Auburn alumni Ace Atkins shared his journey from newspaper reporter to bestselling crime novelist as this year’s speaker in the Graduate School’s seventh annual New Horizons Lecture in the Foy Ballroom on Thursday, April 2.
In his lecture, “From Notebook to New York Times Bestseller: The Journey of a Novelist,” Atkins focused on his time at Auburn and the chain of events that led him to become the author of 17 crime novels.
Before graduating from Auburn University in 1994 with a bachelor’s degree in mass communications, Atkins played for the Auburn football team while pursuing his degree.
Atkins said, “the work ethic you learn in football, and the practicing to make yourself better, and the fact that when you get knocked down that you get back up,” were the most important lessons he learned from football, but it was the escape from football through his classes that impacted him the most.
Following graduation, Atkins realized he needed a stronger background in writing to do the work he wanted to do, so he moved to Florida to pursue various writing jobs before doing freelance sports reporting for the St. Petersburg Times. Landing his job on the crime beat for The Tampa Tribune was most invaluable in leading him to become a crime novelist.
“That was what I really craved as a young person, was getting that experience and getting to see things because I think, as a novelist, that’s the core of what you want,” Atkins said.
Atkins published his first novel in 1998, and decided to become a full-time novelist soon after. He said he had mixed emotions about leaving the reporting business, but is glad he left when he did.
“I got out of the business because the books had started taking priority over my work as a reporter,” Atkins said, “and it was really something that I just wanted to make that jump.”
Atkins looks back on his time in the newspaper industry as some of the most important work he has done and said he would not have become a novelist if not for his work as a reporter.
“Being a reporter helped me be a professional writer,” Atkins said. “It was my on-the-job training. It taught me to write good sentences, to have an ear for dialogue, to really recognize what is a good story.”
Students that attended Atkins’ lecture said they enjoyed his story and the advice he offered.
“I found it really informative, and I liked his story for success,” said Erin Bouska, senior in biomedical sciences. “Especially when he (said) we don’t know when we set our dreams how much it’ll take to get there, you just have to keep working.”
Kaitlin Byerly, junior in biomedical sciences, said she liked the motivational aspect of Atkins lecture and the importance he placed on following what you want to do.
“I liked that he was more about the academics, even while he was a football player,” said Katherine Trotter, senior in exercise science. “It’s not really based on football, it’s based on what you learn here.”
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
