After a spotlight a few days ago, I’m excited to host this Q&A with the author of Furious Thing. Jenny Downham answers a few questions in today’s post about her writing and her newly released YA Contemporary novel. This book is published by David Fickling Books and this Q&A is part of her Blog Tour hosted by FFBC Tour.

Now, let me introduce you to Jennie Downham.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE THIS BOOK?

When I began writing, all I had in mind was the image of a teenage girl being singled out for blame by everyone.  She was angry, but I didn’t know why.  It was as if I knew the tone of the piece, but nothing else. I quickly realised that her anger was an expression of something wrong in her life.  She was letting people know that her feelings mattered.  But female rage is often dismissed or pathologized and instead of listening, her family chose to blame her and view her as irrational.  

It was then that I realised I was writing about controlling and coercive behaviour. I was excited to write about a teenager who trusts her own instincts about what’s right and wrong, despite what others are telling her.

WHAT WERE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES YOU FACED WHEN WRITING THIS BOOK?

It was a challenge to write about something as emotionally slippery as controlling and coercive behaviour.  This kind of psychological abuse is often hidden in plain sight.  We find it hard to recognise in our own lives, almost impossible to see in others’ and yet it’s everywhere.  

Lexi, the 15-year-old protagonist of my book, doesn’t know what’s happening to her at first and when she does begin to recognise it, she has no words to describe it and even if she did – would anyone believe her?  To move her from target to hero in a way that was authentic, was quite a task!

Also, I wanted the book to contain a lot of love and laughter, despite the difficult subject matter.  It was important to me that Lexi was funny and brave and hopelessly in love as well as someone with a furious temper and a tough life.   

DESCRIBE YOUR MAIN CHARACTER IN THREE WORDS

Brave.  Authentic.  Big-hearted.  

NB: You will note I haven’t said ‘furious.’  Although Lexi is angry in the book, it’s not an abiding character trait, but a response to unjust treatment.  

IS THERE SOMETHING ABOUT THIS BOOK YOU CAN SHARE WITH US THAT ISN’T IN THE BLURB?

There are a few love scenes and an almost-death scene and a couple of parties and several laughs. Quite a lot of things get broken.  Including hearts.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO WRITE?

When I start a project I like to go to local cafes and parks and write long-hand.  I walk a lot and listen to strangers’ conversations and it all feeds the new material.  Once I’m surer of the story and have enough material to begin organizing chapters, I type at my desk overlooking the street.  Writing is often lonely, so it’s nice to watch the world go by outside.

Thank you so much, Jennie Downham, for taking the time to answer these questions!

Originally Posted on L.M. Durand’s Little Book Corner