William Sullivan, known as Sully to his friends, is a former Division 1 basketball coach who discovered a love of Shakespeare later in life. He penned his first novel back in 2001 and kept his fans waiting for two decades before publishing his second—Tilting with Lips, a comedic mystery to setting four friends on an adventure to uncover who William Shakespeare really was.
How did he become a D1 basketball coach? What key lessons did he learn after penning his first novel that he applied to his second? Why is it so important to research your subjects and experience their environment firsthand? Listen in to learn the answers to these questions as well as Sully’s take on the greatest hockey movie of all time (hint, it’s not Youngblood).
MEET SULLY
William “Sully” Sullivan is a 1995 graduate of The University of Connecticut. He is a retired D1 college basketball coach living in Connecticut with his wife, Jennifer and their children Holden and Conor. As the world’s greatest collector of friends, he can also be found hoisting the occasional pint in the corner pub with his brothers. “Tilting With Lips” is his second novel.
KEY TOPICS:
- How and when he discovered his love of Shakespeare
- His motivation for writing
- What he’s learned about himself through the writing and publishing process
- How he got into coaching D1 College basketball
- The inspiration behind “Tilting With Lips”
- Advice he received from Wally Lamb, the Bestselling author of “She’s Come Undone”
- Life lessons from the 1980’s classic Mr. Mom
KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM MY TALK WITH SULLY
- Show up to class. You can’t teach yourself Shakespeare.
- Do your Homework. In-depth research your subject brings authenticity to your writing
- Embrace the Pivot. He’s a former division one basketball coach who is transforming his love of writing into a new career.
- Inspire Others. As a D1 basketball coach, Sully had to inspire his team on the court. Listen in to hear his advice to aspiring authors.
MEMORABLE QUOTES FROM THE EPISODE
“If you’re not ready to work to promote yourself and the book, get ready for your friends and family to be the only ones who read it. Because that’s the hard part for me! I love coaching basketball and I love parenting my children, but I am not in love with the idea of throwing the books in the trunk of my car and going to the Lebanon Shakespeare Festival [but you must do it].”
“Finding a literary agent is the equivalent of finding a leprechaun riding a unicorn at a Red Sox victory parade in the 1960s. I got one response out of all the ones I sent out, and it’s always been hard for me to figure why no one jumped on a book about Shakespeare written by a college basketball coach.”
Where to buy his book:
How to get in touch with William
Twitter: @twotwenty221
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