I said we’d try something different this year. A new day for the guest bloggers to take center stage along with a Q and A format with the same questions for everyone. I thought it would be fun for you to read how the author got started, why they chose their genre and their writing tip. And of course, allow them the to tell you about something they’d like to shamelessly self promote.
Please welcome our first guest blogger of 2020, Fran Thomas….
When did you begin writing?
I began writing when I was nine years old. A classmate and I wrote a play about Spanish colonists’ coming to Florida. We also starred in this production. This probably tells you a lot about my personality. I was more interested in performing than in writing. A similar scenario came up many years later. Two co-workers at an insurance company and I auditioned to appear at the Three Rivers Arts Festival. When we were selected, I wrote the dialogue that tied all the songs we had chosen together.
What’s been your biggest challenge?
My biggest challenge has been learning the craft of fiction writing. I’m still learning. I majored in English and wrote essays galore. I wrote press releases for every group I ever joined. I even became a journalist and the editor of my local community newspaper. Fiction, however, is quite a different animal. I started numerous novels and didn’t have the skill to finish them. Finally, in 2016, I did it. I struggle with descriptions. My writing style is too concise, I think.
Why did you choose your genre?
I chose the romance genre because that is what I most enjoy reading. Although I like to read both historical and contemporary, I haven’t ventured into writing historical. I’m intimidated by all the research involved to get the details correct. My contemporary novellas are as light-hearted as I can make them. There is so much strife in the world. I want my books to offer a brief escape from all that for the readers and for me as the author.
What writing tip would you like to share?
My writing tip is do what works for you. There are a lot of gurus, but their method isn’t necessarily best for you. It doesn’t hurt to read their advice. Just extract and, more importantly, put into practice what is best in your situation.
What are you currently working on?
I am in the planning stages for a trilogy that will be set in and around the University of Pittsburgh where I went for both undergrad and master’s degrees. So far, I have the characters and basic conflicts in mind. Now, all I need are three plots.
What would you like to promote today?
The fifth book in my Calusa Town Tales is somewhat of a Christmas story although it takes place throughout the fall semester at Calusa Elementary School
Here is the Kindle link:http://www.amazon.com/dp/B08273KSDD
Fran Thomas
www.RusticatingintheTropics.com
