Interview with M. K. Clark

I love discovering new, or new to me, authors. I get especially excited about indie authors. I am always amazed at some of the great stories these authors write and publish. Therefore, after I read Pursuing Dreams by M. K. Clark, I knew this was the next author I wanted to interview.

ME: What motivates you to write?

Clark: I’m probably going to go against the grain here and say nothing really motivates me to write. I think, right now, it’s more that I’ve started to go down a certain road, and I refuse to quit. I’m going to keep going and I’m going to be successful, because that’s what I decided to do. Apart from that, I just really enjoy writing. It’s why I have a tech writing day job. I just really love to write. Sometimes it’s a lot of work and I have to talk myself into it, but it’s worth it in the long run.

ME: Why did you choose to write a Sci-Fi novel?

Clark: I didn’t intentionally sit down to write a sci-fi novel when I got started with The Young Soldier Series. Back then, I didn’t even consider myself to be a sci-fi person –hindsight being what it is, I totally was– I just had a story I wanted to write and it happened to be sci-fi. I’m much more intentional about my work now.

ME: Do you think it is harder for a female writer of Sci-Fi to get recognized?

Clark: This is a hard question to answer. I think it’s much easier now than, say, ten years ago. It’s like the science and tech industries, the female population is growing and becoming more respected. So I’d like to think that no, it isn’t harder, but on some level, I also accept there is still probably a cultural bias. It’s why I publish under the name MK Clark. It sounds more androgynous than my actual name.

In this same vein, I think there are other challenges to being a female sci-fi author that aren’t as actively discussed as the struggle of being recognized.

I get a surprising amount of comments from other authors and reviewers wondering why I don’t focus more on women in my book. There’s an assumption that, as a woman, I would want to or should want to write about strong female characters to provide the next generation with good role models. I find these comments to be odd. I don’t mind this idea. In some of my other works, the main character is a female character. In this case, that’s just not what this story is. The assumption that this story should have focused on a strong female character, because of my gender, sometimes makes me feel like I am being put in a creative box.

ME: What is the most rewarding thing about writing for you?

Clark: Hearing from people that enjoyed my work. I’m not talking about the “it was good” comment, but the ones where I get to hear what they loved specifically. Like, I wrote a short story and someone told me that the emotion captured in the opening letter was beautiful. I worked hard at making the emotion believable. To hear that I was successful in my goal, that is what makes my day.

ME: Are there any authors that have helped you along the way?

Recently, I’ve gotten a lot of support from the indie community, and that has been great. I’m also part of a close-knit group of writers, there’s about ten of us, and their help has been priceless.

ME: Is there a place you like to write that makes you feel the most creative?

Clark: About two cities ago, I had a writing room that was the best. I had a solar system that hung from the roof, papers and notes tagged on the wall, a huge whiteboard for scribbling things out… It was wonderful. That was where I felt most creative. I’ve not been able to recreate that, sadly.

ME: What are your long-term writing goals?

Clark: I’ve told my husband that my long-term goal is to be able to go from tech writing full-time to part-time so that I can write what I want the rest of the week. I really love my day job, so I don’t want to give it up entirely.

ME: Do you ever experience writer’s block? If so, how do you overcome it?

Clark: Of course! I think everyone does from time to time. I’ve found the best way for me to “get over it” is to work through it, so if I’m ever in a slump, I force myself to write one sentence at a time. Eventually, I’ll one sentence my way out of the block.

ME: Is there anything you can share about your next book?

Clark: The first book of The Young Soldier series introduces the idea that Don betrays the Council, but readers never really get more than a glimpse of why that is. In book two, readers will be able to really grasp what those reasons are. At the same time, book two plays with the concept of identity, reality, and perception. So, in the end, one of the questions that readers will have to answer is whether or not Don’s perception can be trusted.

ME: How many books are you planning on for the Young Solider series?

Clark: I’ve outlined three books in The Young Soldier series. These books complete Don’s character arch and story. I’ve played with the idea of doing one-off novels with some of the other characters that show up throughout the series. There are two that are floating around in my head, but, at the moment, there are three planned books.

ME: What do you think is the most memorable about the main character Don?

Clark: My husband would say it’s that he’s spoiled. Of course, he’s only read part 1 and Don is a bit spoiled in the beginning. I think what makes Don stand out for me as a memorable character is that he is flawed. He’s human, and he makes bad decisions sometimes and has to face the consequences.

ME: Do you identify strongly with the main character?

Clark: Not particularly. I think I probably identify more with one of the minor characters, Roberto. I’m much more practical about things.

ME: Do you have any advice for someone just starting out as an author?

Clark: It’s the age of the internet. There is so much information and so much advice out there that it can be overwhelming trying to figure out what to listen to and what to do. I think the biggest thing is that you have to understand who you are and what your personality is. You have to do what works for you. Also, a little bit of googling goes a long way. What writers in writing groups hate more than anything is when a new writer asks a simple question that a little bit of googling could answer.

ME: Is there any question you feel I should have asked?

Clark: I get a surprising amount of comments from female authors and reviewers that it’s surprising that I don’t focus more on women in my book. I think there’s an assumption that as a woman myself, I would want to or should want to write about strong female characters to provide role models for the next generation. I always find these comments to be a little odd. I don’t mind this idea. In some of my other works, the MC is a female character. That’s just not what this story is. This story is about Don, and he’s always been a guy.

About the Author:

MaryKate Clark is an author and tech writer based out of Austin Texas. She has produced multiple children’s plays for community theatre groups, published an undergraduate thesis, and received an Honor’s B.A. in English and Literature from the University of Texas at Arlington. MaryKate currently lives in Austin Texas with her husband and her two fur-babies and works full-time as a technical writer. She is currently working on the second book in the Young Soldiers Series.

 

Friends and Enemies are made in war… But sometimes… it’s hard to make the distinction.

Don O’Hara was lucky. At least, that’s what everyone else said. Born the son of a General, with a guaranteed ticket to Commander’s School, Don had his future laid out for him. Only, he didn’t want that future. All he ever wanted was to be a Space Jumper. Lucky for him, he never lacked guts. Defying his father and sneaking off to Basic was an easy decision; a decision that forever changed the course his life would take, and not entirely the way he expected.

Pursuing Dreams is an action packed, Sci-Fi, Young Adult novel that takes the reader on a wild ride as Don fights for his dream and stumbles upon the truth about his family and the O’Hara Legacy. With his life turned upside down and unable to shake the feeling that he is being watched, Don does the only thing he can: he keeps moving forward not knowing that every step takes him closer to becoming the most hated man alive.

The Young Soldier: Pursuing Dreams: https://www.amazon.com/Pursuing-Dreams-Young-Soldier-Book-ebook/dp/B072516QKC

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35196348-pursuing-dreams

Website: http://mkclarkbooks.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MKClarkbooks/

Twitter: @mkclarkbooks