We were pleased to interview YA author, Ann Jacobus, this month. In addition to her full-length novels of fiction, Ann has published works of short fiction, essays, and poetry, journals, and magazines. She teaches writing and is a suicide prevention volunteer and mental health advocate. Her YA novels include Romancing in the City of Light and her most recent release, The Coldest Winter I Ever Spent. 

Writing Challenge from Ann Jacobus

1. “Favorite Smells”
Name your three favorite smells. Why are they your favorites? What do they remind you of?

OR

2. “A Phone Number Poem”
Write or type your phone number (or other number combination) vertically down the side of a page. For each line, you get as many words as are in the number.

Example:
4 – The scent of roses
1 – reminds
5 – him of his grandfather’s garden
3 – in summer heat
etc.

How do you approach researching for your books?

It depends on the story. Often, it’s as I go along. While writing, when something pops up that I don’t know much about, I put things on hold for a while until I find out more. However, for the manuscript I’m working on now, I knew I wanted it to be about a young woman who realizes she is a psychic medium, so I did quite a bit of research before I started writing.

 Writing about sensitive issues can present its own challenges and is also very important for YA readers to learn about. What is your approach to writing for your audience about mental and physical health and how do you deal with sadness, in particular, on the page?

Stories are the best way to deal with difficult and dark subjects. They allow us to safely explore our feelings for these things and they allow us to see how others might deal with a situation we could find ourselves in. Stories with an ultimately positive message reassure young readers and build empathy for those who are going through such a thing. I think this novel is for everyone, but I know any number of people will disagree and that’s fine. I also believe strongly that we all need the right to choose the stories we need and to explore ideas that may be different than what we’ve encountered to date. Or not. But not to impinge on anyone else’s freedom to speak, write, or read.

 Our writing process can teach us so much about ourselves and the world around us. What surfaced for you while writing this novel? In other words, what did you learn through the experience?

I think I learned a perhaps more adult lesson of how important it is to be there for our loved ones who need support for physical or emotional reasons—to the best of our ability. And to accept death as a normal part of life and something that if not avoided and run from, can greatly enrich life for the living – do not be afraid of it.

Also that life can feel so overwhelming sometimes, but it’s so important to ask for and accept help, and to step up when others ask us for—or we know they need—support. It’s how we all make it through!

See some of Ann’s recommendations for mental health fiction for young readers here: https://www.annjacobus.com/about/mental-health.

A special thank you to Ann Jacobus for sharing with us! Read more about Ann and her work @ https://www.annjacobus.com/.

Ann Jacobus writes children’s YA fiction teaches writing and is a suicide prevention volunteer and mental health advocate. She’s published short fiction, essays, and poetry in anthologies, journals, and magazines, and is the author of the YA novel The Coldest Winter I Ever Spent and the YA Thriller Romancing in the City of Light.