Thomas Umstattd Jr.

Looking Back on 24 Years…

Today I turn 24. Please permit me to change pace a bit for a post and do some self reflection. Here I am in an ancient Russian church tower Looking Old It seems surprise people when they learn I’m only 24. There are two ways to take this. Either that I look old or that I seem seem old for my age. Is this caused by sorrow, weight or wisdom? I don’t know. Probably a mixture. Looking forward...

Need Help With Technology? Check out my new website.

This robot goes with the new website I started to help people use technology to advance the kingdom. It’s targeted at Authors but the tips will be helpful to you as well. Do you have a question about some tech topic? This is the place to ask it. Recent Tech Tips: 5 Tips for Getting The Most Out of Twitter What is a Podcast? How to Get Twitter on Your Phone The Best Way to Track Site Statistics How...

Caltarian Chronicles

As a child when I heard the stories of Narnia I always wondered: what world lay beyond the other pools in the wood between the worlds. What adventures do they hold? Well, my brother has found one of those worlds. David’s world is called Caltaria. It is a land of adventure. Think Count de Monte Christo meets the Lord of the Rings with a Pirates of the Caribbean twist. I can’t wait for...

The Ladder of Abstraction

If you are a writer or a speaker this will help you understand how words work and how to make you message stick. This talk comes from the books Presentation Zen by Garr Reynold and Language in Thought and Action by S. I. Hayakawa. Here is a recording and slides for the Ladder of Abstraction talk that I gave at the Austin Rhetoric Club a few weeks ago. Transcript Download MP3 | View | Upload...

Plan A or Plan B?

This cartoon by Mark Stivers says it all: Thanks to Joe Hootman sending this to me.

Book Writing Goodies

Chances are you have thought about writing a book someday. Well here are some free resources I have found helpful. How to Write A Book (video) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXMghQTGNLs Good tips on writing as an action. Getting writing done. Fenimore Cooper’s Literary Offenses (mp3) http://librivox.org/fenimore-coopers-literary-offenses-by-mark-twain/ A 30 minute mp3 of an essay that Mark Twain...

Why I am Writing this Book

In the movie The Lord of the Rings, Aragorn takes a risk by going into the mountain of the dead. He went in hopes of securing for Gondor reinforcements to aid in the fight against evil. The dead while an unlikely ally in this cause ended up making the difference. I have been thinking a lot lately about why I am writing a book about the dangers of digital gaming. And frankly, it’s not about the...