“I wanted to live in these worlds where incredible things could happen, and what better way to do that than to make them up yourself?” —Samantha M. Clark
On Saturday, December 6, Samantha M. Clark will teach “Write the Perfect Ending: How to Leave Readers Satisfied and Wanting More.” In this class, students will learn how to end their stories, exploring what different types of endings can accomplish and discussing how endings work with the story as a whole to make books more memorable.
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 Gemstones Dragons chapter book series (Bloomsbury). In a past life, Samantha was a photojournalist and managing editor for newspapers and magazines. She lives with her husband and two funny dogs in Austin, Texas, and helps other writers through her Your Writing Mentor Substack. Sign up for news and giveaways at www.SamanthaMClark.com.
Here’s what Samantha had to share with us:
Who are your earliest influences? What people and books made you a writer?
Samantha M. Clark: While I loved books as a kid, story was what I was really drawn to, and that could be any kind of story. So my earliest influences were books like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Chronicles of Narnia series, which I devoured (I still want to find that wardrobe), as well as movies like The NeverEnding Story, E.T. and Jurassic Park. I wanted to live in these worlds where incredible things could happen, and what better way to do that than to make them up yourself?
What writing challenges have you faced? What have these challenges taught you about your process?
SMC: I started my writing career as a journalist, and even though I was an avid reader and professional writer, I still had a big learning curve to really understand how to write novels well. Structure and character development were challenges early on, as well as figuring out what to do when I got stuck. That was a biggie! But each challenge has allowed me to find a set of tools and techniques that have formed my process. It’s continuously evolving, sometimes changing from book to book. But each one helps me to keep moving forward, which is the important thing.
From your perspective, what’s the most rewarding part about being a writer?
SMC: It’s really hard to say what’s the most rewarding part about being a writer. There are so many! Meeting readers and hearing how my words have impacted them and their lives is incomparable. Inspiring other writers to follow and make their dreams come true is amazing. But also the writing itself is enormously rewarding. It’s hard, and at times aggravating, but when you finally figure out that perfect plot point that ties everything together or that lovely turn of phrase that lifts the narrative, it makes your heart sing.
Who do you write for?
SMC: First and foremost, I write for me. I write for the kid (and adult) in me that loves stories and longs to live within them. That helps me get the story on the page the way I see it in my head. Once I’ve got the story down, I write for my broader audience, making sure they’re going to get all the emotions and wonder and fun that I’m working to get into the book.
What do you hope writers will learn from your course?
SMC: The ending of a book can feel intimidating. It’s the last part of the book your readers are going to take away with them, and after all the work you’ve done to write a great story, you don’t want to mess it up now. I used to procrastinate so much when I was getting close to the end for this very reason, and I know I’m not the only one. After seven published novels (and way more written), I don’t have the same fear for endings anymore. I see the power they give us writers throughout the book. And I’m excited for the writers coming to my course to leave with that same understanding for their own work.
—
Thanks, Samantha!
Click here to learn more about Samantha’s upcoming class.
