Do I have your attention? Do you want to play? How about Truth and Dare? Will you take my challenge? I dare you!
I’ve got this raw post that I crafted the other day from my main character Victoria’s (from my novel Angst) point of view. It’s serious, it’s full of angst and it’s a dare. It’s a challenge to read my book, to step into her shoes and live her life. My book (which is fiction, although roughly based upon my own experience) is challenging, it’s dark at times but it’s true, the feelings, the emotions are all 100% true. I know this kind of writing makes some people uncomfortable and it might make you uncomfortable to post something like this to your blog. But that’s what I’m asking here, in all seriousness, will you take my challenge?
Will you post something that is raw humanity, that is human suffering, that is truthful and blatantly honest to your blog? Will you take her challenge and read her story and thereby learn what it’s like to suffer from a mental illness day in and day out? Are you willing to make yourself uncomfortable so you can understand your fellow human beings? Are you a proponent of change in our society? Do you think everyone has a valid opinion and valid emotions? Can you help me stop the stigma of mental illness? Are you a blogger who cares or a book blogger who wants to spread the news about serious books that aim to help the human condition and entertain at the same time? Honestly, who out there has the guts to take this challenge? To post something this raw, uncomfortable and honest to their blog? If you want to accept my challenge, I can send you my character manifesto and you can decide from there (and if you prefer I can remove most of the swearing too).
Here is part of the post, the end, the challenge from a girl who always thought she was crazy:
So…will you let me take you down that road? Will you dance with me, drink with me, party with me, panic with me, die with me? I’ve hidden this for so long, I’ve been afraid, scared as shit, and I’m tired of it. It’s bullshit! I want you to experience it with me. I challenge you, I dare you to live life with me. Ask yourself, do you feel like shit? Do you feel embarrassed, uncomfortable, depressed and anxious? Do you feel like I’m messing up? Do you see my goddamned mistakes? My stupidity? Do you see me trying to get through the day without losing it? Do you feel the stigma, the way I do? Do you feel the cold metal of that gun? And through it all, do you still root for me, care for me, hurt for me?
Good, now you’re living on my level. And I’m not sorry, fuck I am not sorry, because guess what? I’m not crazy, I’m honest and I’m human and being human has never been easy.
Angst Anarchy 
Step right up, it’s about to get crazy in the hizzy