Deviations

Preface

PrefaceI never set out to write Deviations as some sort of “issue piece.” I never deliberately plan out any of my novels; a scene or snippet comes to me, catches hold of me, and nags me until I stop ignoring it. Then I sit and write it. The story flows and takes shape as I go, a method of writing known as pantsing. Deviations was no exception.

Yet, in the end, I had a story that touched on several heavy subjects, including mental illness, child abuse, sexuality, and alternative relationships. Almost all of them subjects found in only a small percentage of young adult books available today, even though they are subjects of crucial importance to teens. Statistically, 20% of our young adults are dealing with a mental illness, so why is it so rare to address mental illness in the novels and stories aimed at those readers?

I suspect this comes in part because mental illness is, as noted, heavily stigmatized in our country, with it seen as a weakness or failing on the sufferer’s part. While we might be sympathetic and supportive of those with other diseases, an overall ignorance regarding mental illnesses regularly leads to victim blaming and shaming. Why can’t you just “get better”? It’s a question no one would ask a cancer patient, but one people who struggle with mental illness can expect to hear at least once in their lives.

In my honing of Deviations during the revision process, I have remained as honest and realistic in looking at these issues as I could. Many of the actions, thoughts, and emotions of the characters mirror those from accounts of teens who’ve lived through them.

Added to the challenge of creating an authentic story is the setting, namely the coastal city of Hakodate, Japan, located in the Hokkaidō prefecture. This meant ensuring that the situations and thought processes of my characters were reflective of and faithful to the Japanese people and culture, not an American or “Western” viewpoint.

It is my hope that I have done so in a way that not only tells a compelling story, but that also remains respectful of the Japanese people. Any factual errors I have made are mine alone, either by artistic choice or the lack of available resources to better pinpoint specifics that may be unique to Japan.

I’m hoping that as you read Deviations, you’ll do so with an open mind and an open heart, as Taka, Miho, and Shinji share their story with you…