Writing successfully can be a challenging process for aspiring writers, but those who showed up for City College’s 22nd Annual Writer’s Workshop got a nudge in the right direction.
The day was kicked off by the insights and advice of Carol Higgins Clark, whose credentials make her an example to any writer-all eight of her books have been New York Times bestsellers.
“Make the time, no matter what,” Clark said about writing. “If there’s something you like to do or a job you know, that’s a good way to start.”
About 130 writers, mostly adults, came to listen to Clark speak in the Fé Bland Forum Saturday morning, sponsored by SBCC Continuing Education. Those attending the event could also pick up a copy of Clark’s newest book, Burned, which has not yet been released.
Clark told the audience that she got her start in writing from her mother, Mary Higgins Clark, by editing and re-typing her books. The mother and daughter team eventually wrote and published three holiday suspense novels together.
“It opened the door for me,” Clark said, pointing out that she was originally pursuing an acting career in Los Angeles.
Clark is best known for her Regan Reilly mystery series, which contains any number of quirky characters and offbeat locations. Her books’ wide varieties of settings include a cruise ship on the Atlantic Ocean and a pantyhose convention in Florida.
As a piece of advice, Clark said a good writer should always keep a piece of paper or notebook handy. The native New Yorker said she often forms plots or characters from overheard conversations on the street.
“That’s the fun thing about writing-always looking around,” Clark said.
When asked about the way she organizes a story before she sits down to write, Clark said that writing is a process. “It’s like driving from New York to California,” she said. “I know where I’m going, I just don’t know what route to take.”
Clark has been around the world researching characters for her books. From butler schools in England to video dating services in New York, Clark says she enjoys spending time and interviewing people.
The research for Clark’s latest book brought her to Hawaii-all part of the job when you’re a bestselling writer.
For those interested in traveling to Hawaii themselves as professional writers, diverse writing workshops were spread out throughout the day. Travel writing was among one of the many topics, alongside comedy writing and screenwriting.
The screenwriting workshop may have been especially useful for Clark, who says she would like to see her books turned into a television series one day. She has even done a small amount of acting since becoming a professional writer, including The Vagina Monologues in New York.
-Will Macfadyen is a
Journalism 101 student