On this episode, we welcome author Léa Taranto to discuss her debut novel, A DROP IN THE OCEAN, an engaging YA novel about a girl in treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder that combats the dehumanizing stigma around mental illness. Léa and host Geetanshi Sharma talk about writing mental health and disability representation, OCD representation, stigmas associated with psychiatric disorders, and writing journeys.

Follow Léa on Instagram @leatarantowrites and check out her debut novel A Drop In The Ocean, which just came out yesterday! You can also find her on her website: (http://leataranto.com/) If you want to learn more about OCD, Léa recommends the International OCD Foundation's website at https://iocdf.org/. For a compiled list of international crisis and suicide hotlines, you can visit https://findahelpline.com/ and https://blog.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines/.

This video comes with captions and a transcript. Characters Like Us is a podcast dedicated to exploring the craft of diverse and inclusive writing in the books that we read and write.

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⏳ TIMESTAMPS ⌛️

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:00:49 - Welcoming Léa Taranto

00:02:06 - Numbered Narratives Segment

00:05:13 - Léa's Writing Journey

00:10:00 - OCD Representation in Media

00:16:13 - Psych Wards

00:19:36 - Basing Characters on Real-Life People

00:21:15 - Mental Health Stigma

00:30:17 - Writing Habits and Care Work

00:34:04 - Léa's New Project

00:37:22 - Closing Segment & Takeaways

00:39:21 - Closing Remarks and Recommendations

Music by Hafijur Rahman from Pixabay. Sound Effects from Pixabay.