Jennie St. Thomas
@jenniestt.bsky.social
North Carolina novelist writing place-driven, character-first fiction. My work features truth, consequences, and second chances. Also writes fan fiction as Cat Lady Firebird. https://JennieStThomas.com
January 27, 2026 at 4:00 AM
January 26, 2026 at 4:00 AM
Evening/daily word count: 2,210. This included my 25,000th word written in 2026 -- already! #amWriting #Blogging #FanFiction #AllThatMattered
January 25, 2026 at 4:00 AM
Evening/daily word count: 2,210. This included my 25,000th word written in 2026 -- already! #amWriting #Blogging #FanFiction #AllThatMattered
Another good #PretendPanel question (really folks, you should be checking this out). Yes, I finally "caved" and used AI just to bounce ideas around late last year -- NOT FOR DRAFTING -- and my actual drafting output has taken off. It's a good tool for brainstorming and summarizing.
#pretendpanel, once again, cannot wait to hear your answers to this one...
January 24th: Is there a significant change you can remember that was like a huge revelation for you? (whether in your process, or between drafts, whatever)
#WritingCommunity #Writers #Authors #WritingPrompts
January 24th: Is there a significant change you can remember that was like a huge revelation for you? (whether in your process, or between drafts, whatever)
#WritingCommunity #Writers #Authors #WritingPrompts
January 25, 2026 at 3:06 AM
Another good #PretendPanel question (really folks, you should be checking this out). Yes, I finally "caved" and used AI just to bounce ideas around late last year -- NOT FOR DRAFTING -- and my actual drafting output has taken off. It's a good tool for brainstorming and summarizing.
Blog Post: Two questions about writing: how I came to it, and who shaped my understanding of the craft. buff.ly/ZwXRPqo #questions
Always a Writer, and Learning From Others – Jennie St. Thomas
Two questions about writing: how I came to it, and who shaped my understanding of the craft.
buff.ly
January 24, 2026 at 7:00 PM
Blog Post: Two questions about writing: how I came to it, and who shaped my understanding of the craft. buff.ly/ZwXRPqo #questions
January 24, 2026 at 4:00 AM
Understanding why requires context, but it's HANDS DOWN the best thing I got to write this week. #FaveLineFriday #WriteSky
--
“Like tailgating into the bull pen,” murmured Amanda. “It’s something we hear about again and again, but when it actually happens, no one notices. Unless you’re Francine.”
--
“Like tailgating into the bull pen,” murmured Amanda. “It’s something we hear about again and again, but when it actually happens, no one notices. Unless you’re Francine.”
#FaveLineFriday Did I forget that it's Friday again?
Yes, but anyway! Post your favorite line that you worked on this week, and don't forget to tag your posts and support your fellow authors!
#writingprompt #writingcommunity #writesky
Yes, but anyway! Post your favorite line that you worked on this week, and don't forget to tag your posts and support your fellow authors!
#writingprompt #writingcommunity #writesky
January 24, 2026 at 12:38 AM
Understanding why requires context, but it's HANDS DOWN the best thing I got to write this week. #FaveLineFriday #WriteSky
--
“Like tailgating into the bull pen,” murmured Amanda. “It’s something we hear about again and again, but when it actually happens, no one notices. Unless you’re Francine.”
--
“Like tailgating into the bull pen,” murmured Amanda. “It’s something we hear about again and again, but when it actually happens, no one notices. Unless you’re Francine.”
And good evening to you, #PretendPanel!
The answer to this question is "yes," but the draft in question was Standing in the Dark, and it's a part of the story that readers have universally liked and complimented me on. I regret it because I wrote myself into corners I didn't need to...
The answer to this question is "yes," but the draft in question was Standing in the Dark, and it's a part of the story that readers have universally liked and complimented me on. I regret it because I wrote myself into corners I didn't need to...
Good evening #pretendpanel! Hope your January is going swimmingly. Today, let's discuss...
January 23rd: Was there ever something you changed about your process, or even in a single draft, that you later came to regret?
#WritingCommunity #Writers #Authors #WritingPrompts
January 23rd: Was there ever something you changed about your process, or even in a single draft, that you later came to regret?
#WritingCommunity #Writers #Authors #WritingPrompts
January 24, 2026 at 12:32 AM
And good evening to you, #PretendPanel!
The answer to this question is "yes," but the draft in question was Standing in the Dark, and it's a part of the story that readers have universally liked and complimented me on. I regret it because I wrote myself into corners I didn't need to...
The answer to this question is "yes," but the draft in question was Standing in the Dark, and it's a part of the story that readers have universally liked and complimented me on. I regret it because I wrote myself into corners I didn't need to...
January 23, 2026 at 4:00 AM
After a four-day weekend spent fixing web sites (definitely NOT what I'd had in mind), I'm back at it! Evening/daily word count: 853. #amWriting #FanFiction #AllThatMattered
January 21, 2026 at 4:00 AM
After a four-day weekend spent fixing web sites (definitely NOT what I'd had in mind), I'm back at it! Evening/daily word count: 853. #amWriting #FanFiction #AllThatMattered
Evening/daily word count: 2,555. #amWriting #Blogging
January 18, 2026 at 4:00 AM
Evening/daily word count: 2,555. #amWriting #Blogging
#Literary studies geared towards the imperatives of capitalist market values deem originality and solitary creative labors of utmost importance. It wants one name behind the product. #FanFiction undermines this, thriving outside commercial structures.
Fanfiction Made Me a Literary Scholar - Electric Literature
Fanfiction assumes what any literary scholarship worth its salt must acknowledge: Narrative is a social act
buff.ly
January 18, 2026 at 1:00 AM
#Literary studies geared towards the imperatives of capitalist market values deem originality and solitary creative labors of utmost importance. It wants one name behind the product. #FanFiction undermines this, thriving outside commercial structures.
“If you can genetically engineer the #JemHadar in the 24th century, you can change them in the intervening 800 years in the 32nd century. You can genetically modify them. It’s not a big deal.” And I liked Luna Thok! #StarfleetAcademy
January 17, 2026 at 10:00 PM
“If you can genetically engineer the #JemHadar in the 24th century, you can change them in the intervening 800 years in the 32nd century. You can genetically modify them. It’s not a big deal.” And I liked Luna Thok! #StarfleetAcademy
Another good one from #pretendpanel. I edit as I write, so this is a hard question to answer, but I'd say it nets to at least two or three overall. First major attempt? At least six. I'm getting more efficient -- but I still have a policy that my first draft NEVER sees anything except my hard drive.
#pretendpanel, I will get to your answers from yesterday shortly, thank you for your patience. Meanwhile...
January 17th: How many drafts, then vs. now? (see image and/or alt text for further prompting if needed)
#WritingCommunity #Writers #Authors #WritingPrompts
January 17th: How many drafts, then vs. now? (see image and/or alt text for further prompting if needed)
#WritingCommunity #Writers #Authors #WritingPrompts
January 17, 2026 at 4:11 PM
Another good one from #pretendpanel. I edit as I write, so this is a hard question to answer, but I'd say it nets to at least two or three overall. First major attempt? At least six. I'm getting more efficient -- but I still have a policy that my first draft NEVER sees anything except my hard drive.
Hi, #pretendpanel. I'm currently breaking free from processes I've outgrown. I had a good solid set of them but they had failure/fracture points, and I'm learning to overcome those. This is about refining processes, though, not discarding them. Great question!
#pretendpanel, tell me...
January 16th: Where are you now with the writing process? How has that changed?
e.g. keeping it fun / currently learning processes / adherence to learned processes / breaking out of outgrown processes / something else?
#WritingCommunity #Writers #Authors #WritingPrompts
January 16th: Where are you now with the writing process? How has that changed?
e.g. keeping it fun / currently learning processes / adherence to learned processes / breaking out of outgrown processes / something else?
#WritingCommunity #Writers #Authors #WritingPrompts
January 17, 2026 at 4:09 PM
Hi, #pretendpanel. I'm currently breaking free from processes I've outgrown. I had a good solid set of them but they had failure/fracture points, and I'm learning to overcome those. This is about refining processes, though, not discarding them. Great question!
January 17, 2026 at 4:00 AM
January 15, 2026 at 4:00 AM
Hey, #authors who use pen names because they write something else using their real name: do you link your real-world writing from your author web page/social media? Why/why not? I haven't been, even though I'm actually "out" to most of my real-world contacts, but things have been colliding lately...
January 14, 2026 at 10:00 PM
Hey, #authors who use pen names because they write something else using their real name: do you link your real-world writing from your author web page/social media? Why/why not? I haven't been, even though I'm actually "out" to most of my real-world contacts, but things have been colliding lately...
January 14, 2026 at 4:00 AM
January 12, 2026 at 4:00 AM
January 11, 2026 at 4:00 AM
Like many (most, all?) writers, my first characters were versions of myself. Even today, if I can't identify with a character on SOME level, I can't write them authentically. But these days, even though I'm a character-based author, my characters are created to "fit" the story. It's more deliberate.
#pretendpanel, maybe this has changed for you, or maybe not! But either way, I'm keen to know...
January 10th: How has your creation of main characters evolved over time?
#WritingCommunity #Writers #Authors #WritingPrompts
January 10th: How has your creation of main characters evolved over time?
#WritingCommunity #Writers #Authors #WritingPrompts
January 10, 2026 at 6:04 PM
Like many (most, all?) writers, my first characters were versions of myself. Even today, if I can't identify with a character on SOME level, I can't write them authentically. But these days, even though I'm a character-based author, my characters are created to "fit" the story. It's more deliberate.
I love this! I've long been a way-walker (blue collar roots, worldview & education, white collar life) and this person Gets It.
Blue Collar, Less-Educated, Rough Around the Edges: The Other Marginalized Writers
By Mashaw McGuinnis An acquaintance of mine texted after reading some of my novel-in-progress. “Don’t try so hard with stereotypical language and trailer park folks… I don’t buy it.” I wanted to di…
buff.ly
January 10, 2026 at 4:00 AM
I love this! I've long been a way-walker (blue collar roots, worldview & education, white collar life) and this person Gets It.