Monday, April 15, 2024: I was interviewed by journalist and author Dan Janal for his “Write Your Book in a Flash” podcast. (I refrained from mentioning that it took me nearly a decade to write We Take Care of Our Own.) “Chris Clancy on Interviewing Techniques for Ghostwriters” provides insight and advice on building rapport with your interview subjects, how much research and preparation is needed beforehand, and what to do when the going gets tough.
Sunday, October 22, 2023: It was my pleasure to host photographer Jeff Fasano at the Tennessee State Library as part of the 2023 Southern Festival of Books. Jeff was there promoting his book, Americana Portrait Sessions, which was published in April 2023.
Tuesday, September 12, 2023: I was the Instructor for The Porch Nashville’s six-week “Foundations of Fiction” class. We took a close look at such storytelling pillars as character, plot, scene and setting, and point of view.
Saturday, October 22, 2022: I was the Instructor of a 90-minute “Getting Started” Writing Workshop at the Nashville Public Library. The workshop description went like this:
Sometimes the hardest part is to begin. In this session, we’ll discuss the habit and the why of writing before jumping right in with writing prompts and story starters. The goal of the session is simply to get the juices flowing and to have some fun letting ideas scribble their way out of our pens.
Wednesday, June 15, 2022: I was the Instructor for The Porch Nashville’s eight-week “Foundations of Fiction” class, which was held in-person. The class description went like this:
Whether you’re new to fiction writing or want to recharge your writing practice, this class will help you generate new work. Together we’ll take a close look at some of the building blocks of good prose fiction: character, setting, detail, point of view, voice, dialogue, and narrative structure. We’ll read and discuss published stories by writers such as Louise Erdrich, Mary Gaitskill, Sam Lipsyte, and ZZ Packer, taking them apart and reassembling them with an eye toward elements of craft. Weekly writing exercises and activities will allow you to develop your own work in a supportive environment.
Monday, April 18, 2022: “Christopher Clancy has written a political satire and Orwellian warning that is a little closer to home than many of us would care to acknowledge,” says David Annarelli in his review of WE TAKE CARE OF OUR OWN for the Spring 2022 issue of Fifth Estate. “It isn’t difficult to imagine our country just like this, since we are a good part of the way there now.”
Saturday, February 19, 2022: I hosted a three-hour master class as part of Middle Tennessee State University’s Spring Saturday Series called “Conversation’s Greatest Hits.” As its name suggests, the class covered the elusive pleasures of writing effective dialogue in fiction and nonfiction, discussing select dialogue scenes by Rachel Cusk (Second Place), Charles Portis (True Grit), Angela Flournoy (The Turner House), and Ernest Hemingway (“Hills Like White Elephants”).
Wednesday, December 9, 2021: I am the subject of an Author Interview with Rebecca Crunden of Indie Book Spotlight. We talk about beloved books and authors, the fluidity of genre, and the ups and downs of independent publishing.
Saturday, October 23, 2021: I hosted a one-day workshop event called “Writing Dialogue” through The Porch Nashville. Open to all levels and writers of all genres, the class covered the use (and misuse) of dialogue tags, how to make your characters talk past one another, the wonders of the action “beat,” and the beauty of proper punctuation in dialogue.
Friday, October 1, 2021: I have agreed to serve as a judge alongside author Becky Hinshaw for Etched Onyx Magazine and Story Discovery Podcast’s Winter Edition Contest. Details of the contest can be found here.
Wednesday, September 22, 2021: “A taut and compelling psychological tale,” says Kirkus in its review of WE TAKE CARE OF OUR OWN. “Readers may be suffering from ‘forever war’ fatigue at this current moment of history, but the author’s parable is more than incisive political commentary. It’s an evergreen story of human frailty and this increasingly dystopian world.”
Saturday, August 21, 2021: Gonzalo T. Palacios’ American Catholicism: Highway to Hell? will be released on Xulon Press. It was my honor to write the preface for this book, which I call Palacios’ “most personal work yet.”
Monday, August 16, 2021: I facilitated a two-hour Draft Chat (via Zoom) through The Porch Nashville. Draft Chats are for writers of fiction and creative nonfiction who are dedicated to improving their craft and celebrating the shared successes of the group.
Friday, July 30, 2021: I am the subject of a Q&A conducted by my fellow Montag author Kathy L. Brown (Wolfhearted, The Resurrectionist) where we talk about the tenets of dystopian fiction, societal injustice, writing, and the benefits (real or imagined) of MFAs.
Tuesday, July 13, 2021: “A true masterpiece, Clancy has written a fantastically original and riveting novel that leaves the reader wanting more,” says Maya Grimley in her five-star review of WE TAKE CARE OF OUR OWN.
Thursday, July 1, 2021: I played host for an episode of The Porch Nashville’s “Birthing The Book” series, where (via Zoom) I answered questions about the publishing process that led to the April 2021 release of WE TAKE CARE OF OUR OWN.
Monday, June 14, 2021: I facilitated a two-hour Draft Chat (via Zoom) through The Porch Nashville.
Monday, May 17, 2021: I facilitated a two-hour Draft Chat (via Zoom) through The Porch Nashville.
Monday, April 19, 2021: I facilitated a two-hour Draft Chat (via Zoom) through The Porch Nashville.
Friday, January 29, 2021: I was interviewed by Onyx Publications’ JW McAteer and Kevin McMahon for their “Story Discovery” podcast. Hear my short story, “Constance Beach,” and an interview with me about writing, reading, and the underrated emotion of relief here.
Monday, October 12, 2020: I facilitated a two-hour Draft Chat (via Zoom) through The Porch Nashville.
Saturday, August 1, 2020: I hosted a one-day workshop event (via Zoom) called “Worldbuilding in Fiction” through The Porch Nashville. Open to all levels and writers of all genres, this class will explore the opportunities and challenges of worldbuilding in fiction. You’ll have an opportunity to share from your in-class writing, and we’ll discuss well-known “conworlds” by Lewis Carroll and Margaret Atwood.