Want to read the first page (and a half) of my new WIP, THE PUNCTUATION BETWEEN? Click the 'read more' button to check it out!
You can also find the snippet on my Facebook page, along with other updates and information about this project's progress. So what are you waiting for? Click below, give it a read, and share your thoughts in the comments!
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Writing your own truth can be hard, but boy is it worth it. THE PUNCTUATION BETWEEN was an exploration of my own identity in more ways than one, but for right now, I’m going to focus solely on writing what mental illnesses look like for me. I knew it would be an experience, but I didn’t quite realize how therapeutic it could be. For those unfamiliar with the THE PUNCTUATION BETWEEN, main character Lex is a non-binary seventeen year old who struggles with three demons who seek to torment Lex’s day to day life for their own amusement. Each of these three demons represents a facet of their mental illnesses that they struggle against: anxiety, depression, and dysphoria. While Lex and I experience depression and dysphoria at different levels, I poured as much of my experience with anxiety into the story as I could. It was important to me to tell my truth as far as what anxiety feels like to me. Before I go on, please know that anxiety manifests differently for everyone. My experience with anxiety, as well as Lex’s experience with anxiety, is by no means everyone’s reality. Part of my intention in this story was to show readers who don’t have anxiety, depression, or dysphoria what it can look like. I also hope that reading this can help give a language to those who are suffering, but don’t know the words to refer to them by. The demon that represents anxiety for Lex is Brenda, a cockroach-esque monstrosity that lives on their back. Brenda whispers in Lex’s ear, painting images of worst-case-scenarios. To induce the physical symptoms of anxiety, Brenda has sharp pincers and barbed legs that she uses to spark pain wherever she sees fit. Brenda, along with the other demons, are invisible to everyone else, just as anxiety can be invisible to anyone outside of the sufferer. Giving my anxiety a voice through Brenda was a unique experience. It became an exercise in recognizing what are reasonable worries, and what worries are unrealistic and inspired by my anxiety. During THE PUNCTUATION BETWEEN, Lex is in the throes of anxiety at its peak, driven by life-changing moments and confessions that would be stressful for anyone. While I’ve learned to manage my anxiety, I was where Lex is not too long ago. This story felt like a letter to a younger me who was still figuring everything out; it was a promise that things would sort themselves out, even when all seemed overwhelmingly hopeless. To anyone who suffers from disorders like anxiety, depression, and dysphoria, I encourage you to try and write about it. You don’t need to share it with anyone. It doesn’t need to be good, or publishable. Whether you’re in the early stages, right in the heart of it, or coming out of the other side with a treatment plan, write your reality. Explore it. Don’t be afraid of it. It’s an incredible kind of therapy. If you or someone you love is struggling with mental illness, asking for help is the first step. Please see below for a list of resources to reach out to. Mental illness isn't something to be romanticized. It's a serious issue surrounded with tremendous stigma. You don't have to wait until you're in crisis to reach out--no problem is too big or too small. It's time to push conversations and raise the voices of those who struggle from these 'invisible' illnesses so that everyone can get the help they need and deserve. The Trevor Project The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexua, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) young people ages 13-24. 24/7 Hotline: 1-866-488-7386 Website: thetrevorproject.org National Suicide Prevention Lifeline The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 24/7 Hotline: 1-800-273-8255 Website: suicidepreventionlifeline.org Crisis Text Line Crisis Text Line is free, 24/7 support for thsoe in crisis. Text 741741 from anywhere in the US to text with a trained Crisis Counselor. Crisis Text Line trains volunteers to support people in crisis. Website: crisistextline.org If you know of any other great resources, or want to talk about your own experiences with mental illness, leave a comment below! |
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