threadTALK Blog Series 24: Thoughts of a Humor Writer with Anna Lind Thomas

With everything going on, a little bit of laughs is what we all need. This month, we had the pleasure of interviewing mom and comedy writer Anna Lind Thomas. Her various hilarious and relatable personal essays have gone viral AND she's on her way to publishing a book with Harper Collins/Nelson Books! Read more to find out about Anna's journey in comedy writing, and her advice for aspiring writers!

Q Please tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do!

A My name is Anna Lind Thomas. I think I’m a descent feminist with a solid self-esteem, but I’m also a huge advocate of good lighting and photoshop. I also size up my underwear because those muffin top inducing waist bands are a tool of the devil. Do with that what you will. 

I’m a humor writer and just handed in the manuscript for my first book, set to be published in September of 2021. I began writing professionally about a decade ago. Several of my essays went viral early on, most notably the infamous fart story,  helping to launch my career as a professional writer. I now publish essays as often as I can on various publications, but mostly on annalindthomas.com and my Facebook page.  So that’s my life.  I write, I parent my two girls, I ask my husband for back rubs so often he becomes resentful, and then write a little more.

Q What is HaHas for HooHas and how did it start?

A Years ago, I created a funny website for women called HaHas for HooHas with my best friend. Several essays and memes went viral a few months after launching the site, helping to quickly grow the platform. After our first year, my friend had to step down, leaving me to manage it on my own. I brought on some incredible writers to help me create content, most notably Susannah Lewis of Whoa Susannah fame - who now has millions of followers and thousands of book deals. I’m so proud of her and not the last bit jealous! Anymore!

HooHas is now retired so I could focus more closely on my personal writing career. I now write humor essays for various publications, but mostly for my website annalindthomas.com.

Q What has been your biggest accomplishment so far as a writer?

A Landing my first book deal with Harper Collins/Nelson Books has been the greatest delight of my professional life. I’ve said that writing the book was both the hardest and easiest thing I’ve ever done. It was easy because for the first time in my life I felt like I was doing the kind of writing I was supposed to be doing all along.  It was also the hardest because OMG WRITING A BOOK IS SO FREAKING HARD YOU HAVE NO IDEA YOU GUYS.

Q Huge congratulations on your book deal! Can you tell us more about your book and the publishing process?

A I can’t release the title just yet, but it’s a collection of hilarious, but also moving essays of my life— revealing how I may have taken things a smidge too seriously. The point I try to make is this—  if we sweat the small stuff AND the big stuff, it’s a life full of sweating, and since deodorant gives us cancer now— we’re all screwed. Those weren’t my exact words … whatever, you get my point. 

I carry this premise by sharing some moving, some hilarious, some outrageous moments in my life, I think everyone can relate to. 

The publishing process has been a long journey, but it needed to be so I’d be prepared when it happened. First, I built my platform and practiced my writing every day— for years. Once I felt I was getting close, I queried for the perfect (for me) agent that believed in me and my potential. And then, it was about finding a publisher who believed in me too. I had to suffer a cascade of rejections to get there and I’m grateful - because it forced me become a better writer.

Q What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

A Becoming the writer you want to be is a simple process, but a hard one. Write every day. Read every day.  If you aren’t writing, and you aren’t reading, you aren’t learning and you aren’t growing. Rejection is big part of writing. Don’t let it detour you, let it propel you. This has been instrumental for me, anyway. 

Q Lastly if you were to give a title to your life story, what would it be and why?

A  We’ll Laugh about This … Someday. 

David Sedaris once said that everything’s funny, eventually. There’s something I find so hopeful and inspiring about that. I don’t have to take myself so seriously. And I can always choose to laugh, freely.

Follow Anna on Facebook and check out her Website for more!