How did you manage to write a character with Anxiety? I have found it difficult to do even though i have been fighting it most my life.

Jodi Meadows First, wow I'm sorry you're dealing with anxiety. That sucks a lot.

Second, BSI is my seventh published book. (And I wrote many, many stories before I got published.) While Incarnate does deal with mental troubles in a small way, it took me a long time to decide I was ready to write a character with anxiety -- something I struggle with, too -- front and center in her life.

I waited so long because for years I was still trying to figure out what it was, how to deal with it, and learning what anxiety meant for other people as well. Then, I had to decide if it was even something I *wanted* to bring up in my writing. (No one is obligated to write about something just because it's part of who they are. It's okay to keep things private.)

Ultimately, Mira decided for me. If I wanted to write this book, it had to include anxiety because that's part of who Mira is.

Writing it wasn't always easy. Having real experience with something can make it even harder to put it on the page, because it has to be accessible for people who haven't experienced it, too. And because I had to really examine what anxiety and panic attacks feel like for me, I had to take a lot of steps back to look at it from a safe distance.

For me, that meant getting my anxiety under control before I could even think about writing the book. It's still there. I still have panic attacks. But I recognize it for what it is, and I know better how to take care of myself. Does that make sense?

Another thing that helped: inserting real differences between my anxiety and Mira's. This goes back to not being obligated to write about your own experiences, but it also helps create a barrier.

I hope that helps!

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