Sunday, October 22, 2006

Cobwebs Of The Mind Blog Review: Thomma Lyn Grindstaff's "Tennessee Text Wrestling"

Certainly the very name of this blog "Tennessee Text Wrestling" is something of a conundrum. It shows the eclectic nature of Thomma Lyn's interests among which she lists as "writing, reading, blogging, playing piano, spending time in the mountains, science, cooking, motorcycles, herding cats".


Thomma Lyn has had one e-book published, Thy Eternal Summer, by Chippewa Publishing, and another on the way from StoneGarden Publishing. To be sure many of us are not really into the whole e-book scene and don't much pay attention to the plethora of e-books out there. However, there is no doubt that this is becoming a legitimate venue for authors who are "trying to break in to the more traditional world of writing and publishing". Thomma is one such example that is a success at what she does. She has certainly stayed true to her dream of writing and publishing.


Thomma's blog is an eclectic mixture of humor, thoughts on serious writing, biking, cats (ugh! cats!) and sometimes very interesting quotations which she seems to pull from the vast library of English literature. The following quote which Thomma sent to me actually would describe her blog, Tennessee Text Wrestling, the best. When you read the below quote you will hear the voice of the woman and the serious writer.



"As I grew up, I wrote all kinds of things: stories and longer books. I kept a diary as a child and made up a family newspaper on our old manual typewriter. In college, I majored in English. But all the academic writing I was doing sapped my creative writing urges for a time. I still created, but I created more songs than stories (I’m a classically-trained pianist).....

My novels are all quite different from one another, but they have in common the theme of the redemptive power of love. Most are women’s fiction but not all: my trunk novel is a political thriller. Story and character are more important to me than labels.

I write because written words have been a huge part of my life for as long as l can remember. My best memories of childhood involve the wonderful books I read: they worked magic on the life of the shy little girl I used to be. I love creating people, worlds, and stories. Being involved in my fictional worlds – spinning their stories and discovering their secrets as I do so – is a thrilling process of discovery, both of my fictional world and of myself.

With all the pleasure and insight books have given me throughout my life, I’d love to add my voice – no matter how humble - to their timeless, polyphonous symphony."



Thomma Lyn is a romantic, a realist, an author, and full of hope and positive energy. It would not be amiss for those authors out there who want to view the struggles and decisions of another writer, to take a look at Tennessee Text Wrestling and perhaps get inspiration, hope and the will to continue.




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Categories: short stories, writing, on writing series
Getting Wasted - Writing & Editing & Publishing Short Stories

Edited With Qumana


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