Welcome to the newest post in Writing While Healing, a series where I speak with indie authors who’ve found light through writing during their darkest times.
Today, I’m honored to feature V.H. Faolan, a mixed indie author and a great part of the writing community on Threads. You can learn more about V.H. Faolan here.
Please introduce yourself!
Hello! I’m V.H. Faolan :) I’m a mixed indie author & full time SAHM. And I am about to debut with the first book in my Dark Fantasy series, Pathical.
Please tell us a little about yourself and the kind of stories you write.
My main genre is Fantasy. I love writing about chaos, mystery, magic & romance.
Would you, if you feel comfortable, mind sharing a bit about your mental health journey?
I have severe anxiety & depression, PTSD & I suspect I have ADHD (I’m getting tested for it later this year). It’s been difficult going through all of this. I was diagnosed fairly young. My trauma rooted in the toxic dynamic of my biological parents when they were still together, being SA/H more than once, & a lot of verbal, mental & emotional abuse.
In recent years, after splitting from my now ex, I’ve been taking strides to heal & face these fears I have that are deeply rooted. I have tried healing earlier on, but you can’t heal in toxicity. Some things I won’t be able to figure out how to combat until I’m in a situation that could be triggering.
Healing while you’re a parent is also a challenge because you have to battle generational trauma. I was raised the complete opposite of who I am. I was pegged as “sensitive.” It took me a while to realize that the way I was being treated wasn’t my fault.
How has your mental health influenced your writing process or creativity?
It’s contributed to the creatures & trials in my stories.
Do you find writing to be healing, challenging, or a bit of both?
A bit of both.
Has your experience with mental health shaped the themes or characters in your stories?
1000000%
Are there any writing routines, boundaries, or self-care habits that help you stay grounded?
Exercise, baking, singing, getting out in nature, & going to new places I haven’t been before.
What advice would you give to other writers who have similar struggles as you?
Take time to yourself when you can & give yourself grace. Force yourself to write a little when you know you need to, but if you can’t, don’t sweat it. Work with your mental struggles in a way where you can write with as much ease as possible. Celebrate the little wins. Don’t worry about the world around you & how quickly others are pumping out words.
Have you ever taken breaks from writing to focus on your mental health?
Yes. Multiple times.
What’s something you wish more people understood about being a writer with mental health struggles?
We aren’t as fast as the industry we chose sometimes. We have highs & lows, & fight through our mental struggles to follow our dreams. It isn’t always pretty & we don’t always have the mental or emotional space for our creativity. Sometimes we just need to be & disappear now & again in order to recharge TO write.
Is there anything else you'd like to share with the readers?
Each author with mental struggles has their own story & way of doing things. Imposter syndrome is one thing, but when you add whatever else you have going on, it feel impossible. Some things can hit us harder than others. We don’t want it to, but it happens & it can affect our writing even though we don’t intend for it to. The best thing you can do for us is be patient & understand we are doing our best. Whenever you see that things are taking longer or we have to become a ghost for a while, know that we aren’t doing it on purpose, we just need a second so we can come back better than ever. Not only for our beloved characters, story & you guys - our readers - but for ourselves.
Where can readers connect with you and your work? (Socials, website, books, etc.)
IG, Threads & TT: @authorvhfaolan (Back up: @v.h_faolan)
Bluesky: vhfaolan.bsky.social
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Thank you for reading!
Bookish Musings sustains on your support. If you like the interview and would like to tip me, you can do it here!
Another great interview and so true - given everything I have plus work/life I won't be churning out books every six months and can't "Write every day."
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing V.H., another dose of inspiration and strength for this author