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 Henry Wright, an indie author. You can learn more about Henry here.
Please introduce yourself!
Hi, my name’s Henry Wright. I’m an indie author. I’m married, we have two cats, and we live in Kent, UK
Please tell us a little about yourself and the kind of stories you write.
I write literary fiction novels. I have published two novels (‘Myself am Hell’ and ‘Summers Ending’). They are both multi-genre novels. My third multi-genre literary novel is called ‘The Killing Shot’, and it’s currently being edited.
Please share a bit about your mental health journey, as much as you are comfortable with :)
I have obsessive-compulsive disorder. I began to have problems with the condition when I was at university. I spent two months in a psychiatric hospital when I was 19. My abiding memory of that time is of fear and isolation. I had no idea what was happening to my mind, and I felt like the only person in the world who was experiencing troubling, intrusive thoughts.
Over the years, I have been able, with the help of CBT and Exposure Response Prevention, to take ownership of my own mental well-being and be proactive in managing the condition. I am passionate about raising awareness of the debilitating nature of OCD so that other people might not have to feel as alone and afraid as I did. The more we can talk about mental health issues in an honest and informed way, the less likely people like the younger version of me are to be so unaware and so terrified of what’s happening in their minds.
How has your mental health influenced your writing process or creativity?
I was interested in literature and writing before I began to experience mental health issues. I think my mental health battles have made me realise how important writing is to my overall wellbeing. My experiences with OCD have taught me that the mind is capable of telling us things that aren’t true, and that the mind doesn’t always work in our best interests. A theme that I explored in my first novel was the mind as villain/the mind as a terrifying antagonist. There’s something hopeful about turning suffering into something creative.
Do you find writing to be healing, challenging, or a bit of both?
Generally I find it extremely healing. Nothing else makes me feel as calm and as in the moment as working on my novels. The first draft is always especially fun and creative as my imagination roams where it will, with no limitations. I’ve always felt the need to express myself. I think any form of creativity is very good for mental wellbeing.
Has your experience with mental health shaped the themes or characters in your stories?
My first novel, ‘Myself am Hell’, depicts the first-person reality of living with OCD. My main character, Quentin, is constantly under attack from troubling thoughts and caught in the grip of compulsions performed for short-term relief. This is the real OCD: the mental illness that wrecks people’s lives, not the liking for cleanliness and order that many people misunderstand OCD to be.
I needed to process some of my experiences on this mental health journey, and quite naturally I did so through writing. Quentin’s OCD became the main antagonist of the novel. He uses his imagination and creativity to learn to manage the condition. There are subplots set in Afghanistan and Tokyo that explore different genres and develop the main theme of resisting tyranny both in the mind and in the world.
Are there any writing routines, boundaries, or self-care habits that help you stay grounded?
If my mind and body are telling me to rest rather than write, that’s what I try to do.
What advice would you give to other writers who have similar struggles as you?
Please keep writing and expressing yourself! We need to hear as many people’s experiences and stories as possible. The more we talk and write about mental health, the more we’re breaking down stigmas and inaccuracies that are still all too common in society.
I write fiction, but I think anybody with a mental health condition who uses their creativity to raise awareness about mental health issues through writing or any other art from is absolutely fantastic!
Have you ever taken breaks from writing to focus on your mental health?
So far, writing has been beneficial to my mental wellbeing. I would take a break if I felt I was risking my mental wellbeing at any point.
What’s something you wish more people understood about being a writer with mental health struggles?
When you’ve experienced mental health problems, you understand the effort it takes to write or create anything on days when you’re not feeling great. For writers with mental health conditions to be writing and publishing books is a huge achievement. Let’s all support and learn from each other.
Where can readers connect with you and your work? (Socials, website, books, etc.)
Website
x.com/@henryjwright
instagram.com/henrywright8499
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Thank you for reading!
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