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Alexander Thomas

@alextomauthor.bsky.social
187 followers 114 following 256 posts

Author, science geek, and part-time baker. www.alexanderthomasauthor.com

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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
TIL about the "Banana Equivalent Dose," how radiation amounts are measured in terms of how many bananas you'd have to eat to have the same dose. Standing in the sun for 1 hour: 1 banana. A CAT scan: 100,000 bananas. Will it come up in the book? No. Was it useful research? Yes. #amwriting #sff
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Got the beta reader feedback for the first draft of the latest book! They loved the characters and environment, yay! However... They identified issues with the second half that matched some of my own concerns. And I don't think there's a simple fix. So: write another one! #sff #amwriting
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
Best part of living in a city that's hosting World Cup games: everyone hangs their soccer underpants outside! #WorldCup
Bakery with what looks like soccer underpants hanging in front.
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
I gave up on comps! Now I go for vibes, so agents know how to place the book. Some of the comp game is "prove you know all the microcurrents of the genre," and who has time for that?
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
That would be fine! So long as it is *always* a future book.
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
Plotting for the new novel and I just mis-spelled "superintelligent." Maybe a sign? #amwriting #sff
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Five minutes after submitting to a beta reader, I find a typo in the manuscript. Isn't that always the case? Now that I'm sending this project off for review, time to start on the next one! My first three books were fantasy, but the most recent and the next one are SciFi. #amwriting #sff
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 27/04/2026
Finally wrote the (first draft) Synopsis for the latest book! Good news: I enjoy writing Synopses. Bad news: I'm not very good at it. Still, I can send this off with the rest of the manuscript for beta reading and improvement. #amwriting #sff
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
TIL solar panels use visible and near-infrared wavelengths. They don't use the more energetic ultraviolet--that's a tiny amount of the sun's output. Another example of research to keep the plot realistic that I'll never bring up in the book because it isn't otherwise relelvant! #amwriting #sff
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 19/04/2026
Maybe try Critique Partners? These are other authors also looking for feedback on their work. CPs were how I grew the most as a writer. I found mine on Goodreads, but there are a number of good author communities online. Good luck! #amwriting
goodreads.com
Beta Reader Group
A place to connect writers with beta readers.Sometimes writers get so involved in the plot they can't see the wood for the trees. Hang on a sec'--that'...
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 19/04/2026
Still going on a revision pass! I wish I could just write "The End" and hand off to Beta Readers, but of course it doesn't work like that. The book changed too much as I wrote it! But I think I'm getting close. Only a few critical items to finish before handing off. #amwriting #sff
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
Hello #RevPitWaiting! 4/13 -- winners announced Congrats to all the Winners + Runner's Up for the 2026 RevPit contest! A lot of great submissions there. Good luck to all authors on their next steps! And thanks again to all the editors and first readers! #amwriting
reviseresub.com
Revise & Resub 2026 Winners Announced
It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for, the authoreditor pair announcement! Drum roll please…
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 12/04/2026
Hello #RevPitWaiting! 4/12: Encouragement Congrats and good luck to everyone with their projects! RevPit has been a great way to strengthen my network of authors. A real pleasure to interact with so many folks from all over the world. Keep writing! And keep reading. #amwriting
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 11/04/2026
Hello #RevPitWaiting! 4/10: Writing Goals 1) Complete my current scifi novel (1st pass) and get it to beta readers. 2) Get my RevPit submission updated and off to the query trenches. 3) Start on project #5! #amwriting #sff
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 11/04/2026
Oh Jeez I also have a wordcount issue! Cutting is hard. Good luck!
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 11/04/2026
+1 for #1! All of them have irony (in a good way), but my fave is #1
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 11/04/2026
Good luck with midterms!
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
Hello #RevPitWaiting! 4/8: Plotter or Pantser? Plotter! I always planned since I like tight plots. But I've amped up the planning stage in recent works since I *also* need to write shorter books. But I write 100% linear so characters and themes have their own chance to grow. #amwriting #sff
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
Fun thread! I *think* my sub was in a Teaser and a 10Queries, but I'm totally guessing. And, of course, I'm biased to identify mine among the positive vs. more "constructive" reviews :) Maybe a silver lining is that we're all motivated to read through every 10Queries post carefully!
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
Hello #RevPitWaiting! 4/6: Art The art I have most in my works is maps. I love maps. This is the one I commissioned for my RevPit submission. Did I mention I love maps? If book #2 (unpublished epic fantasy) ever gets published I would release an illustrated version of that. #amwriting #sff
A black-and-white map of Estana and environs, particularly rivers and cities.
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 04/04/2026
Felt that!
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 04/04/2026
What a great question! I DNF a lot. I have to feel connected to the MC + world. And I have to believe this is a deeply constructed plot with tension and consistency. Has to be realistic enough to be immersive, descriptive without being overly purple prose. I'm a tough grader in genre.
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
Mostly fantasy, but I always intended to write sci-fi as well. I've written 4 novels (not counting the ones I wrote but abandoned before my first self-published book). Only 1 (self-) published so far! Working on querying the other two, with the fourth still going through revisions.
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
I feel like I need to credit all my baristas in the Acknowledgements section.
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
+1! Gotta be out of the house to focus. My 11-yo loves to comment on my work if he sees it over my shoulder :)
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
Hello #RevPitWaiting! 4/3: Writing space I don't write at home, it's too distracting. So I tend to write in coffeeshops [photo here with Turkish coffee]. I have a minimal kit I can bring anywhere. Ideal writing location: bottom of a pit with no other light source. #amwriting #sff
A tablet, keyboard, and headphones on a table with coffee.
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
Yes! My first-ever sci-fi novel.
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
Work on something new!
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
I removed "felt" and "feel" from my dictionary so that every usage gets flagged. Usually I can eliminate it and show the emotion / experience instead (exemptions are mainly in dialogue).
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
If your MC likes weeping cherries then I'm a fan already!
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
Hello #RevPitWaiting! 3/30: Critique Partner Shoutout! There were dozens of selfless authors in the Beta Reader message boards on Goodreads who CP'd my first, VERY BAD manuscripts years ago. I can't tell you how much I grew from that. Some would say I have much further to go :) #amwriting #sff
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
Same!
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 29/03/2026
My March 2026 Author Newsletter just dropped! (Link to Goodreads blog below) No surprises if you're reading my Bluesky posts: - I wrote another book, my first sci-fi novel. - I'm polishing my 3rd book for querying - I'm participating in this year's #RevPit! #amwriting #sff #RevPitWaiting
goodreads.com
Alexander Thomas's Blog: Alexander Thomas - Blog
See what your friends are reading
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
Great premise!
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
Hello #RevPitWaiting! One WIP I've just finished (first pass): sci-fi where a junior employee is invited on an executive retreat, but the would-be hunters become prey on a planet with something to hide. My first sci-fi novel! (after 3 fantasy). Fun and fast-paced. #amwriting #sff
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
Two issues in the sci-fi manuscript to solve today: 1) Solving my oxygen supply problem in the final showdown: easy! 2) Getting my freakout character to freak out consistently: hard! People are always the problem... #amwriting #sff
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
[2 of 2] I've learned to build a basic Logline (aka "Pitch") as part of planning, so I already had a draft there. But the real "punch" of the story sometimes isn't clear until after the first draft. Hence updating the Logline now. The Synopsis still looms! I'll do that after the editing pass.
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
Current WIP is complete (1st pass), so I had to write the Blurb and Logline as well. Just finished! They're hard, but I've found I need to get drafts of these early, so they go through Beta Reading like everything else. For me, Blurbs and Loglines need time to percolate! [1 of 2] #amwriting #sff
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
Hello #RevPitWaiting! Today: Fav Book. There's too many, so I won't try to list. But I will call out Nine Goblins by T. Kingfisher. It's a short, intentionally silly book, but it brought me back to the genre. Wit and several clever points without being self-important. #amwriting #sff
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 22/03/2026
I really don't get "no simultaneous submissions." It's like they're out of touch with how the industry really works.
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 22/03/2026
Hello #RevPitWaiting! Fun idea for today: go back through past #10Queries from RevPit. Here's an example from 4 months ago. It's a great way to see what works and what doesn't, and how editors (and agents) could react to queries and pages. I wish I'd done this earlier! #amwriting #sff
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 22/03/2026
You made me curious! I dug through the last #10Queries 4 months ago [example below] They read through selected submissions to show what resonates and what doesn't across a range of genres. So it's more about the breadth of submissions than the finalists. Reasonably anonymous as per examples.
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 21/03/2026
Doing taxes. Yuck. I won't tell you how much money I spent on writing last year, but it was significantly more than my few royalties! (Marketing + Beta Readers + Graphic Design = $ a lot) Silver lining? It's a real tax deduction. But, yes: I'd rather *make* money doing it. #amwriting #sff
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
Hello #RevPitWaiting! For today, a link to the Written Word 2026 Reader Survey. I always find nuggets of insight. No huge surprises: readers rely on the big portals to find books, and price is important. You need a presence across all formats. And as always, marketing matters! #amwriting #sff
writtenwordmedia.com
2026 Reader Survey: What Readers Want, Buy, and Expect - Written Word Media 2026 Reader Survey: What Readers Want, Buy, and Expect
Discover 2026 reader trends from over 3,500 surveyed book lovers. Learn what readers want, how they buy, and how authors can better reach them.
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
I've often wondered the same thing! I'm guessing the answer is "no" for new authors, but I'd love to hear other opinions.
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
I used 4 Act ("Save the Cat") for my recently completed (1st draft) WIP. Well worth it! Did it... - Eliminate uncertainty? No. - Eliminate the need to revisit / rework the plot? No. - Get me closer to what I'd want at the end? Yes. And it helped keep the work short! That was a big goal.
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
Names are important! I have a specific country-of-origin for each character, and I research to find a name that matches, plus has the sound and feel I want. Occasionally I find a name with a backstory / origin that is a particularly good fit. Do readers even notice? Not sure. No complaints yet!
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
Hello #RevPitWaiting! Book: The Prosecutor's Aegis Vibe: Joe Abercrombie dating A Midsummer Night's Dream. I wanted to bring some of the spirit of a Shakespeare rom-com into a grounded fantasy novel. Did it work? Maybe an amazing RevPit editor will tell me! #amwriting #sff
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
I find watching live performances (plays etc) helpful to writing. Sometimes the staging and execution itself is as inspiring as the plot or dialog.
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Alexander Thomas @alextomauthor.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
I feel this! I find it hard to go into bookstores sometimes. I read a lot out-of-genre for this reason. Maybe it's a good sign? The stories you want to read aren't written yet. When I do find a book or author I can read all the way through, I learn a *lot* (looking at you, T. Kingfisher).
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