Tara Hodgson - At Least I'm Trying

·21 min·2 clips

Canadian author Tara Hodgson describes her new book as 'Snapchat gone wrong,' inspired by students' risky online behaviors.

The episode begins with host Al Warren and editor Michael Hawley introducing guest Tara Hodgson, a Canadian author and teacher. Hodgson shares that she is focusing on her writing during a hiatus from her day job, with her second book 'At Least I'm Trying' releasing soon and a third in progress. She describes the book's premise as 'Snapchat gone wrong,' inspired by her students' use of apps like Snapchat and features such as Snap Map, which shares real-time locations. Hodgson explains that the story aims to show the extreme dangers of kids being online predators' targets while at home, contrasting with past generations where such risks were more public. She details her main character Reese, a perfectionist athlete and student who crumbles after experiencing failure for the first time, inspired by Hodgson's observations of students under pressure. The antagonist Liam is a manipulative character who uses love bombing to exploit Reese's vulnerabilities, written from her perspective to avoid delving into his mind. Hodgson discusses the challenges of writing for a young adult audience, noting she handles dark themes sensitively without explicit violence. She emphasizes her passion for addressing how technology affects kids' mental health, citing research that predators now target children online rather than in public. As a teacher, Hodgson shares insights from a survey of 67 students in her rural community, revealing average screen times of 9-12 hours daily, with 80% having phones in their rooms at night and most parents not monitoring their activities. She contrasts this with older generations' concerns about TV, highlighting how social media connects kids globally in riskier ways. The conversation touches on AI friends and digital safety gaps, with Hodgson advocating for more parental education. She promotes her book via Instagram and Facebook, despite the irony of using social media to critique it. The episode concludes with thanks and show credits.

As heard by us

Tara Hodgson discusses how Liam manipulates Reese and how young adult craft shapes that story.

Tara Hodgson's conversation with Al Warren and editor Michael Hawley frames At Least I'm Trying as a study of manipulation from the inside. Hodgson walks through the way Liam pulls Reese close through love bombing, persistent messages, gifts, and unannounced visits, until she…

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Press play for a YA author interview about At Least I'm Trying, where Tara Hodgson talks love bombing, red flags, and writing a manipulative character through Reese's eyes.

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