Where You See Yourself by Claire Forrest

The character who lives extra rent-free in my head (and obviously, Effie’s head as well!) is Wilder. Is there another character that holds a special place in your heart alongside Effie? ThisĬould be a character you’d like to explore more or one that simply lives in your mind extra rent-free. Throughout her journey she meets many new friends and does her best to make time for the old as well. I have never been a person who can write every single day, but I try to remember the advice of one of my grad school advisors, Nina LaCour: “Some words on most days.” When I am in the thick of drafting, I try to think about the story or my characters in some way every day, so even if I don’t write that day, it is still top of mind.Īs the protagonist I’m sure Effie holds a special place in your heart. I work a day job, so I depend on nights and weekends to do most of my writing. On an average writing day, what would you say your schedule looks like? I started thinking about the journey that is applying to college, and that got me into thinking about all the bigĬoming of age feelings I love in young adult novels.

I started by asking myself, “If I were to write the exact book I wish I’d had as a teen, what would it be like?” I grew up without authentic disability representation, and as a result of that, I believe so strongly that everyone deserves to see themselves in the pages of a book.

Where You See Yourself chronicles a very personal and real experience many share, myself included. I also was lucky to get early feedback from my peers in the program as well as beta readers who are members of my writing critique group. As such, my writing process involved writing in 40-page submissions of work that I would share with my advisors for feedback. The first full draft and first revision of Where You See Yourself were written while I was a student in the Hamline MFAC program. What was your process like for Where You See Yourself? She lives in Minneapolis, where when she’s not writing, she spends her time swimmingįor every author and every project, the writing process is different. As an undergraduate at Grinnell College, she was a consultant for the Disability Services and Admissions offices, working directly to address the concerns of incoming college students with disabilities and their families. Where You See Yourself is based on her lived experience as a wheelchair user who has cerebral palsy. In association with Hear Our Voices, I was given the opportunity to interview Claire regarding her wonderful debut.Ĭlaire Forrest is a novelist and essayist who holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Hamline University.

Where You See Yourself by Claire Forrest