Why I love Thomas Goodun.

As I embark on yet another intentional effort to get this book out into the world.

This is a photo I took this afternoon on a midday run of 4 miles. I’m training for my 4th marathon (in June 2024), so I’m doing the best I can to take breaks from being at my desk by running…and from training to write what my mind thought of while my body was untangling the mental mess one mile at a time.

Who is Thomas Goodun?

Thomas Goodun is a vivid figment of my imagination. I “met” him in about 2013 in a creative writing workshop at the Bowery Arts cafe/coffee shop in Headingley in Leeds, West Yorkshire in England…we did an exercise that involved writing about images associated with fire.

Who turned up for me? Well, Thomas Goodun, of course, smoking a pipe, leaning in a wing-packed chair, pondering the flames in his open fireplace.

And that was it. Something about him fascinated me and I was hooked, in love, obsessed. I think about Thomas all the time. He’s a retired philosophy professor, lives in a fictional version of Leeds and upon retirement has the sad realization that he no longer has purpose, friends, community, or…much of anything steady.

Everything for him was in the classroom and in the walls of his beloved Leeds Uni.

Thomas’ story—particularly this first novel—is one of finding new purpose, finding unexpected friendships, and finding love and second chances.

I’d be delighted for you to share this with someone you think might also enjoy it. Click the pink button below and…

10 Things I Love About This Story

Now, it is Monday, April 1, 2024 as I write to you: and today I have begun the 60 Day Novel Writing Challenge: find out more by clicking this link or visit: the60daynovelwritingchallenge.com

I want to make a public confession that I am committed to get this book, Thomas’ story out of my body and into the hands of readers who (I hope!) will be delighted to devour it. While I was out on a run, I came up with ideas to remind myself what I love about this writing.

So in an effort to have integrity and courage in this, I want to remind myself and share with you what I love about Thomas Goodun and his story.

Here are 10 Things I Love About This Story:

1. I love how thoughtful Thomas Goodun is. He notices the light coming through his glass of cranberry juice and how the colors change. This means I get to stare off to to observational research. What this also means is that I get to be myself and put it on the page.

2. I love how unexpected Sylvia is for Thomas. When she moves in across the street, she is a literal bright spot on a rainy day with her multi-color raincoat. Thomas is quiet and Sylvia is not. I love how agitated they both get by each other.

3. I love how good at asking questions that Thomas is. His students have always loved him because he digs deep in a loving curiosity without threatening to pry back students’ beliefs.

4. I love how good of a listener Thomas is. In some ways I love how this book process has been (potentially?) therapeutic for me because I feel like if I could literally get Thomas in a room, I would be able to talk to him for hours. He’s a safe person who genuinely cares.

5. I love how routine-based Thomas is. I am not routine-based, at the time of writing this. I want to learn from Thomas to be steadier in how I spend my days. But, I also hope that he can learn from me (or, umm, Sylvia…) to become more spontaneous.

6. I love how focused on beauty on aesthetics Thomas is. He’s a retired philosophy professor, so he’s been philosophizing for decades—many of them as an educator. I’ve never taken a philosophy course in my whole life! A friend gave me a basic guide to philosophy book and I’m learning lots. As an artist, I appreciate that Thomas values beauty in the world.

7. I love how patient Thomas is. He loves children, although he’s never had any of his own. He loves students, and doesn’t know how to do life without them. He loves learning and coming alongside others who are learning, too.

8. I love how this story opens up freedom of choice and opportunity. I think we can get stuck in what we think others may expect of ourselves that we never stop to examine what we actually want for ourselves.

9. I love how this story has never left my mind, but instead it’s grown into a multi-book series that captures the imagination of anyone I tell it to—including my amazing bearded, furniture-making Englishman husband, Max, who who isn’t much of a reader.

10. I love how this story is so important to me that I feel like it’s creating a bottleneck for all of the other books and words I want to someday get out. This story has shown itself to be the most important this season—and also that it will wait…but, not forever.

11. And a bonus…I love how my commitment to getting this story out and honoring my word to myself will have a long-lasting impact on myself, as well as very likely people like you, my dear reader (and listener), who longs to give yourself the time you need to do the project you want to do…and to really persevere with joy and diligence to get across the finish line.

So, that’s it for now. I wanted to let you know what’s up. And…if you don’t hear from me about Thomas about once a week or ever 10 days, please reach out and ask.

“I’m writing a novel: Ask me about it!”

I love hearing from my readers! Your comments make my work more of a conversation. If you’d like to leave me a note, you can click the pink comment button here—or, if you receive my posts via email, you can simply hit reply and I’ll look forward to hearing from you.

For now, may you find joy in taking creative steps at your pace, finding space to breathe on the page, and may you run your own race without feeling compelled to measure others or be measured by someone else’s ruler. Perhaps the next time you see a runner on the road, you will think of Thomas and me.

Until next time…happy reading, and happy philosophising.

Molly

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