Weaving fiction, freedom, and the creative life - one thread at a time.https://bsky.app/profile/debbiethomaswriter.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/debbiethomaswriter.bsky.social/post/3mjhhjg6cn22oConstraint, it turns out, is a surprisingly good creative motivator...Returning to corporate life is making me more intentional about my writing... #AmWriting #WritingLife #BlackAuthors #DiasporaWriting #WritersOfBluesky #SubstackWriter #CreativeLif https://debbiethomastayali.substack.com/p/finding-more-time-by-having-less14 Apr 2026 13:13 +0000at://did:plc:v7o7uppvb3uy2yui2g3mutwi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjhhjg6cn22ohttps://bsky.app/profile/debbiethomaswriter.bsky.social/post/3mgzw5fewnk2aI am thoroughly enjoying The Mercy Step by Marcia Hutchinson after hearing her speak at @forthwrite.bsky.social in Brighton last week. It's made me laugh out loud, brought me to tears, and had me nodding with deep recognition. Highly recommend. 🧵❤️ #TheMercyStep #WomensPrize14 Mar 2026 17:07 +0000at://did:plc:v7o7uppvb3uy2yui2g3mutwi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgzw5fewnk2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/debbiethomaswriter.bsky.social/post/3mgzdf3qwfk27Some weeks I barely surface from the editing cave. So I've been making a point of getting out. Two writing events, lots of scribbled notes, and more than I bargained for. New post. 🧵 #WritingCommunity #AmWriting https://debbiethomastayali.substack.com/p/out-of-the-writing-cave-and-back14 Mar 2026 11:32 +0000at://did:plc:v7o7uppvb3uy2yui2g3mutwi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgzdf3qwfk27https://bsky.app/profile/debbiethomaswriter.bsky.social/post/3mfzbexlr3s2qSometimes the best thing you can do with a difficult writing problem is nothing at all. The answer will find you - like mine did at 3am... #WritingCommunity #AmWriting #CreativeLife #Substack https://substack.com/home/post/p-18954750001 Mar 2026 17:31 +0000at://did:plc:v7o7uppvb3uy2yui2g3mutwi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfzbexlr3s2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/debbiethomaswriter.bsky.social/post/3meewqhcjgc2mAnother long-form freelance article in the bag - and what better way to celebrate than a trip to the theatre to see this. Here’s to all the writers and keeping the creative juices flowing… #WritingLife #AmWriting #NovelEditing #WritersOfBluesky08 Feb 2026 22:02 +0000at://did:plc:v7o7uppvb3uy2yui2g3mutwi/app.bsky.feed.post/3meewqhcjgc2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/debbiethomaswriter.bsky.social/post/3mcecbkfjvc22Finishing a novel is less about gluing myself to my chair, and more about knowing when to slip away and refuel. Here's to bringing work and rest together in ways that actually work. https://substack.com/home/post/p-184507526 #AmWriting #WritingCommunity #WritersOfBluesky #CreativeLife14 Jan 2026 05:05 +0000at://did:plc:v7o7uppvb3uy2yui2g3mutwi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mcecbkfjvc22https://bsky.app/profile/debbiethomaswriter.bsky.social/post/3maogjxbdqk2wAs I edge closer to completing the last round of edits to my first novel, I've taken a few minutes to highlight what this is teaching me. Nothing earth shatteringly deep; just a few, back-of-a-fag-packet musings. https://substack.com/@debbiethomaswriter/p-182248654 #WritingLife #AmWriting #NovelEditing #WritersOfBluesky23 Dec 2025 18:58 +0000at://did:plc:v7o7uppvb3uy2yui2g3mutwi/app.bsky.feed.post/3maogjxbdqk2whttps://bsky.app/profile/debbiethomaswriter.bsky.social/post/3m5tspjvjd22uI decided to celebrate finishing an article I just wrote for a legal journal with a morning coffee at my local coffee shop. Tomorrow I'll be back to the novel edits in earnest. ;-) #WritingLife #LegalWriting #FreelanceWriter #AmWriting #NovelEditing #WritersOfBluesky #DailyWriting #WritingCommunity17 Nov 2025 18:03 +0000at://did:plc:v7o7uppvb3uy2yui2g3mutwi/app.bsky.feed.post/3m5tspjvjd22uhttps://bsky.app/profile/debbiethomaswriter.bsky.social/post/3m3s5w3omus2vMy first published short story ‘Escaping the Scar Tissue’ explores change & liberation. It's been published in this new literary journal - and while you're there check out the poetry and prose of other writers: https://www.nomoremargins.com/literary-journal22 Oct 2025 15:28 +0000at://did:plc:v7o7uppvb3uy2yui2g3mutwi/app.bsky.feed.post/3m3s5w3omus2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/debbiethomaswriter.bsky.social/post/3m3kzbqsaws26Ten months after leaving my corporate job (and 5 years of stop-start writing), I’m finally finishing my novel. A short story and an article published is proof enough: I’m a writer. The excitement’s back; this week it’s just me and the manuscript. #WritingCommunity https://substack.com/home/post/p-17656562919 Oct 2025 19:16 +0000at://did:plc:v7o7uppvb3uy2yui2g3mutwi/app.bsky.feed.post/3m3kzbqsaws26https://bsky.app/profile/debbiethomaswriter.bsky.social/post/3ludqrey3us2nChuffed to learn that one of my short stories has been selected to be published in the inaugural issue of a new literary journal: No More Margins! ✍️📚🎉✨ #Writer #amwriting #AmRevising #AuthorLife #WriteGoodNews19 Jul 2025 19:59 +0000at://did:plc:v7o7uppvb3uy2yui2g3mutwi/app.bsky.feed.post/3ludqrey3us2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/debbiethomaswriter.bsky.social/post/3lnfujp22hs2thttps://open.substack.com/pub/debbiethomaswrites/p/facing-whats-holding-me-back-from?r=3un1gt&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true22 Apr 2025 14:15 +0000at://did:plc:v7o7uppvb3uy2yui2g3mutwi/app.bsky.feed.post/3lnfujp22hs2thttps://bsky.app/profile/debbiethomaswriter.bsky.social/post/3lhtde7afic2shttps://debbiethomaswrites.substack.com/p/i-did-art-for-30-days-and-this-happened #art #creative #writing10 Feb 2025 14:14 +0000at://did:plc:v7o7uppvb3uy2yui2g3mutwi/app.bsky.feed.post/3lhtde7afic2shttps://bsky.app/profile/debbiethomaswriter.bsky.social/post/3lh4p5lxmds2lhttps://debbiethomascoaching.substack.com/p/applying-art-to-life #art #creativity #writing #creativewriting #perfection #goodenough #books01 Feb 2025 14:14 +0000at://did:plc:v7o7uppvb3uy2yui2g3mutwi/app.bsky.feed.post/3lh4p5lxmds2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/debbiethomaswriter.bsky.social/post/3lggb4wsptc2lWould you like to: Sharpen your writing, craft impactful content—and leave a lasting impression on your audience? Content mentoring could be the answer. https://www.debbiethomas.co/content-mentoring #mentor #mentoring #writing #freelancer #contentdesign #website #content23 Jan 2025 16:05 +0000at://did:plc:v7o7uppvb3uy2yui2g3mutwi/app.bsky.feed.post/3lggb4wsptc2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/debbiethomaswriter.bsky.social/post/3lfdrvpojxs2wWhat better way to start the year than to celebrate all the high points of the last 12 months? I created this celebration jar🎉 in Jan 2024 and added post-it notes to it throughout the year. Reliving those moments of joy has been a real treat. #joy #gratitude #newyear #books #memories #creative09 Jan 2025 23:02 +0000at://did:plc:v7o7uppvb3uy2yui2g3mutwi/app.bsky.feed.post/3lfdrvpojxs2whttps://bsky.app/profile/debbiethomaswriter.bsky.social/post/3lfcm2gqpn223 ‪Debbie Thomas‬ ‪@debbiethomas.co‬ Calling all writers and lovers of writing. I tend to write at night and am curious when others like writing. I've had a recent wake-up call about it though... #books #writing #creativewriting #fiction https://debbiethomaswrites.substack.com/p/writing-in-the-dark09 Jan 2025 11:44 +0000at://did:plc:v7o7uppvb3uy2yui2g3mutwi/app.bsky.feed.post/3lfcm2gqpn223https://bsky.app/profile/debbiethomaswriter.bsky.social/post/3lefm4lvc2c2z💙📚 Beloved by Toni Morrison – a hard-hitting feat of storytelling by one of my favourite authors. #booksky #books28 Dec 2024 22:58 +0000at://did:plc:v7o7uppvb3uy2yui2g3mutwi/app.bsky.feed.post/3lefm4lvc2c2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/debbiethomaswriter.bsky.social/post/3lecqml6jgk2t💙📚 Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes – just had to share this very unusual book that gripped me from start to finish. #booksky #books27 Dec 2024 19:41 +0000at://did:plc:v7o7uppvb3uy2yui2g3mutwi/app.bsky.feed.post/3lecqml6jgk2thttps://bsky.app/profile/debbiethomaswriter.bsky.social/post/3lebfujuzbs2e💙📚 An Orchestra of Minorities by Chigozie Obioma - loved reading this book when I discovered it 4 years ago! Full of twists and turns - and tears during the sad scenes. #booksky #books27 Dec 2024 06:56 +0000at://did:plc:v7o7uppvb3uy2yui2g3mutwi/app.bsky.feed.post/3lebfujuzbs2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/debbiethomaswriter.bsky.social/post/3lebeppcd622gA life transition is period during which a lot of change is taking place in our lives. How well we cope with them depends not only on the number and intensity of life transitions we are experiencing, but, also on how adaptable we are to embracing our ‘what next?’ #lifetransitions #beginnings27 Dec 2024 06:35 +0000at://did:plc:v7o7uppvb3uy2yui2g3mutwi/app.bsky.feed.post/3lebeppcd622ghttps://bsky.app/profile/debbiethomaswriter.bsky.social/post/3lbsqwm5jqd2xPart of the life transitions journey involves letting go of uncertainty to make way for one or more new beginnings. A positive thought or even a hint of joy about what the future might hold are important first steps.26 Nov 2024 00:13 +0000at://did:plc:v7o7uppvb3uy2yui2g3mutwi/app.bsky.feed.post/3lbsqwm5jqd2x