Charlotte asked Francesca Zappia:

I have two questions: Did you have to do a lot of research on schizophrenia for "Made You Up?" - It seems like the kind of thing that could take some time. Do you have any advice for people who are both wannabe writers and interested in mental illnesses being incorporated into their stories? - I am very interested in mental illness in writing, but unsure of how to approach it.

Francesca Zappia Hi Charlotte! Thank you for your questions. To the first one--I did have to do a *lot* of research on paranoid schizophrenia for Made You Up. I think the only way you could write a book about it without doing research is by having paranoid schizophrenia yourself, which I do not. Because I didn't have access to anyone who actually had the illness, I researched from as many other sources as I could find--books, documentaries, online forums, interviews with paranoid schizophrenics and mental health professionals. With the occasionally-sketchy information provided by the internet and the nebulous nature of schizophrenia itself, it was sometimes difficult to know if I was portraying it as it actually was, or as movies and TV shows have defined it.

For your second question--if you want to incorporate mental illness into a story, I think the most important thing to ask yourself is "Why?" I was a lot younger--maybe thirteen or fourteen--when I decided to make Alex a paranoid schizophrenic, and at the time I did it because it seemed like something cool and different. Later I realized that was actually a terrible reason to include it--it was completely, utterly insensitive and oblivious to the people whose lives are actually affected by it. Most writers whose stories center around mental illness probably know this from the get-go, but it took younger me a little while to understand. I was stupid, and severely influenced by a media convinced that all paranoid schizophrenics are either dangerous serial killers or brilliant thinkers able to overcome their illness by sheer force of will. (For the record, I do love A Beautiful Mind, despite the fact that the "pure willpower" cure does not make a whole lot of sense.)

So, if you've already got that figured out, I'd say just do your research. Know what you're talking about and why you're talking about it, treat the subject with respect, and remember that there are people out there who actually *have* whatever it is you're writing about. Don't let the illness define the character who has it, but keep in mind that it does shape them, and it is an important part of who they are (or maybe who they were, if they've recovered from it).

I hope this helps! Good luck with your writing!

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