Drop into the world of books, and let’s get storytelling as we chat with a book characters living with chronic illnesses while having their stories being authentically told by writers with chronic illnesses. The power of reading stories representing the diversity and humorous lives of young people is so valuable. Debut young adult fiction writer Kristen O’Neal and her novel Lycanthropy and Other Chronic Illnesses, tells the story of Priya, living with Lyme disease, and her virtual friends on Discord as she goes on her coming-of-age road trip to meet one of her virtual friends, Brigid, who might be more “teen wolf” than chronically ill. Kristen has a fresh and funny take on authentic well-rounded life with chronic illnesses and is passionate lives like hers living with two autoimmune disorders, should be told in all its facets.

The Top Five Takeaways from the podcast are:

1. At 4:14 let’s dive deep into Kristen’s author tactics, how she came up with the concept that werewolves really resonate with a chronic illness experience, and why many story arcs like fitting in during your youth resonate with the chronic illness character experience.
2. At 23:34 Dominique and Kristen play around with “Life Tinder Challenge” and swipe left and right on different books to read, which fall into the “chronic illness troupes” and which books could make their protagonists the best characters with chronic illness/disability in a rewrite.
3. STORY TIME at 42:02 Kristen tells us a story that explains why wearing a sparkly jumpsuit and using a paper bag at an airport can definitely complicate your life.
4. At 46:13, the ladies jump to breaking the stereotypes and stigmas that you’ll find when reading novels or absorbing media when it pertains to the perception of chronically ill/disabled young people. Kristen talks about the value of authentic storytellers being behind the books, and the benefits of having more diversity in books for young adult readers so they can get representation in the stories they read and full lives they live.
5. End the podcast 1:00:24, we go through a rapid-fire of questions to learn all about Kristen like what’s her favorite way to spend the day, if she handwrites or types her books and her best advice for young people with chronic illness wanting to be writers. 

WIN A SIGNED COPY of the new paperback edition of Lycanthropy and Other Chronic Illnesses in our fundraiser book giveaway (we'll have three winners)! Immediately entered when you donate ANY AMOUNT on our website by June 30th at www.invisiyouthcharity.com/donate.

Please like, comment, subscribe and share this episode, follow Kristen @discountgoblin and Tumblr https://kristenoneal.tumblr.com/

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