Tomes of Terror is happening again this year on October 26th, and I can’t wait to see some amazing authors (and some familiar faces)! One of those authors will be fellow HWA member Christopher Hawkins, who I’ve had the pleasure of meeting twice now. Ahead of Tomes, I sat down with Chris to talk about his career and learn the things that make him tick both as an author and a reader. Check out my interview below, get to know Chris, and by the end, his table will be a mandatory stop!
Q: Who has been your biggest supporter(s) throughout your career?
A: My wife, definitely. She’s put up with a lot of doubt and uncertainty for over twenty years and somehow hasn’t managed to get sick of me.
Q: What inspires you to write?
A: Reading great fiction or watching great movies really gets me motivated. Something about experiencing really excellent stories inspires me to work and to up my own game.
Q: What is the most surprising thing you’ve learned, whether about yourself or the industry as a whole, since you started your writing journey?
A: I think the most surprising thing is that most of the people in this business are just making it up as they go along. I used to have the traditional publishing industry up on a pedestal, thinking that there was a lot of knowledge and discernment consolidated at the top of that business. But – and reports have shown this – success is still mostly down to guesswork and luck, even at that level. That ought to have been discouraging, but I honestly find it really empowering.
Q: If you could meet with your past self at the beginning of your career, what one thing would you tell yourself?
A: I’d tell myself not to get bogged down in what other people might think or spend time worrying about whether I was “good enough.” Writing is a skill, not an inborn ability. The more you practice it, the better you get.
Q: What has been the hardest part of your career so far?
A: Marketing, definitely. The readers are out there, but connecting with them is often a challenge. It all comes down to trying lots of things and hoping that some of them stick.
Q: If you could go back and change anything about your career, would you? If so, what would it be?
A: I think I would have worked harder to find my community earlier in my career. So many of the opportunities I’ve had in the past couple of years have come from being a part of the Chicago writing scene. I would have tried to get there sooner.
Q: What do you consider to be your biggest strength as an author? Your Kryptonite?
A: I think I’m pretty good at editing down my work once I’ve gotten it all down in draft form. I like to think of it as shaping the raw clay of a first draft. I love the process of cutting and adding and molding until I end up with a relatable story.
As for my Kryptonite, it’s definitely distraction. My brain is all over the place sometimes, and it’s easy to lose track of what I’m doing when some shiny object presents itself.
Q: Who is on your radar as someone that you’d love to work with?
A: I don’t know if there are any writers I’d want to work with, mostly because I think I’d make a terrible collaborator. I read a lot of comic books and horror manga though and would love to work in that medium. I’d especially love to work with Gabriel Rodriguez. He’s the artist behind Locke and Key. Collaborating with Junji Ito would be a dream as well.
Q: Dealing with negativity can be challenging, whether that’s from bad reviews, critics, social media, or other sources. What is your strategy for dealing with that side of the industry?
A: Honestly, the best way to deal with it is to not engage at all. I try not to read reviews, mainly because I’ve always been good at rejecting praise and internalizing criticism. So why feed that beast? It’s better to just accept that your work is never going to be universally loved. Even the greatest writers of our time get bad reviews.
Q: What has been the most impactful piece of advice that you’ve been given, and how have you used that advice in your writing journey?
A: Ray Bradbury once said, “Don’t think. Thinking is the enemy of creativity.” For me, that’s really about being open to possibilities, letting the story take you where it’s going to take you, and not getting bogged down in self-doubt. I only wish I was better at following that advice.
Chris will have copies of all of his books at Tomes of Terror, as well as his new crime-noir novella called A Sharp Knife Against Bone that is exclusive to his appearances. This novella is the only one of Chris’ works that I don’t have, so his table will be a must for me!
Can’t attend Tomes but still want to meet Chris and get some signed books? He’ll be at the Awkward Nerd Book Fair on September 22nd and AuthorCon St. Louis the weekend of October 4th. Chris has some library events planned also between now and November!
Congratulations! You’ve reached the middle of this interview, and your prize for sticking with me this far is learning some fun facts about Chris. And don’t miss the news about his upcoming release and favourite book of the year so far!
Q: If you were to write a spin-off about a side character in any of your stories (published or not), who would you pick and why?
A: There’s a thing I’m working on now with a character I’m calling Muzz. He’s kind of innocent, unrelentingly positive, and game for just about anything. He’s such a pure spirit, and I just want to follow him around to see what he’s up to at any point in the day.
Q: What is your worst reading habit? Are you a dog-earer, a margin-writer, or do you practice some other egregious offense?
A: I’m exactly the opposite. I’m a don’t-bend-the-spine, put-it-back-on-the-shelf-like-it’s-never-been-touched kind of reader. I’ve had friends ask me why I’ve never read books that are on my shelves, but I have, many more than once, but you’d never know it by looking.
Q: Who is the most stressful character you’ve ever written and why?
A: It’s probably Scott, the main character of Downpour. He’s been dealt a bad hand in so many ways, and throughout the whole book he’s really just trying to keep it together as things get worse and worse. I really feel for that guy and should probably find a way to apologize to him.
Q: If you were to be remembered only by the words you’ve published, what would future historians think of you?
A: I honestly have no idea. I’m too focused on the here and now. But if someone were to pick up one of my books in a hundred years and think it’s good enough to talk about, that would be amazing.
Q: What is your quirkiest writing habit?
A: Is procrastination quirky? Probably that.
Q: If you had to create a slogan for your life, what would it be?
A: Maybe “Intend your puns!” I think that’s something we can all get behind.
Q: You have to wear a T-shirt with only one word on it for the rest of your life. What word is on your shirt?
A: Probably just STOP. People would come up to me and ask, “Stop what?” and I’d answer, “Yes.”
Q: If your name was suddenly used as a verb, what would your name be doing?
A: Probably fretting or overthinking things. Just Hawkinsing my way through every uncomfortable social encounter and awkward interaction.
Q: In the story of your life, who (or what) would be your nemesis?
A: Time. There never seems to be enough of it, and it tends to make this hissing sound as it goes by, like you’re losing pressure in an airplane. You know it’s going to run out, but you never know when. It’s hard to think of anything more terrifying.
Q: If someone were to open your fridge, what is the weirdest thing they’d find?
A: Certainly not a human head. That’s so random. Why would you even mention that?
There you have it, folks! You definitely don’t want to skip out on Chris’ table at Tomes! Make sure you check out his website and follow him on X and Instagram to keep up with all his book and appearance news. Chris has a new novel coming out in the spring, a genre-bending adventure with plenty of horror and heart, that I’m really excited for!
And while you wait, give The Strange by Nathan Ballingrud a read! Chris had this to say about it: “It’s this incredibly ambitious retro-futuristic western set on a version of Mars that was settled by humans in the early 20th century. It takes that H.G. Wells kind of sensibility and mixes it up with cosmic horror and it all just works. It’s really remarkable.”
Discover more from Alpha's Court
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Alpha's Court 
Leave a comment