Peter Pan

#IWSG January 2020: How did this all start?

Created and hosted by the Ninja himself, Alex J. Cavanaugh, the Insecure Writers Support Group posts the 1st Wednesday of every month. Click the image to learn more or sign up.

Optional Monthly Question: What started you on your writing journey?
Was it a particular book, movie, story, or series?
Was it a teacher/coach/spouse/friend/parent?
Did you just “know” suddenly you wanted to write?

There were three distinct moments over a 20-year period that started me on my writing journey. First, it started with Peter Pan. I loved that story as a kid and read as many versions of it that I could get from the library. I wanted to be a lost boy and would write out adventures for me to go on. I also wrote other stories in my youth, but those stick with me the most and have inspired many of my stories.

Second, there was the teacher, the co-worker who revealed one day that she had written a children’s book about her journey to living in the U.S. and learning English. I had learned a lot from her and was inspired by her to write something, I just didn’t know what.

Lastly, there came “the dream” about the gray man. I feel like I’ve blogged so much about the inspiration behind my first book that there’s no reason to rehash it now. But after I started and then published that first story, I just couldn’t stop. Because of that dream, I started, writing, and blogging, and vlogging, and connecting with the writing community.

Sure, there were many other things along the way that also helped put me on this path, but those three things were pivotal in getting me where I am now.

****

The December IWSG member spotlight was Donna K. Weaver. Be sure to stop by her blog and say hi.

IWSG Book Club News

The December 2019/January 2020 book will be On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King. Discussion Fun Day will be January 22, 2020.

I’m about halfway through it. The first chapter was rough, not the writing, just reading about his youth. It got better after that, but it’s very refreshing, at this point, to read about where he started compared to where he is now. I’m looking forward to finishing and discussing it.

WEP-IWSG

The 2020 challenges are on the way. The WEP challenge for December was very touching. Here is my entry.

****

Now, on to the personal updates.

I’m laying low for this post but here are a few nuggets.

I did two different 2019 wrap-ups on; one on this blog and one on my Lit Carnivale blog. Later, I did a video wrap up with some goals for this year. I think I covered all the basis.

I brought back Counting My Blessings, but instead of posting to this blog, I’ve turned it into a vlog series. You can check it out here, with the updated image.

****

So, where did your writing journey start?
Did you meet your 2019 goals?
Set any goals for 2020?
It may take some time, but I promise, will stop by your blog.

****

After hanging out with Alex, be sure to stop by and visit this month’s co-hosts:
T. Powell Coltrin,
Victoria Marie Lees,
Stephen Tremp, and
J.H. Moncrieff!

****

Click here to visit other IWSG blogs and sites to receive and share more inspiration and support. (This month, I’m #42).

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

Happy 2nd Blog Anniversary! – An Interview, Part 1

Greetings readers, bloggers, geeks, and authors. It’s my anniversary and I thought I’d interview myself and share it with you. I’ve come a long way as a writer, blogger, reviewer, and interviewer and I’d thought it would be nice to share some of the things I’ve learned and tell you a little about myself, in case you don’t already know.

****

So just who is Toi Thomas?

I’m a devoted wife who works as a teacher’s assistant. My family is very important to me even though I don’t always spend a lot of time with them.

I believe in world harmony even if most people can’t seem to grasp the concept. While I do enjoy great conversations, crowds are not my thing.

I entertain myself by reading, watching movies, listening to vinyl records, cooking, collecting actions figures, and blogging.

I adore most animals, enjoying dancing, can’t live without tea, chocolate, or ice cream, and have been known to over indulge in geek culture from time to time, but more on that later.

Who is so me and why?

In my younger days, I was often told that I look liked several black entertainers, from Nia Long to Janet Jackson, but I know for a fact that I look like my mother.

When it comes to personality, how well you know me makes a difference. I’m an introvert so am not always understood by the crowd. I don’t mind that at one point I was referred to as black Daria; I like Daria. –

In terms of writing, after using the site, I write like, I found that my writing style might resemble that of either Dan Brown or James Fenimore Cooper, but I think there’s a flaw here. 😉

What was my favorite book or story, pre-teen years?

This is an easy one. While I adore most of the classic children’s tales such as the stories of OZ, Wonderland, Narnia, and more, it was the tales of Neverland that really struck a chord with me. I can remember checking out the same two or three books from the library every time we’d go. As I got older I looked for tales of Neverland on the small and big screens. Even to this day, I sometimes feel like a little lost boy on the inside.

What makes me geek out?

For anyone who doesn’t know the answer to this question, you must indeed be new to this blog. Have no fear, I will share, but first some ramblings.

Did you know that I do a monthly post called My Geekdom? There are so many things that fuel my geekness that I have to talk about them at least once a month. I also have five+ pinboards on Pinterest dedicated to geek themes and culture, and I follow many blogs based on their geek factor.

But enough of that…what really does it for me after: Betty Boop, Muppets, Peanuts, Marvel, and more? It all boils down to Batman…because he’s BATMAN!

In terms of interviews, whose brain am I just itching to scratch?

I love that fact that I’ve built a home on the web that’s inviting to authors, and soon to be other members of the book industry, because I really do enjoy getting to know other people who share my passion for writing and reading. I do hope to someday have a chance to interview some my favorite authors, but I don’t know that’s it’s an urge tugging at my brain at the moment.

I’m kicking myself for not giving my interview bucket list more considerable thought before this moment. I could name so many musicians, directors, authors, actors, and more in the field of entertainment, and even a few political figures, that I’d love to be able to sit down with and just ask questions until they walked away from me, but there’s no one brain I’m currently itching to scratch. I would however love to find the answers to questions such as “Why do people to the things they do?” and other philosophical ideas such as this.

****

Okay readers, bloggers, geeks, and authors, that’s all for today…unless you have a question you’d like to ask me. 😉

Thank you for sticking with me these past two years. Don’t forget to come back tomorrow for part two of this interview and hopefully enjoy some more of my insights.

This has been a

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

Get new posts by email: