VERONICA RECTOR
Staff Writer
David Martin Anderson spent much of his career building businesses and working in telecommunications. Now 75, he is building a second career — one story at a time.
His recent success as a writer culminated in two gold medals from the Faulkner Society, which promotes literacy.
One award was for a short story, while his collection “What Cannot Be Undone” also received a gold medal.
The Boerne resident said winning two gold medals in the same year is rare.
Anderson and his wife are scheduled to travel to New Orleans for the awards ceremony, which includes a black-tie gala as part of the society’s four-day event feat uring writers, literary agents, publishers and forums.
“Faulkner for All” is Sept. 25 through Sept. 28.
For aspiring writers facing rejection, Anderson has a straightforward message: Keep writing.
Newly announced Kendall County Fair Queen Eleri Tarrant, left, hugs Princess Courtney Curry during the Sept. 2 Queens Court selections at the Kendall County Fair pavilion. Star photo by Jeff B. Flinn
He encourages writers to produce work for an audience rather than simply as a form of personal expression.
“Write to be read,” Anderson said. “You don’t write to hear your own words. You write so other people will read your words.”
Anderson, an engineer and entrepreneur who graduated from Southern Methodist University, worked for companies that later became AT&T and Verizon before earning his Master of Business Administration degree and launching two telecommunications companies.
He sold his second company at age 47 and chose early retirement rather than starting another business or working for someone else.
Retirement, however, did not mean Anderson stopped working.
With his wife’s encouragement, he began pursuing an idea he had for a story. What started as personal interest in a subject eventually became a decades-long writing career marked by self-publishing, rejection and repeated reinvention.
“I think you have to have a certain mindset that you’re going to persevere,” Anderson said. “I’m not going to give up until I get published.”
Anderson began writing novellas in the late 1990s but struggled to find literary representation. Rather than abandon his work, he relied on the entrepreneurial skills that had served him in business and turned to self-publishing.
One of his early projects, “The Cowboys of Haddington Moor,” was written as a screenplay and attracted interest from actors.
James Coburn eventually optioned the work, although it was never produced, Anderson said.
Another turning point came in 2011 when Anderson read a National Geographic article about wild mustangs. The history of the horses inspired him to write “The Last Good Horse.” Anderson traveled to the Pryor Mountains in Montana to learn more about wild mustangs before writing the book.
The book received endorsements from horse-rescue agencies and strong reviews, Anderson said, but he again struggled to find a traditional publisher.
He eventually self-published the book and later participated in a Barnes & Noble Booksellers tour across the American West.
Despite selling books at the tour stops, Anderson said a national bookstore chain declined to stock the self-published book.
The experience contributed to another five-year break from writing.
Eventually, Anderson decided he needed to approach writing differently.
About four years ago, he began focusing on short stories to establish a literary reputation before returning to longer works. That led him to the University of Iowa’s summer writing workshop, where he was accepted from a highly competitive pool of applicants.
The change proved successful.
Anderson said he has been published more than 25 times in literary magazines over the past three years. He attributes much of that success to persistence and treating writing like a job, spending hours each day writing, submitting stories and marketing his work.
Despite the recent recognition, Anderson said his ultimate goal remains securing representation and a national publisher for his work.
Anderson also believes writers should understand their audience and the literary market. His background as an entrepreneur influences the way he approaches writing, including what stories he believes readers and publishers will want.
“I think, all right, what can I do here?” Anderson said. “Why write crap that nobody’s going to read?”
For Anderson, the rejections and setbacks have become part of the process rather than a reason to stop.
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