1. What inspired you to write about what you went through in high school?
I really wanted people, especially teenagers with anxiety, to know they're not alone. And getting my story out there is kind of liberating - like, hey, this is me. Like me or not. I spent so much of my life worrying and I'm just trying to get past that now. Writing this book has been really therapeutic and I hope people can connect to it and feel a little less alone. That's why I wrote it.
2. Is there a specific message you hope readers of RAE will take away with them?
I just hope readers can connect with it. Having even one person tell me they can relate to it - whether it's the anxiety or the self-doubt or the eating problems or the family issues - is enough to make it worth writing.
3. What is the best advice you can give to students suffering from anxiety/social phobia?
Accept it; that's all you can really do. And don't let it rule your life. There will be times when you want to curl in a ball and cry, and that's okay. But just don't let it control you.
4. Is there a certain person you look up to that has inspired you in any way?
Laurie Halse Anderson, as a writer. Because she makes words count. Makes them sing. And one day, I want to do that.
5. If you could travel to any place in the world, where would it be and why?
Can I just give a shady, general answer? I take that as a yes?
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Thanks so much, Chelsea!
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GIVEAWAY!
4 Winners:
(1) Winner - All Three Books
(1) Winner - Rae
(1) Winner - Alexis
(1) Winner - Hannah
Rules:
US Only
Ends September 24
Fill out THIS FORM to enter!
I really, really need to read Laurie Halse Anderson's books. Thanks for the awesome interview!
ReplyDeleteI've suffered from anxiety for many years too, and I really commend her for opening up about it and sharing her story. I know it can be hard to talk about, so I appreciate her for doing so.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway! :)
ReplyDeleteI always enjoy learning about authors, thank you for the informative interview.
ReplyDeleteGreat interview.
ReplyDeleteSocial anxiety really is hard, thanks so much for sharing your story! More people need to understand!
Great interview. I really want to read this book. I have issues with anxiety currently and I am taking medication for it. I think it would help to read about someone else who has it. Please enter me in contest. Tore923@aol.com
ReplyDeleteGreat interview! This is one book I know I will be able to connect to. I my self have a really bad case of anxiety so it's good to see Rae come out and write about it!
ReplyDeleteI'm so looking forward to reading this book, especially as it deals with anxiety, which is definitely something I struggle with. Plus, Chelsea is a friend of mine.
ReplyDeleteI'm really interested to read someone else's high school experiences. I've been toying with the idea of writing about mine and my family life (living with a mother who's bipolar and manic depressive).
ReplyDeleteI really like that you want wrote to hopefully others, even if it's just one!
This book sounds like a great read! Thank you for the awesome interview!
ReplyDeleteI totally get the social phobia. I hated most of school, although HS got easier. It was so big, I could kinda disappear. When I was in elementary school and MS I was teased mercilessly.
ReplyDeleteI wrote a non fiction book about anxiety and I write fiction YA stuff, but I never thought about combining the two. Excellent idea. Best of luck.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great interview. All of this books sound amazing, but I'm most interested in Rae. Anxiety is a tough thing to deal with, especially when you have no one to turn to because high school can be so daunting and even your friends can be so judgmenttal. I can empathize with that!!!
ReplyDeleteWow I still can't get over how wonderful it is that Chelsea's talking about this certain Anxiety Disorder. It's SO rare that anyone talks about this kind of topic on YA books and that really sucks because tons of Anxiety Disorders peak at the age of adolescence.
ReplyDeleteGreat interview and questions. I am someone who also deals with anxiety and I might suggets medication as well-it saved my life.
ReplyDeletehmhenderson AT yahoo DOT com
Mary D
ReplyDeletezenrei57 (at) hotmail (dot) com
This is an excellent interview - I can really relate to it because I've had issues with *anxiety* for most of my life.
High School can really be tough, and when you're that young, it's difficult to explore your feelings.
Thanks for the chance to win :)
This is an excellent interview. I love that she tries to get the message of her books across to teens that may or may not be suffering from the topics she writes about. Or, say, Friend A has a friend (B) that's going through depression or eating disorders, Friend A can learn how Friend B is feeling even though they don't completely understand what their friend is going through. I'm sure that made NO sense, lol.
ReplyDeleteI've suffered from social anxiety disorder my entire life. I dropped out of high school my fourth year in (yes, that close to grad) because of it. It's not fun. NOT fun at all. Not being able to form close relationships, or even respond to weather topics random strangers throw at you... It's really horrible. What's worse? The people who label you as shy and don't even give you a second glance.
Oh, and I can TOTALLY sympathize with her for her travel itch! I'd kill to go to all the places she mentioned, again. Rome is so lovely. <3