Daily Inspiration: Meet Thomas Fowler

Today we’d like to introduce you to Thomas Fowler.

Hi Thomas, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
From the earliest age, I loved movies and storytelling. My parents couldn’t take me out of the theater until the end credits finished and the lights came up. I’d cry every time a movie ended. This passion has never left me.

In elementary school, I tried writing an X-Men spinoff comic. By all rights it was terrible but it lit a fire in me I would not let go. It really took shape in high school: a girl I had a crush on suggested I try out for high school theater, so I jumped at the chance.

There wasn’t a part for me, as I couldn’t dance and my singing voice was nothing to celebrate. But I volunteered to be part of the tech crew, working behind the scenes because I’d found my home away from home. It didn’t matter what I was doing in theater, I was helping to tell a story.

This led to a life of writing. I’ve written plays, short stories, novels, and short and feature films. Despite all the different things I’ve written, films have always been my true passion. In March of 2024, I directed a short film called “Slasher Sessions,” where a bunch of slashers have to sit down for group therapy. It’s a horror comedy where the idea is they “go from killing to caring.”

Currently, I am seeking representation while getting indie films produced. We’re in post-production of the short film while seeking production and distribution companies to make the feature-length version of “Slasher Sessions.”

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not a smooth road at all! Later in my junior year of high school, I was in a terrible car accident that resulted in three surgeries over six months. I was desperate for connection, having nearly died, I wanted to make the most of life. I came back and rejoined the theater, getting supporting roles because I could do impressions and dialects.

In college, I majored in theater, doing improv comedy and show after show. I wrote my own one-act play that I directed. It wasn’t perfect, sure if I read the script today I’d laugh at how basic it was. But in those early days, you have to try.

This led to video production jobs in college, we made web videos and filmed weddings, anything to build up our experience. We earned enough to make a shoestring-budgeted comedy. I wrote parts for all my friends who’d been in a dinner theater production of “Harvey” that my then girlfriend, now wife, cast me in.

The feature didn’t go anywhere as we shot it on DV tapes. But it got us a horror feature. But that shoot went south so fast. We weren’t ready and our budget was taken away from us because the real estate bubble popped and our investor was a realtor. It was never going to work.

I took a job at an ad agency to produce videos there. I needed a stable paycheck as I was recently married, and broke, and we knew we wanted to have kids. It was a decade of fast-paced, stressful work for clients like Six Flags and Smashburger. It was good, but I wasn’t happy. I still needed to tell stories. Not seeing how filmmaking was available to me, I started writing novels instead. It was a blast soaking up this new medium and finding a new outlet.

I had two novels published, and over a dozen other publications to my name varying from non-fiction writing help books to short stories. But when the pandemic hit, my publisher went under and my second novel didn’t even live on shelves for a year. My writing partner and I also were tired of the festival circuit that was shutting down completely. So for all intents and purposes: I was done.

This resulted in me feeling broken for so many reasons. Then, in 2021 a novelist I knew from the convention circuit asked if I’d be his Assistant Director on his short film. Travis knew I had run sets in advertising and my passion was film. It reignited my passion and put me on the path to where I am today.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My specialty is film writing and production. But my experience has allowed me to be able to make marketing content, novels, plays, and short stories, doesn’t matter what the story is, I will find a way to tell it! My decade in advertising taught me how to be creative in working with challenging budgets and finding a way to get the videos made, no matter what.

I’m not stuck in one particular genre. My first feature was a mockumentary comedy about video gamers, my novels are science-fiction, and my screenplays vary from horror to dramedy. It’s all centered around one idea: emotional storytelling in fantastic worlds!

The thing I am most proud of is that no matter how many times life tries to throw me down, I get back up. A car accident nearly killed me: I got back up and auditioned for the high school musical. My first novel received over 100 rejections: I got back up and self-published, which got me the clout to earn a traditional publishing contract for my second novel. The pandemic killed my publishing company: I got back up and made a short film.

I suffer from anxiety, depression, and ADHD, a “triple threat” of mental health issues. They’re always there to varying degrees; however, the further I go in life, the more I’ve been able to cope with it and find ways to succeed in spite of those three mental health issues.

This deep emotion I’ve experienced through life comes through in my storytelling. I don’t hide my emotions or struggle. I embrace it because it makes me stronger! And because when I watch films or read books that’s what we’re all seeking, isn’t it? Strong emotional connections.

Everything I create I want people to feel deeply. If it’s a comedy, I want you laughing so damn hard your sides hurt. If it’s a sci-fi thriller, I want you flipping the pages because you have to know what comes next. If it’s an emotional scene, I want the audience’s eyes watering because they feel seen and heard.

That’s what separates me from others: I will never take on a project I don’t care about. It has to mean something to me because that’s the only way others will care for themselves. They have to feel that investment.

Emotional storytelling in fantastic worlds!

Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the COVID-19 crisis?
I learned not to get too attached to the outcome. For a lot of my projects: I had an exact path in mind. When those didn’t occur, it caused my depression to take over. That happened when my book publisher went under. My book wasn’t even on shelves for a year before it disappeared almost overnight. The outcome I had in mind for that project was killed because of factors none of us had any way of anticipating.

As a result, now with my projects I absolutely have an endgame in mind. My short film is my proof of concept to get a feature film made. However, as I pitch one production company, I don’t tell myself “This is it! It’s this or nothing else!” If they say no, it can be for any number of reasons, and the quality of my script or directing may have nothing to do with it.

The script may be too ambitious for the budget they can give. Or their production schedule may get filled up. You keep going and look for alternatives. Nowadays, there are more ways to tell a story than ever! It may not make the money you want, but it’s all a learning experience you can take away and you can figure out what comes next.

A great support system goes a long way in that aspect too. If you have loving friends, family, and colleagues, they can brainstorm other ways to make a vision come to life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thomasafowler.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thomasafowler/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thomasafowler82/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasafowler/

Image Credits
Victoria Heinsohn