ABOUT
THE BOOK
I figure that if I have to endure the worst parts of bipolar disorder, like
psychosis, I get to laugh as much as possible along the way. Somewhere
Over the Rainbow, I’ve Lost My Damn Mind: A Manic’s Mood Chart is the
story of one Millennial’s bipolar life, with moments ranging from the
ridiculous to the terrifying to the hilarious. Blending pop culture references
and cyberspeak with psychiatric terms, it combines the funny, conversational
tone of Sh*t My Dad Says with a nonlinear narrative structure similar
to that of Manic.
The book began as a blog: if you had a delusional relationship with Britney
Spears, wouldn’t you brag about it to the entire world? To create the book, I
organized the blog entries like a mood chart, a therapeutic tool which assigns
colors to states of mind. The entries are divided into three sections,
Depressed, Normal
and Elevated, and cover the past three years: my psych ward getaways, my vision
of fighting alongside Jesus at Armageddon, my attempts to find a woman who
accepts that I sometimes lose my mind. Therapy “sessions” with a fictional
psychiatrist provide my present-day reflections on each entry. (I had to create
my ideal shrink because I tend to fight with the real ones.)
Somewhere Over the Rainbow will be the first humorous memoir about
bipolar by a member of the Millennial Generation—today’s young adults. Because
it doesn’t follow the usual narrative format, the reader can flip through at
random or take the traditional cover-to-cover route. My book’s humor, cultural
references and Internet origins will appeal to Millennials, now entering their
twenties and thirties, as well as younger Gen Xers.
More than an account of coming to terms with a mental health condition, it’s
a story of being young and feeling lost, dealing with heartbreak and still
finding plenty to laugh about, no matter what happens.
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I had the opportunity to interview Derek Thompson, and am excited to share his responses below. Enjoy. And, don't forget to check out his book.
Author Interview Questions:
Tell
me about your book. How did you come up with that (story, angle,
idea)?
Somewhere Over the Rainbow began as a therapeutic release for me
in the form of a blog. It had been about a year since I was diagnosed with bipolar
disorder and I was feeling pretty lost. I decided to start writing because I
couldn't find anything out there that really engaged me and I could relate to.
After suffering another setback last year I had to take a year off to focus on
my health and I took full advantage of the time. During this time I decided to
write the first humorous memoir about bipolar disorder by a member of the
Millennial Generation.
How
did you get interested in writing this particular genre?
I'd say the
genre actually picked me. Seeing how the book is a humorous memoir about my
bipolar life based off my blog I was pretty limited in my choices; although the
humor side I did add.
Do
you have any favorite authors or favorite books?
I really enjoy any interesting non-fiction and especially memoirs that
reveal a new world to me. On the fiction side I'm a pretty big fan of Chuck
Palahniuk. But to be honest the past few yeas I've spent an inordinate amount
of time reading anything I could get my hands on in concerns of bipolar
disorder. I've spent countless hours buried in spiritual books to
memoirs to scholarly journal articles. All that being said I heard Hunger
Games is pretty good.
What's
a typical working day like for you? When and where do you write? Do you set a
daily writing goal?
I don't really have a normal working day when it comes to writing. I
still use it as a therapeutic release so a schedule is not really in the cards.
A lot of the times when I get inspired its at random instances in the day when
I'm driving down the road or something inconvenient like that. I'll get my
ideas down and then later when I find the time I'll go back to the house and
write. To sum up this confusing answer I'd say I'll write whenever the mood
strikes me; and being bipolar you're guess is as good as mine when that
is.
What
is the hardest part of writing for you?
For me the toughest part of writing actually deals with the internal
struggle I have over topics. Having been through things from two psychotic
manic episodes to severely deep depression it can be difficult to
write about that vulnerability. I've written about a lot of uncomfortable and
difficult situations I've experienced. I at times go back and forth on whether
or not I want to share some of these times with people I may never know. That
being said I usually go with honesty because I feel it's the best way to help
others out there who may be struggling like I was.
What’s
the best thing about being an author?
The best thing about being an author for me is that it provides a way to
deal with madness that has been my life over the past few years. When I had
lost trust in my docs and in my meds and basically in a lot of things dealing
with my diagnosis my writing helped me get through it. Writing has been able to
get me through some pretty rough times by allowing me to laugh at them. It's
one of the few things I've found that really works for me.
What
are you working on now?
I'm in the early planning stages of trying my hand at a novel. I'm going
to hopefully write a story that's loosely based on my own experiences that will
allow the reader to experience what a psychotic manic episode feels like. I'm
thinking it's going to be a mysterious adventure through a manic mind.
What
advice would you give aspiring writers?
I think writing to entertain yourself is a pretty good way to write.
What
question have you always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you
answer that question?
Q: Do you think you could score a goal on Hope Solo with a penalty kick?
A: Absolutely.
---GIVEAWAY---
Want to win a copy of Derek's book? He is offering one lucky reader a chance to win a copy of Somewhere Over the Rainbow. To enter, please complete the Rafflecopter form below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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About the Author:
Derek Thompson grew up in South Charleston, Ohio,
where he earned the nickname “Butter” by his middle school crush. He basked in
the glory of girls finally talking to him but unfortunately and eventually the
true meaning of the nickname was revealed and attributed to some poorly timed
bad dental hygiene practice. Putting this social disaster behind him he went on
to receive a BA in communication in 2005 at Wittenberg University.
He then pursued a corporate sales career at AT&T where he excelled in the
high paced sales environment up until 2008.
It was at this time he was unexpectedly and rudely interrupted by his first
manic episode which changed everything; they tended to be real bitches like
that. The BMD took him back home where he struggled to understand what his new
diagnosis of bipolar disorder type I was and meant. To cope with this confusion
he began writing a blog, which eventually became his humorous memoir, as a
therapeutic process to deal with his new crazy life and have some fun along the
way. Derek currently resides on one of his family’s farms in rural Ohio where he
wrote Somewhere
Over the Rainbow, I’ve Lost My Damn Mind: A Manic’s Mood Chart.
You can learn more about the author at http://www.somewhereovertherainbowthebook.com
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