Coming back from our holiday hiatus, we are kicking off 2014 by featuring Writer, Thomas Plante. Thomas has been with Content Runner since the early days in May. Since then, he has written north of 300 articles in niches that vary from law to shopping. If you would like to approach Thomas for an order, he can be reached through his Writer profile. Continue reading to find out more about Thomas and his passion for writing.

ThomasPlante

Tell us about yourself.
My name is Thomas Plante, and I am currently working as a freelance writer, reading tutor and semi-professional musician. I live in Fridley, MN with my wife and two stepsons, and unlike seemingly everyone else I talk to I enjoy Minnesota and have no plans to leave anytime soon.

What made you decide to choose Content Runner?
I started writing on Content Runner when it was just starting out. At the time, I was looking for more writing work, and I thought Content Runner was a good place to find it. So far, I’ve enjoyed it.

What do you love about writing?
I think the reason why I love writing is that it gives me the chance to express myself. I don’t consider myself a great creative writer, but it’s fun to be able to put my thoughts down on paper or on a computer screen. I also enjoy writing informational articles on a number of subjects because it gives me an excuse to learn some interesting new facts about a number of different subjects.

When you aren’t writing content for Content Runner, what do you do in your spare time?
When I’m not writing, I like to play my viola as a member of the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra in Bloomington, MN or for whomever else wants me to play. I’m also working on a year of service with the Minnesota Reading Corps as an elementary reading tutor. I haven’t decided if I want to turn that into a full-time teaching or tutoring job.

How did you get into writing?
I was an English major when I was in college, and that involved a lot of writing. I was always told that I was good at it, and I enjoyed writing informational articles and essays, so I thought I’d try to see if I could make a living at it.

If you could go anywhere, where would you go?
It would be nice to live on the North Shore of Lake Superior someday. I’ve vacationed there a few times, and I’ve always liked being there. It just feels completely different from the urban and suburban life that I had growing up.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why?
The ability to travel through time. I’ve always been fascinated by time travel stories, and I’ve always thought it would be fun to casually use the space-time continuum for my own purposes.

If you weren’t a professional writer, what would you be?
I’m really not sure anymore. I would either be a teacher, a tutor or a musician. Actually, I’ve been all of those things in addition to being a writer. My ideal occupation would be as a professional musician, and I’ve thought about trying to make that happen, but I don’t know if it’s a realistic goal. Even if I did make a living playing music, I would probably still do some writing.

What is your biggest grammatical pet peeve?
I absolutely despise text speak. I hate it when people use “u” instead of “you,” and I can’t stand it when they write “2” when they mean “to” or “too.” I know it’s supposed to be short-hand for people who have a limited number of characters to type on a tiny mobile device, but when you have a full keyboard and unlimited space, you have no excuse not to type everything out. Also, I would love to ban “LOL” from usage everywhere.

What is your favorite subject to writer about?
I find that I do my best work when I write about health and medicine, but I don’t think it’s my favorite subject. I guess it’s a three-way tie between music, film and art.