Operation Awesome #20Questions in #2020 of #NewBook Debut Author Ruby Walker

Advice I Ignored: Stories and Wisdom from a Formerly Depressed Teenager by Ruby Walker

1- There are reports that depression is on the rise due to the pandemic. Do you have any tips for teens in need right now, especially the ones lacking healthcare?

Cut yourself a ton of slack. All the slack. Don’t feel like you’re a failure for not being productive or happy in the midst of a pandemic. The amount of psychological stress you are under right now is huge.

2- Would you please, in 160 characters or less, give a #WriteTip ?

Write a first draft with paper and pen. Don’t cross out any words, don’t edit as you go.

3- What is the best piece of writing advice you've received?

“If it’s boring to write, it’ll be boring to read.” Now I always try to make things fun for me - if that means finding a clever way to skip a scene or using some metaphor instead, I do that!

4- How can young people best deal with older people who say it's not okay to be your best self or true self, that you're supposed to be who they expect you to be because of religion or because they didn't have choices back in their day?

Sometimes you have to separate your world from their world. And just play along with what they say, but don’t let it affect you inside.

5- Would you share a picture with us of your book with something that makes you smile?



6- What is your favorite Pinterest board?

My favorite Pinterest board is probably my poetry board. I love collecting little scraps of beautiful words. pinterest.com/aviatoir/poetry

7- What's your Twitter handle, and do you have two or three writer friends on there to shout-out to for #WriterWednesday ?

My twitter handle is @rubyirl ! I post a lot of art!

8- Do you have a favorite #bookstagram image or account/ profile?

Yeah! @rubykatewalker I’m sort of currently locked out of my instagram account, because I can’t remember my password, but if you follow me I’ll get on eventually and post lots of art! Haha.

9- What most motivates you to read a new book?

I’m gonna be honest, I am a simple girl of simple tastes. Any scrap of LGBT representation makes me go at a book like a rabid raccoon. Also, I get a lot of book recommendations from the radio shows I listen to!

10- It's our tenth anniversary! How far has your writing come in the past ten years and where do you see your writing career ten years from now?

Well- Ten years ago I was nine. And I wrote a play line in a play that went like this:

SAM: [walking into the room] Hey guys, what’s- OUCH! MY NOSE PIERCING!

So I think my writing peaked right then and it’s been all downhill from there, really.

11- What is your favorite book by someone else, what's the author's Twitter handle, and what do you love most about that book? #FridayReads book recommendation time!

Author name: Malinda Lo @malindalo
Title: Ash
Love because: This book is a beautiful, surreal lesbian retelling of the Cinderella fairytale. It’s absorbing and it made me cry. ‘Nough said!


12- What emotions do you hope your book will evoke for the reader?

I hope my book makes readers feel seen, somewhat? I hope people are able to read all the embarrassing and exposing stuff I wrote down and think, “Man, I’ve felt like that before, but I didn’t think anyone else did.”

I’ve had moments like that with my friends- this year I found out that when we were 15, my best friend and I would both lie face down on the floor and listen to the Neighbourhood while dissociating. We never talked about it at the time. But all these years later, it turns out we were doing the same thing at basically the same time. I felt so understood when we figured out we were the same. I guess I want my book to create that kind of closeness.

13- What kind of impact do you hope your book will have?

I’ve cried a lot reading reviews or hearing from friends that my book helped them. Like, they thought of it and they decided to care for themselves a little more in some small way. If my book keeps helping people, even a little, it’ll have been worth all the work and tears I put into it.

14- What is the best writing tool, program, or reference book you've ever bought?

I love darkroom! It’s a desktop application that basically removes every single feature from word processing. It’s just green text on a black screen. That helps me focus when I’m trying to write and I can’t help getting distracted.

15- In what ways are the main characters in your book diverse? diversebooks.org #WeNeedDiverseBooks

I’m a lesbian! I didn’t make that the focus of the book, it’s just a fact about me and something that informs the way I view the world. I wrote about getting my first crush on a girl, and all the tough emotions that came with that, not just because I was gay, but because I was a very emotionally intense twelve year old.

16- Who is your favorite book review blogger?



17- What was the deciding factor in your publication route?

I went self-published because I was impatient, honestly. I finished my book when I was 18 and I didn’t want to wait to give it to people. Plus, I got to control all the design decisions, which was nice for me, as a visual artist as well as a writer.

18- Which author, past or present, do you feel most resembles your work?

I feel like I’d be flattering myself too much to compare myself to any of my heroes, really. But an author that I really admire is Jandy Nelson. I think reading the way her voice blends reality with art and daydreams in I’ll Give You The Sun changed the way I write.

19- Would you please ask our audience a question to answer in the comments?

What’s a piece of advice you ignored at first, but later turned out to be very helpful?

20- Anything else you would care to share about your book and yourself?

I hope you and your families are staying safe and in good health during this crisis. All my love to you.



Advice I Ignored: Stories and Wisdom from a Formerly Depressed Teenager by Ruby Walker