility of turning your book into a movie. Of course I am also a huge proponent of self-publishing and encourage writers to pursue this route.