Betsy Uhrig is the author of the new middle grade novel Mind over Monsters. Her other books include The Polter-Ghost Problem. She lives in the Boston area.
Q: What inspired you to write Mind over Monsters, and how did you create your character Lena?
A: Mind Over Monsters had been cooking in my head for a while when I started writing it – I liked the idea of fears coming to life at school and having to fight them off with school-based equipment. I wrote it during the pandemic, which seemed fitting, since many fears were coming to life at that time.
Lena is based, no surprise, on me. I was an anxious kid and grew up to be an anxious adult, and it didn’t occur to me for the longest time that I didn’t have to feel that way – that there were coping techniques available.
Several of these techniques appear in the book itself, and more are listed in the author’s note for anyone who’s curious.
Lena also learns from her Worrier friends that expressing anxiety in the moment is perfectly okay and even helpful. I would have benefitted from doing that as a kid, though I’m very glad I didn’t have to fight off underpants-clad fear-of-public-speaking monsters with only a lacrosse stick.
Q: The Booklist review of the book says, “Terrifying and droll…Alongside a mix of physical comedy and poker-faced banter, the author adds dashes of insight into some of anxiety’s causes and coping strategies.” What do you think of that description?
A: I think that sums it up perfectly! My main objective was to be funny, both in the action and the dialogue. Worriers need to laugh as much as possible, even – or maybe especially -- in moments of stress.
“Terrifying” I consider a gift, because writing scary isn’t really my strength. My attempts at terrifying scenes usually devolve into ridiculousness.
Q: Did you know how the novel would end before you started writing it, or did you make many changes along the way?
A: I knew it would end with the day being saved, of course. And before that with an all-out battle between our heroes and their many strange fears.
But odd things that developed along the way influenced how these events played out. Call Me Barb’s coffee habit, Ms. Campbell’s intolerance for “horseplay,” the cranberry mascot suit – none of these were planned ahead of time, but they definitely came in handy.
Q: What do you hope readers take away from the story?
A: First and foremost, I hope they get a good laugh. Many fears can be defanged a bit by exaggerating them to the point of absurdity. If dingy underpants help this process, then so be it!
If readers tend to worry, I hope they see themselves in my Worriers and take comfort in the fact that they are not alone in the way they feel. I would love it if this book gave them some strategies to try, or at least encouraged them to reach out for help if they need it.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: Something short and sweet – literally. It’s for slightly older kids than my other books: the main character is 14. There are laughs and peril, of course, but also romance, which is new for me. We’ll see if I can pull it off!
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: Anxiety is a problem for kids right now, and with good reason. There are many excellent middle-grade books that feature characters with anxiety, which is wonderful. I wish they’d been available when I was that age.
I hope my contribution to the genre will reach kids who need it. Or kids who don’t, but would appreciate a book full of monsters and weaponized sporting equipment and goofy school mascots getting trounced by other goofy school mascots. And isn’t that pretty much everyone?
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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