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What does depression (and anxiety) look like?
Most commercials for antidepressants show people in despair, lying on a couch crying or dressed in baggy clothing with unkempt hair. Is that what depression looks like? Yes. Sometimes. But often, depression can look like a person who has their shit together. A career woman who gets things done. A soccer mom with perfect hair and perfect kids. A lawyer. A doctor. A musician. An artist. A movie star. A writer. Me. Anxiety medication ads often depict a person having a panic attack, complete with hyperventilating, rapid heartbeat and sweating. So that’s what anxiety looks like, right? Sure. Sometimes. It also can look like standoffishness. Indifference. Disengagement. Irritability. Forgetfulness. Me.
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Nine months in: Writing Updates and Jordan’s Sister info
It has been nine months since I started this blog. Nine whole months—long enough to grow a human being. Since the launch, it’s had 1,056 unique users view a total of 5,515 pages. I know it’s not huge numbers, but to get to that many in nine months is an accomplishment I am proud of. Wow. Also, on Twitter, I have gone from two followers in July to 1,230 as of this morning. On July 15, I shared my writing journey on Facebook with a “coming soon” teaser picture for Caroline’s Lighthouse. That YA novel, dreamed up in early 1997 when I was only 15, is now available for purchase in paperback…
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Discussion questions for Caroline’s Lighthouse
A lot of the YA books I have read lately include discussion questions in the back of the novels. I didn’t do that for Caroline’s Lighthouse, but I still think it leaves room for discussion. Everything I wrote was thought out and intentional. Every description, character interaction, and each snippet of dialogue was scrutinized. It has foreshadowing and irony for people who like to analyze those types of things, but it is hidden enough that people looking for a quick read can skim right over it and enjoy the story. ***Spoiler Alert*** if you haven’t read the novel.
