Why did you pursue writing?
Because I had to. I did really well in university so doors
kept opening for me to speak at conferences, teach, receive prizes, etc., but
it was mostly for my essays and creative non-fiction pieces, not because I was
scholar of the year. It took a long time and years of determination to finally
strip away the other forms of earning income before I finally allowed myself to
earn a living as a writer. I have a lot of strong skill sets, but written
communication is the one that comes most easily and that I seem to be paid the
most for.
I also know that it’s through writing that I survive and
process my life. When things go sideways or when I get really upset about how
our institutions grind away and unwittingly destroy lives, I turn to my
notepad. Look at Harry Tyke, the protagonist of The Naked Storyteller, I use
him to show my frustration with the digital trends in parenting and education.
I use my words to raise awareness about issues I think are harming our
collective present and future.
What inspired your book, The Naked Storyteller?
I have always believed that educators should do more with
less. And watching my now eleven-year-old daughter go through the public school
system has affirmed that education is getting further and further away from
human-to-human teaching and is relying on all sorts of mostly useless teaching
aids and technology to do the work.
The Naked Storyteller began as a how-to novel (much like my
first novel Polly Wants to Be a Writer is a how-to on writing fiction) based on
a storytelling workshop that I used to present at teacher conferences and to
“edutainment” companies. The book was intended to encourage teachers to use
traditional story-based teaching methods and provide tips on how to implement
those methods in the modern classroom, but Harry’s voice was so strong that I
ditched the how-to part and rewrote the second draft as a contemporary romantic
comedy.
How long have you been publishing your work?
I have been freelancing for more than 20 years in fiction
and non-fiction. My last gig was head of creative writing and communications
for an edutainment company. When the company downsized in the spring of 2013,
and I was laid off, I decided to stop selling my services to corporate clients
and start getting books out that have my name on the cover. I started with
Polly Wants to Be a Writer: The Junior Authors Guide to Writing and Getting
Published because I was already doing a ton of mentoring of young writers on
the side and had lots to say to that audience.
What’s your writing environment like?
I’m a mom, and I take that job seriously. I work from home
and my work day starts when my daughter leaves for school, my husband has gone
to work and I have the place to myself. I need extended hours of quiet in order
to do creative work. My office is next to the kitchen and laundry room so that
when I need to stretch my back and legs I can throw in a load of clothes or
start on dinner preparations. I cook and bake from scratch, which means I need
a fair bit of time in the kitchen, so I definitely appreciate being able to
work at home. I love it and wouldn’t change a thing.
What projects are you currently working on?
The list is long. Aside from running Laura Thomas
Communications, which includes the International Junior Authors contests and
conferences, and running our online magazine, jaBlog!, I am working on three
book projects. The Adventures of Bob Warhop is an animal fantasy novel for
young readers 9 - 12. I’m on the second revision round and it is the next book
I will release; so it’s a priority.
I am also working on a daily devotional for writers. I start
my writing sessions by writing the devotion for one day. It should be ready to
sell by the end of 2015. A newer project is a non-fiction book on the history
of Parental Alienation Syndrome in Canada. I’m in the research stages for that
one and will sell essays first before completing the book. It’s a topic I’m politically
and personally involved in so I work on it as I’m trying to nudge our
politicians in my community to do something about this terrible form of child abuse.
About the Author:
LAURA MICHELLE THOMAS is an author with an opinion on just
about everything she thinks is wrong with contemporary life in North America
(which, in her opinion, is just about everything). Harry Tyke, the 52-year-old
protagonist of The Naked Storyteller, is who Laura might be if she wasn’t the
author of her own life and had a beard. When she’s not writing and telling her
family to buzz off and let her work, she’s runs a very busy website through
which she fosters the development of young writers around the world through
free annual writing contests, young writers conferences and other inspirational
stuff. With the assistance of her team of junior bloggers, editors and artists,
Laura has the privilege of being publisher and senior editor of an
international e-zine for young writers called jaBlog! To find out what novel
project Laura is working on now, please visit her website
(www.laurathomascommunications.com) and click on “Novels by Laura Michelle
Thomas.”
Social Media Links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LauraThomasComm
Purchase Links:
(Kindle Amazon.com)
http://www.amazon.com/Naked-Storyteller-Laura-Michelle-Thomas-ebook/dp/B00MO0DF9W
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