Jim Hodgson '94 Sets Literary Goals High for 2018
Christ School graduate wants to write 1 million words, 10 books in 1 year
Jim Hodgson '94 made a New Year's resolution all right. Hodson has authored nine books since graduating from Christ School. The wordsmith's goal for 2018 is quite audacious by anyone's literary standards – write 1 million words and 10 books, all in a 12-month span. Hodgson, who makes his home in Atlanta, is a performer at heart. If he wasn't strumming a guitar, Hodgson was heavily involved in theater during his time as a Greenie. He still gets to test his chops in front of a live audience by doing improv comedy shows. And for recreation? Hodgson has finished Ironman and ultramarathon races, as well as summited the Aconcagua and Kilimanjaro mountains.
Question: Are you excited about the challenge of writing so much in 2018?
Answer: It's a lot of hard work. It's hard to be excited in the moment. I'm sure the builders of the Great Wall weren't excited at the time. I'll be excited when I've done it. One million words is enough for 20 novels. The faster you write, the better your skills become, and the audience gets a lot to read. Right now in independent publishing, there is evidence that suggests that people are more likely to buy a book if it's part of a series.
Question: Yes, I noticed your latest book "Battle for ATL" is part of a series called "Santa vs. Krampus." How does it feel to be building your own universe with a unique set of characters?
Answer: In some ways, it's nice. You know the characters. In some ways, it's harder. Every word you write, you can't use again. You can't repeat yourself. In a way it can feel like painting yourself into a corner. I just turned in book four (in the "Santa vs. Krampus" series) and am about halfway through book five. I'm going to kind of switch gears and do a prequel series at some point. I have an idea about a kid who wants to be a gladiator, but is terrible at it.
Question: The series has been well-received, judging by the reviews on Amazon, right?
Answer: The worst part is when no one says anything. More frustrating than a bad review is when it's obvious that someone hasn't read the book or is leaving a review for a different book, which I've also seen. (Online reviews) are a big part of your business. It's really changed my own approach to online reviews. I don't review anything online unless I have something positive to say.
Question: What do you remember about your time at Christ School?
Answer: I really liked it. I came to school in 10th grade, I had kind of bounced around and gotten in some trouble. I was an angry kid. Christ School had structure in a lot of ways that was helpful to me. You get up every morning, everyone has got to pitch in an do some community cleaning. That kind of stuff was great. I love North Carolina, I love Asheville. My family and I still get there every once in a while. We still get by campus. It has changed a lot. I just remember playing guitar with the guys in the dorm. I still stay in touch with those guys. I was the person most interested in theater and I learned how to build sets and run audio. That continues now even though I'm 43. It was just a lot of fun.
