Guest Post at Special Needs in Strange Worlds

[jimhines]

I have a guest post at Sarah Chorn’s Special Needs in Strange Worlds feature over at SF Signal today: Writing with Depression:

I get anxious every time one of my books comes out. Will this one sell as well as the last? Will people like it? Will Spielberg finally call me up and offer me an obscene amount of money to turn my books into blockbusters?

Comments

[cathschaffstump]

Sounds like a winner of a book, Jim. I don't know if this is the right response, given the topic, but I'm looking forward to it.

Battle on.

[jimhines]

I'm totally cool with that response, thank you :-)

[kay_gmd]

Can't wait for the book (okay, I can, and I will, but I'm looking forward to it)!

So far I've loved every book of yours I've read, and I really appreciate that you include reasonable psychological responses to events.

[jimhines]

Thank you!

[witchwestphalia]

I agree. I've loved all of your books that I've read. Your characters' emotional responses are realistic. And I think it's wonderful & freeing for other people who struggle with depression that you are so forthright.

[onlyobsess]

I'll be honest--I love your blog, but I haven't yet read any of your books. But that's about to change within the next week. Because as someone who has struggled with depression, someone who has hopefully found ways to cope with it, and someone who is deathly afraid that I can't do the things I love while depressed--teach and write--I am so so ready to read a book with a character with depression.

I'd better go find copies of Libromancer and Codex Born.

[jimhines]

Thank you. (Though, to be clear, the depression doesn't hit Isaac until book three.)

Looking back, I think I was still able to do most of the things I loved ... I just didn't love doing them, which pretty much sucks.

I'm very glad you've been finding ways to cope.

[deborahblakehps]

You wrote it, right? It's going to rock.

[jimhines]

I hope so, and thank you :-)

[deborahblakehps]

I'd bet large sums of money on it. You know, if I had large sums of money :-)

[taldragon]

considering everything Isaac's been through, i'm not really surprised his mental health is suffering :(

*hugs poor Isaac*

thank you for being so honest about your own struggles, both here on the blog and in Isaac.

[jimhines]

Yeah, he's had a pretty rough time of it so far. But then, isn't the author's job to make the characters' lives difficult? :-)

[taldragon]

well, yes :)

but there's 'i'm making my characters lives difficult,but lalalala everything's flowers and kittens', y'know? no... aftermath.

er, if that makes sense?

[jimhines]

It does. Everything wraps up so cleanly ... but life doesn't work that way.