WRITE THE BOOK—EVEN IF IT SITS FOR SIX YEARS: T.A. THOMPSON ON CREATING THE MARK

WRITE THE BOOK—EVEN IF IT SITS FOR SIX YEARS: T.A. THOMPSON ON CREATING THE MARK What if the story sitting unfinished on your computer is the one somebody else needs to read? On this episode of Peace, Love, and Bring a Bat, Uncle Dave welcomes Michigan author T.A. Thompson for a revealing conversation about dystopian fiction, world-building, criticism, creative resilience, and the long road from finishing a manuscript to finally publishing it. T.A. spent more than a decade working in commercial insurance, where analyzing risk and anticipating worst-case scenarios became part of his daily life. That professional mindset now fuels his fiction. When developing a scene, he asks what could go wrong—and then places his characters directly inside that pressure. His novel, The Mark, is a gripping post-apocalyptic story shaped by genetic disaster, collapsing civilization, violent communities, and impossible choices. At its center is Alexandra, a morally complicated survivor who expects death at any moment. That expectation changes how she views motherhood, relationships, consequences, and survival. T.A. explains how writers can create immersive worlds without burying readers beneath unnecessary details. His process begins by writing everything down and trimming later. Every description must earn its place by strengthening the setting, advancing the story, or helping the reader experience the character’s emotions. Although T.A. finished The Mark in 2020, insecurity and uncertainty about publishing caused him to put it aside. Years later, he submitted it for professional beta reading—and discovered that honest feedback can feel like “a colonoscopy without being knocked out.” The criticism hurt, but it also made the book stronger. Beta readers encouraged T.A. to add a prologue explaining the genetic disaster behind his dystopian world. That new opening became one of the sections readers praised most. The lesson was clear: feedback is not automatically an attack. A writer should consider every suggestion, apply what improves the story, and reject what compromises the original vision. It remains the author’s book—but a trusted team can help transform an imperfect manuscript into a much stronger finished product. In this episode, you will discover: • How commercial risk management shaped T.A.’s imagination • Why fiction becomes stronger when characters face worst-case scenarios • How to balance immersive details with narrative momentum • Why removing material can be easier than adding it later • How T.A. created a female protagonist living without long-term expectations • Why fictional characters can begin to feel like real friends • How writing can provide escape, healing, and emotional connection • Why finishing the manuscript is only the beginning • What beta readers revealed about The Mark • How criticism can become a tool instead of a personal attack • Why writers should implement only the feedback that improves their vision • How corporate resilience helped T.A. survive the publishing process • Why forcing yourself to write does not always produce your best work • How returning to an old manuscript can reconnect you with a former version of yourself SEED FOR THE MAGIC GARDEN Do not let everything that comes after writing frighten you away from finishing the story. Forget the editor, marketing plan, reviews, sales, and publishing decisions for a moment. Finish the book first. Even if you never publish it, you created something that did not exist before. If the manuscript sits untouched for six years—or even 20—you can return when the time is right, rediscover your old voice, and decide what the story should become. Do not write only because you expect to become rich. Write because you love creating, because the characters refuse to leave you alone, and because finishing something meaningful is already a victory. CONNECT WITH T.A. THOMPSON Official website: https://tathompsonwriter.com/ Purchase The Mark on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Mark-T-Thompson/dp/1969818484 The Mark blends dystopian tension, biological catastrophe, moral ambiguity, motherhood, survival, sacrifice, and immersive world-building into a dark story where every decision carries consequences. #PeaceLoveAndBringABat #TAThompson #TheMark #DystopianFiction #PostApocalypticFiction #AuthorInterview #WritingCommunity #WorldBuilding #CreativeWriting #AspiringAuthors To support us: https://davidchametzky.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@davidchametzkyNOW https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peace-love-and-bring-a-bat/id1552738547