365 Interviews

Interviews 39: emilylindin

1. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself? 

I'm 27 years old, working on a PhD, living in California with my awesome husband and adorable puppy. And I founded The UnSlut Project, which works against sexual bullying and slut shaming through story sharing and other kinds of activism.

2. What inspired you to write? 

I've always used writing as a coping mechanism. When I was in middle school, I kept a diary to sort out my feelings about different situations I was facing. I still do that!

3. Do you have a specific writing style? 

I try to be very specific and "show," rather than "tell" my readers what's going on. You don't necessarily get that in my diaries, but when I write creative fiction, I definitely steer in the direction of specific, detailed descriptions of people and places.

4. How much of the book is realistic? 

Exactly all of it - it's word for word my diary from middle school.

5. What books have most influenced your life most? 

"Love in the Time of Cholera" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I love his magical realism.

6. Describe your writing style in ten words or less.

Descriptive, fluid, rhythmic, honest.

7. What are some things you like to do when you’re not writing?

I like to go on walks with my dog and my husband. I also really like to sing and sometimes I get paid to do it!

8. What distinguishes good writing from bad writing?

Creativity. It's easy to just regurgitate what you've absorbed from other books and other authors' styles, but good writing reflects a real honesty that comes from within the author.

9. What was the hardest part of writing your book? 

Coming to terms with my experience as not just a victim of bullying, but sometimes as a bully myself. I had remembered some things much differently than they actually happened, and reading through my old diary entries was quite eye-opening.

10. Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it? 

I learned that I had been remembering my middle school experience slightly differently than it had actually happened. Some sexual acts that I remembered as being "my fault" were actually not entirely consensual. I was never a victim of sexual assault, thank god, but I certainly wasn't a seductress either.

13.Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers? 

Yes. If you enjoyed reading my diary, please continue to follow The UnSlut Project here: www.unslutproject.com and on Twitter:@UnSlutProject and Facebook: www.facebook.com/unslutproject. If you feel comfortable, please share your story as well: www.unslutproject.com/share-your-story.html. We are in the process of making a documentary film about slut shaming that you can follow through our website.

14. Do you have any advice for other writers?

Be honest. Don't try to emulate a particular voice or style that seems "better" than your own - just write what you feel. Also, EDIT. It can be so hard to cut down your own work, but realize that sometimes less is more in writing!