“I can’t write for every person. But I know that stories are universal enough that if I’m interested in it, others will be too.” —Samantha M Clark
On Wednesday, January 21, Samantha M Clark will teach “Throw More Stones: Creating Characters Through Conflict.” In this class, students will learn about developing well-rounded, fully realized characters, the importance of conflict, the types of conflict, and how to use it to make your stories better.
Samantha M Clark is the award-winning author of The Boy, the Boat, and the Beast and Arrow (both published by Paula Wiseman Books/Simon & Schuster) and American Horse Tales: Hollywood (Penguin Workshop/Penguin Random House), as well as the Gemstone Dragons chapter book series (Bloomsbury). She lives with her husband and two funny dogs in Austin, Texas, and helps other writers through her Your Writing Mentor newsletter. Sign up for news and giveaways at www.SamanthaMClark.com. Follow her on BlueSky @samanthamclark.com.
Here’s what Samantha had to share with us:
Who are your earliest influences? What people and books made you a writer?
So many! From C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia series, to Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game series, to the Nancy Drew mysteries, Mr. Men books, Archie comics, Winnie the Pooh, Roald Dahl, and even movies like E.T. and Jurassic Park. Pretty much anything that had a story, I devoured. And the more I became engrossed with stories, the more I wanted to write my own. Today, I’m still being influenced by other writers that I love, like Jason Reynolds, Adrianna Cuevas, Shakira Bourne, Ally Russell and so many others.
What writing challenges have you faced? What have these challenges taught you about your process?
Making my writing a priority was a challenge early on. My first novel took 5 years to write the first draft because I was working full time as a managing editor and only wrote when I found the time. Eventually I realized that, if I wanted to have a serious career as an author, I had to get serious about my writing. I stopped finding time and started making time. I woke up early every day and carved out an hour for my stories. That was a game changer. Not only did I finish projects faster, they were easier to work on because I didn’t have to constantly take time to remind myself of the stories and characters. They were always with me, and I could jump back into their world faster.
From your perspective, what’s the most rewarding part about being a writer?
Honestly, I love every part of being a writer. When I’m drafting, I love the openness of my story. When I’m revising, I love to see my story taking its final shape. When I’m polishing and in copy edits, I love trying to make each word choice as perfect as possible for my readers. Then after a book comes out, I love talking to readers about it. If I had to choose, I’d say the most rewarding part of being a writer is being able to immerse myself in a whole new world with wonderful new characters and tell their story.
Who do you write for?
Me, first and foremost. While I think about my readers in my revision stages, primarily I write stories I’m excited about and I want to read, even when I’m writing for children. (I’m a 10-year-old at heart.) I spend a lot of time with my stories and that’s difficult if I’m bored. But also, I know that people have different ideas about what a good story is. I can’t write for every person. But I know that stories are universal enough that if I’m interested in it, others will be too. Then when I revise, I make sure the story and every scene and sentence can be understood by someone without the extra knowledge in my head as the world’s creator. That’s key.
What do you hope writers will learn from your course?
Big or small, from outside influences or interior emotions, conflict helps us build believable characters and drive our story forward.
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Thanks, Samantha!
Click here to learn more about Samantha’s upcoming class.
