- What
drove you to write this book? In October 2013, I was flipping through the
channels on the TV when I saw a mother talking about her daughter’s
suicide on the Dr. Phil Show. The girl was named Rehtaeh Parsons and she
committed suicide because she was bullied constantly after a photo
surfaced showing her being sexually assaulted. Something about her story
resonated with me, and I wondered how many more teenagers experience
similar situations. I decided to write a book about this topic to raise
awareness about the problem of bullying and cyber bullying that plagues
our country.
- With
all that is out there on bullying, how does your book add to the
conversation? There are
many books about bullying, with statistics that are shocking. But when you
are not part of those statistics, it’s hard to relate. My book is written
in first person, present tense, through the eyes of a teenager named June
who is currently living with the nightmare of being assaulted, bullied,
and unable to find ways to cope with the problem. The reader will be able
to feel what June is feeling, see what she is thinking, and understand how
desperation can lead to a total mental breakdown when a person feels like
no one is on her side.
- How
will it help people who are bullied? The most important part of
helping people who are bullied is trying to get them to understand that
they are not alone. I want my book to start a conversation by connecting
those who have experienced bullying first hand. When we connect and share
our stories with one another, it empowers us. Victims should know that
their thoughts are not “crazy” or “shameful.” The mind is powerful and can
go to dark places, but it can also recover if we are given the right
tools.
- What
are three take-always from your book?
a.
This book is not only for those who have been
bullied. Adults, who don’t understand what teenagers are going through, will be
able to better understand the physical and psychological effects of bullying by
reading what actually goes through a victim’s mind when he/she is constantly
bullied.
b.
The book is also faith based. It’s important to
believe that there’s a greater meaning to life. No matter what you believe,
even if it’s as simple as living life to help others, you should believe that
you are not here to live life alone. There’s help and all you have to do is
ask.
c.
Bullying is not just a part of life. It is serious
and can be extremely detrimental to one’s mental health, causing thoughts of
self-harm, or even worse, suicide. Laws need to be implemented in the US to protect
victims of bullying.
- Did
you ever deal with bullies? I was bullied as young as four years old. I
lived in Austria and German was not my first language so I was a very
quiet and shy child. One girl in school took advantage of that and made
fun of me, stealing from my cubby every morning because she knew I
wouldn’t say anything. I remember coming home every day from school
crying. I don’t have a lot of memories from that time, but I remember
these experiences vividly. That’s how much they affected me. When I moved
to the US for college, I was bullied again my freshman year because the
girls in my dorm thought I was “different.” That time, I fell into depression—something
I learned is a very real and serious condition.
- What
can be done to prevent bullying? The best thing people can do about bullying is
to inform others and educate people about the problem. Parents should talk
to their children about bullying, and encourage them to open up if they
are bullied, for whatever reason. Often kids will feel embarrassed or
ashamed of being a victim, leading them to become more isolated from
family and friends. I’m hoping my book will create more media attention
around this subject. The more talk there is about the problem of bullying,
the better chance people will pay attention. Laws need to be implemented
that prevent bullies from feeling like there are no consequences to their
actions.
- What
advice do you have for struggling writers? Keep writing.
Write something every day.
Anything. Writing is a job like any other job. Even though you may love
doing it, that doesn’t mean that you will want to do it every day. So,
sometimes you need to schedule your writing. Treat it like a chore. What
also helps me is writing about topics I feel will help people. I write articles
for several popular websites, and thinking that at least one person is reading
and benefitting from what I’m writing about, keeps me writing.
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Brian Feinblum’s views,
opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his
employer. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him
at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the
third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog © 2015
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