🎙️An Author Q&A with Makitia Thompson on Choosing to Remember

 

In this raw and revealing interview, Makitia Thompson opens up about her emotionally charged book series Choosing to Remember. Centered on the intersection of identity, trauma, and truth, this series unearths what happens when people spend their lives hiding—only to discover that healing begins where pretending ends. From Caged Pride to Dying in the Spotlight, each book dissects the costs of silence, the necessity of pain, and the liberating power of living out loud.

1. Why did you feel Choosing to Remember was a necessary series to write?

I felt this series was important because we live in a world where people are often made to feel like their true selves aren't enough—that it would be better for everybody if they were someone else. So many people have suppressed themselves for acceptance, spending their entire lives pretending to be happy just so people judge them a bit less. They're fighting for acceptance that isn’t genuine, that holds no value, because the people giving it don’t actually care. I want people to understand how meaningless it is to live for someone else. How miserable it is to sacrifice your freedom for someone else's comfort. This series says society shouldn't be the deciding factor in your decision to live.

2. What does this series say about trauma?

My stories show that trauma has no one form. It can make someone the best version of themselves—or the absolute worst. Some people use it to thrive later in life, while others aren’t able to escape the pain. These books are meant to show that there is no single way to deal with trauma, no “right” way to handle your pain—and unfortunately, no handbook.

I write to offer clarity in moments when it feels impossible to think straight. I want readers to know they’re not alone in their struggles. Though my characters are fictional, the pain behind them is real—some of it mine, some of it borrowed from others who’ve trusted me with their truths. I also wanted to show how trauma, when left unchecked, can negatively shape your identity. Jerome, for example, carried his trauma for decades and could barely recognize himself. Trauma doesn’t have to be your enemy—but you do have to face it.

3. How do the characters in the series reflect the spectrum of healing?

This series shows both the benefits and losses healing can bring. When you begin healing, you stop living for others. You start waking up without that constant weight of making everyone else comfortable. You find peace in no longer hiding.

But when you don’t heal—or wait too long—you lose yourself. Caged Pride shows how Jerome nearly lost everything before he finally took his life back. Dying in the Spotlight shows Joddelyn beginning her healing journey too late to save her sister. She finds her own strength but carries deep regret. And Criminal Plague shows what happens when you deny your trauma altogether—Michelle’s downfall is proof that pretending can be a person’s end.

Healing isn’t always joyful. It doesn’t always come with a reward. But it’s always necessary. This series is a road map of the many outcomes trauma can lead to.

4. Why did you choose Jerome’s story to start the series?

I chose Jerome as the first story because sexuality is constantly a topic of debate, especially right now. I wanted to highlight a side of that conversation that’s often ignored. In the Black community, gay men aren’t accepted as they should be. People are far too comfortable belittling them or pretending they don’t exist.

Jerome’s journey is traumatic, overlooked, honest, and deeply necessary. I didn’t want to ease into the series—I wanted to hit the ground running and confront everything head-on. Caged Pride gives voice to the countless gay Black men forced to suffer in silence. Jerome’s voice is theirs, and this time, it’s loud and clear.

5. How did the series change as you started writing it?

At first, I wanted the series to be a collection of stories about people with trauma finding healing. But I realized that would feel repetitive and not very truthful. So I changed course. Now, some characters refuse to heal, others try to heal too late, and a few still find joy without ever healing at all.

That’s because healing isn’t simple. It doesn’t guarantee a better life. I want this series to reflect that brutal honesty—that trauma sometimes wins. That not everyone gets the happy ending. Some people break. Some people pretend forever. Some people never change and still win. It’s a harsh truth, but one that deserves to be written.

6. What does Joddelyn’s story in Dying in the Spotlight add to the series?

Joddelyn shows how dangerous it is to welcome trauma for personal gain. She invited pain into her life for the spotlight. She suppressed everything that made her human, just for attention, fame, and a little control. And it ruined her.

The core message of this series is that any amount of gain isn’t worth the cost of your soul. No fame, no fortune, no applause is worth lifelong pain. Joddelyn is the girl who gave it all away—her voice, her sanity, her sister—just to be seen. She wanted light but ended up consumed by it.

7. What does identity mean in the world of Choosing to Remember?

Identity in this world means sacrifice—because you can’t have it all and still be your whole self. Somebody’s not going to like who you are. You’ll lose people. You’ll miss out on jobs and opportunities. But you’ll gain your freedom.

Identity also means power—power to stop performing, to stop caring what others want from you, to stop lying. Jerome took back that power when he stopped hiding his sexuality. Joddelyn took it back after everything else was gone. Michelle, on the other hand, gave her power away by refusing to accept she even needed it.

8. Why is the choice between surviving and telling the truth so difficult?

Because both choices come with loss. When you choose to “survive” by pretending, you get fake affection, performative friendships, and a seat at someone else’s table. But you lose yourself in the process.

Choosing the truth frees you, but it costs you comfort. You lose people you thought you couldn’t live without. You’ll want to go back sometimes. You’ll grieve. But at least that grief is real. At least you’re not grieving in silence, pretending you’re fine.

This series is about choosing what kind of pain you want—the kind that breaks you slowly, or the kind that leads to peace.

9. What does remembering mean for your characters?

Remembering means unlocking what they’ve spent their lives trying to bury. It means opening the door to pain and finally seeing what’s behind it. For these characters, remembering is a painful act of power. They’re finally identifying the problem so they can identify themselves.

They are reclaiming strength they gave away over and over again. It hurts—but healing always does. You don’t grow without hurting first. These characters are choosing to remember so that they can finally stop pretending. And that’s where the real healing begins.

Author’s Note from Makitia Thompson

Writing the Choosing to Remember series has been the most vulnerable and personal creative experience of my life. These aren’t just stories—they’re reflections of truth. Of the pain we carry, the masks we wear, the choices we regret, and the hope we still fight for.

Every character in this series was born out of something real—either something I’ve felt, something I’ve seen, or something someone trusted me enough to share. I didn’t want to sugarcoat healing or glamorize trauma. I wanted to write the messy middle. The uncomfortable in-between. The silence between “I’m fine” and “I need help.” Because that’s where a lot of us live.

If you’ve ever felt like hiding was the only way to survive... these stories are for you. If you’ve ever sacrificed your truth to protect someone else’s comfort, or stayed quiet to avoid rejection, I hope you know this: you deserve to be fully seen. You deserve to be heard. And no one’s opinion is more important than your peace.

Thank you for taking the time to explore this journey with me. I hope these books remind you that you’re not alone—and that remembering, while painful, is always the first step toward healing.

With honesty and heart,
Makitia