CLC hosts award-winning 'Star Trek' writer for lecture

Whether you write for a career or a hobby, learn storytelling tips from award-winning TV writer Morgan Gendel, who will present a writing workshop from 1-2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 10, in Room A013 at the College of Lake County's Grayslake Campus. The event is free to the public.

Gendel will explain the fundamentals of storytelling while connecting them with behind-the-scenes tales of his work in the writers' rooms of "Star Trek: The Next Generation," "Law & Order," "The 100" and many more.

He also will read an excerpt from his just-published debut science-fiction novel, "Planet 6." Paperback copies of the novel will be available for sale and signing, as will copies of his original writer's draft of "The Inner Light."

A screenwriter, producer, author and futurist, Gendel has 250 produced credits. He is the writer of "The Inner Light," the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode that earned him the Hugo Award for Science Fiction Writing and was recently called "Trek's most beloved story" by The Hollywood Reporter. Additionally, Gendel has written "Star Trek: Deep Space 9," "Drop Dead Diva" and "The Dresden Files."

Gendel recently published his debut novel, "Planet 6," in which a futuristic police force keeps order on an Earth colony teetering on the brink of war. He is currently developing two sci-fi series with companies in the U.S. and Europe.

As a futurist, Gendel has made the shortlist for a NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts grant for Habolith, a portable, transformable habitat he conceived for use on Mars and the moon.

He also has given talks on the connectome, the map of the human brain, as an outgrowth of his concept for "The Inner Light," in which Capt. Picard has embedded into his brain the permanent memories of another man's life on a dying planet.

For information on Gendel, visit www.twitter.com/morgangendel.

The lecture is co-sponsored by CLC's Business and Social Science division and the Communication Arts, Humanities and Fine Arts division.

For information, contact Patrick Gonder, Ph.D., English professor, at pgonder@clcillinois.edu or John Tenuto, sociology professor, at (847) 543-2537.

The presentation is part of more than 50 free events celebrating the college's 50th anniversary. For updates and information on other events, as well as 50th anniversary products and apparel, visit www.clcillinois.edu/50th. Join in the conversation with #CLC50th on social media.

For a list of CLC's fall semester courses that begin in October and beyond, visit www.clcillinois.edu/latestart.

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