Q: Where do you get your ideas?
A: I get my ideas from everyday life, believe it or not. I’ll see an event, hear someone say something, even see something or TV or read something, and boom! An idea is born.
Q: Why are you so awesome?
A: Well, I guess I was just born with it. Thank you for noticing.
Q: Why did you become a writer?
A: That’s a good question, and I’ll try to keep the answer as short as possible. I always had a knack for writing. I’d write term papers or assignments in days while other students took weeks. I never thought, however, that writing was in the cards for me. I worked as an electronics technician and realized that I liked it but not as an everyday job. In 2001, I saw the movie, Unbreakable, and it unlocked my desire to tell stories. I’d write down story ideas, and when I started writing, I wrote in screenplay form. I found that I got too descriptive, so I wrote in prose form from that point forward.
Q: What kind of stories do you write?
A: One of my major influences was The Twilight Zone, so I write in the speculative genre. I also like horror, so I write in that genre as well. As I said, everyday life influences my writing so I write romance, coming of age stories, and drama. I also became fond of writing creative nonfiction, so I like to write snippets about my life.
Q: If I hugged you, shook your hand, or patted you on the back, would your awesomeness rub off on me?
A: Sadly, no. I do accept handshakes from anyone who wants one (hugs from women, as well).
Q: You are a fantastic writer!
A: Not a question, but thank you. Spread the word.
Q: Why do you write under a pen name?
A: That’s a question that requires four answers. First, I write under a pen name because of an article in Writer’s Digest I read about Joe Hill, Stephen King’s son. He maintained his pen name to avoid special treatment. When I, or any writer who writes in a pen name, send an MS to a magazine, my real name is always on the cover letter but not the MS, itself. Answer number two: I originally sent my first published story, “Friday After School,” to about 70 plus magazines, and they each rejected me. I sent the story to three magazines under a pen name, and one, The Chaffin Journal, published the story. Coincidence? Answer number three: I didn’t think my real name sounded “writery.” Lastly, I’m interested in ghostwriting and proofreading. If I get a publishing credit in ghost writing, I would like it to be under my real name.
Q: What is the origin of you nom de plume?
A: My middle name is Lee. That’s where the “L” comes from. My mom’s maiden name is Garvey, and my first name, of course is Thomas. I go by Tom.
Q: Who are your favorite writers?
A: I love Stephen King. He’s my favorite, and he inspires my writing. I like Joe Hill, T.C. Boyle (Tooth and Claw is the best short story ever!), Chuck Palahniuk, Kurt Vonnegut, Ray Bradbury, Ernest Hemingway, Flannery O’Connor, John Cheever, and so many more!
Q: Well…who else?
A: Edgar Allan Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, John Updike, so many!
Q: Do you write anything other than fiction?
A: Yes, I like to write Creative Nonfiction-stories that happened to me in life, what I learned, how I felt, how I wished I reacted.
Q: Have you written anything in the Creative Nonfiction genre?
A: Yes, I wrote “Now Sing!” It’s a true story of something that happened to me, and you can access it in the “links” section.
Q: Is that your only published nonfiction piece?
A: Yes, for now. I’m trying to find a home for another piece, and I’m chipping away at writing my personal memoirs.
Q: Do you do anything else, artistically?
A: Yes, I play guitar and paint. I also dabble with photography, but my true passion is writing.
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