An interview with Jim C. Hines
Jim C. Hines (aka
jimhines ), author of Goblin Quest and Goblin Hero, has a new book coming out today: Goblin War (you can see the cover here, and read an excerpt here). In celebration of the launch of book #3 about the inimitable Jig the Goblin, Jim is doing a blog tour -- his stop at The Trailing Edge is below the cut. Enjoy!
1. So, Jim: Why goblins?
I wanted to take a look at the fantasy genre from the monsters' perspective. It's been done before, but usually it's the big tough monsters, à la Shrek. That felt too easy. Anyone can survive an adventure if they're strong enough to crush armored knights like tin cans. So I went for the underdogs. You don't get much lower than goblins, and Jig's the runt of his lair. These were the guys I wanted to write about. Also, goblins are just fun. Sure, they'll stab you in the back, steal your boots, then drag your body back so that Golaka the chef can barbeque you for dinner, but there's no malice or nastiness there. That's just who they are, and they're okay with that. Also, it's your own fault anyway for turning your back on a goblin. Seriously, what were you thinking?
2. Like most of the writers I know, you have a day job. You also have a spouse (Hi, Amy! :^)) and two kids. How do you go about finding the time and mental energy to write?
Back in 2000, I had two job possibilities. I chose the one that paid less, but that would also require less of my time and mental energy, so that I would have more left to devote to writing. Once the kids came along, I found myself having to use my lunch break in order to get any words done. One hour a day, five days a week lets me do about 5000 words. If I'm on a deadline, I sometimes get more time in the evenings and on weekends, but that lunch break is the core of my writing process.
I've also been very lucky that Amy has been so supportive and understanding. It's not easy living with a writer, but not only does she put up with me, she's even willing to read my lousy drafts and let me know what does and doesn't work. Every writer should have an Amy. (But you can't have mine, so you'll have to go find your own.)
3. What’s your favourite thing about being a writer?
I think it would have to be the response from readers. The money is nice, and I love seeing my books in bookstores, but nothing matches the feeling you get when you find a letter or an e-mail from a reader who loved your book so much they had to write and tell you. I've had people tell me the goblin books helped them smile during a particularly rough time in their life; others have enjoyed Jig so much they send me fan art or make miniatures. It's a great feeling.
4. What are some of the projects you’re working on right now?
At the moment, I'm doing a short story about Smudge the fire-spider for an anthology. I've got another project I'll be doing with CatsCurious Press, writing a humorous counterstory to a fairy tale retelling. That should be a lot of fun. I'm also waiting for revision notes from my editor on my next book, The Stepsister Scheme. That's the new series I'll be doing after the goblin books, basically a mash-up of fairy-tale princesses and Charlie's Angels. I'm loving it! I've got a second book in that series drafted and waiting on a rewrite, and a third loosely plotted out. It should be enough to keep me out of trouble until at least 2009.
5. Do you listen to music when you’re writing? If so, anything in particular, or different things for different projects?
I generally don't. Like I said, I do most of my writing at work, and my office isn't really set up for music. When I'm at home, I'll occasionally grab the earbuds and listen to something on the computer while I write. It can help me shut out the rest of the world and focus. Instrumental is usually better. The Lord of the Rings soundtrack works well. On most days though, the only background noise is whatever spills over from the cubicles next door.
6. Suppose you’ve been asked to suggest some panels for a con. What topics would you suggest, who would you want to have on the panels with you, and why?
Hm ... okay, this is completely against the tone of the rest of this interview, but I would love to do a panel on why certain authors should never be allowed to write rape scenes, because they do such a god-awful job of it. Authors who spend months researching the astrophysics of a binary star system or the magical beliefs of ancient Egypt then turn around and write the most clichéd, offensive rape scenes without any indication that they've done any bit of reading or research. I was a sexual assault counselor and educator for years, and I tend to take this stuff personally.
As for who should be on that panel with me? Tori Amos. I know she doesn't write fiction, but she's done a lot of rape-advocacy work. Mostly though, she's just someone I would love to meet. Also Robert Heinlein, so I could ask him what the hell he was thinking when he wrote one particular scene in Friday.
7. What are some of your favourite books to read with your kids?
The kids are 2 and 7, so we're still reading the shorter stuff these days. Fox in Socks is one of my favorites, especially the tweedle beetles. My son is currently obsessed with Transformers books, none of which are very well-written, but they're fun because I get to watch my two-year-old shouting about Bumblebee and Optimus Prime. I'm hoping my daughter will be ready for Peter Pan soon. I'm ashamed to say I've never read it, and I would love for the two of us to read that one together.
8. If for some reason you had to audition for American Idol, what would you sing?
Thanks to the kids, I can do a wickedly awesome rendition of either "You Are My Sunshine" or "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star". Simon might not be impressed, but I bet Paula would love it! And of course, "The Song of Jig" is great for any occasion.
Should you happen to live in the Toronto area, or be planning to attend Ad Astra 2008 at the end of this month, you can meet Jim, buy his new book (or his older books), get him to sign books for you, and perhaps pick up some cool goblin bookmarks or goblin tattooz at the Goblin War book launch, which will be held on Saturday 29 March at 4:00 p.m.
jimhines ), author of Goblin Quest and Goblin Hero, has a new book coming out today: Goblin War (you can see the cover here, and read an excerpt here). In celebration of the launch of book #3 about the inimitable Jig the Goblin, Jim is doing a blog tour -- his stop at The Trailing Edge is below the cut. Enjoy!
1. So, Jim: Why goblins?
I wanted to take a look at the fantasy genre from the monsters' perspective. It's been done before, but usually it's the big tough monsters, à la Shrek. That felt too easy. Anyone can survive an adventure if they're strong enough to crush armored knights like tin cans. So I went for the underdogs. You don't get much lower than goblins, and Jig's the runt of his lair. These were the guys I wanted to write about. Also, goblins are just fun. Sure, they'll stab you in the back, steal your boots, then drag your body back so that Golaka the chef can barbeque you for dinner, but there's no malice or nastiness there. That's just who they are, and they're okay with that. Also, it's your own fault anyway for turning your back on a goblin. Seriously, what were you thinking?
2. Like most of the writers I know, you have a day job. You also have a spouse (Hi, Amy! :^)) and two kids. How do you go about finding the time and mental energy to write?
Back in 2000, I had two job possibilities. I chose the one that paid less, but that would also require less of my time and mental energy, so that I would have more left to devote to writing. Once the kids came along, I found myself having to use my lunch break in order to get any words done. One hour a day, five days a week lets me do about 5000 words. If I'm on a deadline, I sometimes get more time in the evenings and on weekends, but that lunch break is the core of my writing process.
I've also been very lucky that Amy has been so supportive and understanding. It's not easy living with a writer, but not only does she put up with me, she's even willing to read my lousy drafts and let me know what does and doesn't work. Every writer should have an Amy. (But you can't have mine, so you'll have to go find your own.)
3. What’s your favourite thing about being a writer?
I think it would have to be the response from readers. The money is nice, and I love seeing my books in bookstores, but nothing matches the feeling you get when you find a letter or an e-mail from a reader who loved your book so much they had to write and tell you. I've had people tell me the goblin books helped them smile during a particularly rough time in their life; others have enjoyed Jig so much they send me fan art or make miniatures. It's a great feeling.
4. What are some of the projects you’re working on right now?
At the moment, I'm doing a short story about Smudge the fire-spider for an anthology. I've got another project I'll be doing with CatsCurious Press, writing a humorous counterstory to a fairy tale retelling. That should be a lot of fun. I'm also waiting for revision notes from my editor on my next book, The Stepsister Scheme. That's the new series I'll be doing after the goblin books, basically a mash-up of fairy-tale princesses and Charlie's Angels. I'm loving it! I've got a second book in that series drafted and waiting on a rewrite, and a third loosely plotted out. It should be enough to keep me out of trouble until at least 2009.
5. Do you listen to music when you’re writing? If so, anything in particular, or different things for different projects?
I generally don't. Like I said, I do most of my writing at work, and my office isn't really set up for music. When I'm at home, I'll occasionally grab the earbuds and listen to something on the computer while I write. It can help me shut out the rest of the world and focus. Instrumental is usually better. The Lord of the Rings soundtrack works well. On most days though, the only background noise is whatever spills over from the cubicles next door.
6. Suppose you’ve been asked to suggest some panels for a con. What topics would you suggest, who would you want to have on the panels with you, and why?
Hm ... okay, this is completely against the tone of the rest of this interview, but I would love to do a panel on why certain authors should never be allowed to write rape scenes, because they do such a god-awful job of it. Authors who spend months researching the astrophysics of a binary star system or the magical beliefs of ancient Egypt then turn around and write the most clichéd, offensive rape scenes without any indication that they've done any bit of reading or research. I was a sexual assault counselor and educator for years, and I tend to take this stuff personally.
As for who should be on that panel with me? Tori Amos. I know she doesn't write fiction, but she's done a lot of rape-advocacy work. Mostly though, she's just someone I would love to meet. Also Robert Heinlein, so I could ask him what the hell he was thinking when he wrote one particular scene in Friday.
7. What are some of your favourite books to read with your kids?
The kids are 2 and 7, so we're still reading the shorter stuff these days. Fox in Socks is one of my favorites, especially the tweedle beetles. My son is currently obsessed with Transformers books, none of which are very well-written, but they're fun because I get to watch my two-year-old shouting about Bumblebee and Optimus Prime. I'm hoping my daughter will be ready for Peter Pan soon. I'm ashamed to say I've never read it, and I would love for the two of us to read that one together.
8. If for some reason you had to audition for American Idol, what would you sing?
Thanks to the kids, I can do a wickedly awesome rendition of either "You Are My Sunshine" or "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star". Simon might not be impressed, but I bet Paula would love it! And of course, "The Song of Jig" is great for any occasion.
Should you happen to live in the Toronto area, or be planning to attend Ad Astra 2008 at the end of this month, you can meet Jim, buy his new book (or his older books), get him to sign books for you, and perhaps pick up some cool goblin bookmarks or goblin tattooz at the Goblin War book launch, which will be held on Saturday 29 March at 4:00 p.m.