Alex Thomson

My name is Alex Thomson and I live in Atlanta, Georgia. I am currently in school to become a therapist, and in my free time I enjoy writing (maybe obviously), spending time with my family and my amazing wife, and doing outdoor activities (when it isn't too cold!).

Question 1: What inspired you to start writing?

My high school AP Lang teacher, Mrs. Reddy! I had always fancied myself a math/science person, but she instilled in me a real passion for communicating through writing. She also gave me the tools I needed to reflect on and evaluate my own writing. Rather than being assigned grades with illegible red scratches across my papers, she invited me into the process: she showed me what was working, what was falling short, and what could be done to refine my purpose.

Question 2: How have your past experiences influenced you as a writer?

I grew up thinking I'd become a musician, and I don't think it was until recently that I recognized the way in which music had, for the longest time, served an emotional regulatory role in my life. Today, I treat writing in a similar way. It's both a creative outlet as well as a way for me to process my emotions. Music is still incredibly important to me, but I find writing to be another language I use to communicate with myself.

Question 3: What do the words “writer’s block” mean to you? 

I used to get annoyed when I'd find myself with nothing to say, or if I felt I lacked the ability to say what I wanted to say the way I wanted to say it. I find myself in that state of mind more often than not, to the point that I don't really even consider myself a writer. I find myself fairly unable to draw writing up through the well, so to speak. Rather, I go through seasons where the writing presents itself urgently, issuing more from a place of necessity than one of concentrated effort. Writer's block, to me, is just what it looks like to live in a season where I have nothing to say, and I have learned to inhabit this place without judgment. When I have something to say, I have trust that what needs to come out will one way or another.

Question 4: When did you first call yourself a writer? 

I've never considered myself a writer. I'm not nearly disciplined enough about the process, nor am I good enough at turning on the tap to produce writing on a regular basis. I write when it feels like there is something inside that needs to get out, and I let that sense of urgency guide me forward. I go through times when I have nothing to say, and writing is the furthest thing from my mind. Then I go through times when, like breathing, writing feels like a necessary and pressing need.

Question 5: What is your writing process like? Are you more of a plotter or a pantser?

I find writing to be a bit like throwing junkyard scraps together in the hopes of building a plane. The initial product doesn't resemble a plane, but I have a certain degree of trust in my ability to recognize the raw elements and tweak them into something that can make it off the ground. I will oftentimes write little snippets and then leave them unattended for a long while, waiting for a better version of myself to come along and go, "oh, this can go there." Eventually the pieces fit together but forcing it can hinder the process.

Question 6: What is your kryptonite as a writer?

Time. Specifically, not enough of it. I would love to write more, but with grad school and work and personal responsibilities, I have to make do with snatching the free moments up like pennies on the street.

Question 7: Do you play music while you write — and, if so, what’s your favorite?

I grew up for most of my life thinking I'd be a musician, and music remain a very big way for me to communicate with my inner self. I almost always listen to music while I write, and typically playlists assemble themselves around things I'm working on.

Question 8: What do you think is the best way to improve writing skills?

Many people would say "read a lot," and I find myself agreeing to the extent that I understand how listening to music can be valuable to honing one's own musicianship. That being said, it is certainly not the only way, nor do I think it is the best way. I am not much of a reader at all. I learn to be a better writer by writing and then being a critical consumer of my own content, reflecting on what I can do better to more clearly and effectively articulate my purpose.

Question 9: What do the words “literary success” mean to you? How do you picture it?

With the advent of self-publishing, and the innumerable ways out there to have your writing published, literary success can be whatever goal you set for yourself. It can simply be to writing something you feel truly proud of. For me, I write to process emotions, and to the extent that I accomplish that goal, I feel satisfied. If a publication wants to repurpose that writing for a broader audience, then I feel honored, but it isn't my primary goal.

Question 10: As a writer, what animal do you most identify with?

A bear? I go into hibernation much of the time and then emerge when it's time to gather food.