Dill Werner

Recently, I did a review for Colleen Oakes' new novel WENDY DARLING: STARS. It's the first in her new YA series about the adventures of Wendy and Peter Pan. The novel centers around 16-year-old Wendy Darling and her brothers, the spiteful John and innocent Michael, as they venture off to Neverland. Each of the Darling children is looking to escape something. Wendy has lost her chance at love in a society where she is restricted by rank and rules. John, having never fit in with most boys, is looking for a new family to fit in. And Michael looks to become one of the bigger boys so that he may roam free and wild. But you can't run away forever.

I'm working on two new manuscripts since I've finished the first draft of the Status: Positive sequel. One is a horror novel. The other is general fiction that revolves around a college student's struggles with mental illness and treatment. It's based on my own experiences. There was a writing prompt contest through Writer's Digest that sparked my interest. The first line reminded me a lot of my MC from the gen fic novel, James. So, I decided to write something from her point of view and polished a little part from the manuscript. I've added more to the 700-word limit, which has been included below. You'll notice that the MC keeps referring back to her name. That's because identity is very important when dealing with mental illness. I went through two treatments, one bad and one good. I felt like the first one stripped me of my identity and made me feel like I was nothing more than my illness. No one cared who I was in that hospital. I was another pati