Josh Mitchell asked William to answer these questions for an interview in La Libertad Magazine:
La Libertad: Where are you from?
William: Oklahoma.
La Libertad: How did you get your start in writing?
William: All I ever wanted to be was a writer. I grew up loving books and words and language. But I lived in a small, Oklahoma town, with no writers, much less writing programs, so it was a struggle. I eventually got there, but this is why I’ve devoted so much energy to the WriterCon programs; I’m trying to make the journey a little easier for the next generation of aspiring writers.
La Libertad: Of what accomplishment are you most proud?
William: I have six children, all of them artistic, and all successful. They are the joy of my life.
La Libertad: Where did you get the idea for your new novel The Florentine Poet?
William: I wanted to take a break from the legal thrillers, and
write about what matters to me most: art, literature, family, love, and what it means to be an artist. And to my happy surprise, critics are saying it's the best book I've ever written.
La Libertad: Can we expect more from the Daniel Pike series?
William: Funny you should ask! I'm working on a book that pairs my two most successful lawyer characters: Ben Kincaid, lead character in nineteen of my novels; and my more recent creation, Daniel Pike, lead character in six novels. It's like a literary version of a Marvel team-up. I'm having a lot of fun writing about these two very different men trying to work together.
La Libertad: What inspires you?
William: A good story.
La Libertad: What are you most looking forward to at Sundance 2023?
La Libertad: What are your overall career goals?
William: More writing! I'm just getting started! I want to write more and better, and I want to continue mentoring and publishing other writers. I know how fortunate I am to have this life in the arts, and I cherish every day of it.
La Libertad: What links would you like to share?
William: To learn more about me:
www.williambernhardt.com
To learn more about the programs I host for writers and aspiring writers:
www.writercon.com
[NOTE: As of January 27, 2023, the above link leads to a webpage which indicates that "This account has been suspended."]
La Libertad: What else, if anything, would you like to tell our readers?
William: The most important element to a successful writing
career is perseverance. No writing career ever happened overnight. You will probably face a lot of rejection before you find your path. That’s natural and part of the process, so don’t let it worry you. As I say at the end of each episode of the WriterCon podcast, “You cannot fail if you refuse to quit.”
Introduction and editing by William Mortensen Vaughan
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