Today we have the pleasure to talk to Wahida Clark. She is an author, and editor of What’s Really Hood. What’s Really Hood is an anthology of Urban Literature stories. She was born and raised in Trenton, New Jersey.

Rhodes Review: Who are some of the writers you enjoy? Books?

Wahida Clark:

Donald Goins, Author of Dopefiend and Whoreson
Guy Johnson, Author of Standing at the Scratchline
Al Dickens, Author of Uncle Yah Yah: 21st Century Man of Wisdom

Rhodes Review: How do you get your inspiration/muse to write?

Wahida Clark: My inspiration to write came from working in the library and seeing books, reading books and realizing that I could do it too.

Rhodes Review: How do you come up with Story Ideas?

Wahida Clark: I come up with story ideas by looking and listening to my surroundings then pulling that special something from deep down inside.

Rhodes Review: How did you get interested in writing urban lit?

Wahida Clark: When I first started writing urban lit was just taking off. It was the genre that was growing non-stop.

Rhodes Review: What is the hardest part of writing for you?

Wahida Clark: For me the hardest parts of writing are creating the first draft as well as no longer being incarcerated. Writing while incarcerated was very easy in comparison to now being free with so many distractions.

Rhodes Review: What’s the best thing about being an author?

Wahida Clark: The best thing about being an author is trying to outdo myself with the next project.

Rhodes Review: What advice would you give aspiring authors?

Wahida Clark: Write, Write, Write. Also study your craft and understand that once your book is done the journey is just beginning. Being an author is a business for traditionally published as well as self-published authors.

Rhodes Review: What is your current writing project?

Wahida Clark: Right now I’m putting the finishing touches on The Golden Hustla.

Rhodes Review: What was the process like in working on this book?

Wahida Clark: For What’s Really Hood! I put out the call that I was accepting submissions. Then I poured through the submissions to find the perfect blend of hood stories.

Rhodes Review: What made you want to write/compile this book?

Wahida Clark: I had a short story in me and at the time I came across a couple of anthologies. I then told myself, “I can do that”.

Rhodes Review: Your writing journey – how did you get from your first taste of reading/writing to where you are now?

Wahida Clark: I had no plans of writing or any idea that I could pen a novel but once I got started I couldn’t stop. However practice makes perfect. The more you write and read the better you get. Being open to constructive criticism has been a plus for me.

We’d like to thank Ms. Clark for taking the time to answer out questions and thanks to Anna at Hachette Books Group for arranging it.

This entry was posted on Sunday, June 13th, 2010 at 5:00 am and is filed under Fiction, Interview, Urban Lit. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.