Overcoming My Discouragement

The last few days I was discouraged about the idea of writing about my depression and Prozac experiences, whether fictional or as a memoir.  After reading Prozac Nation ,  I felt I was living in my own "Prozac Nation" and was inspired to write about my experience.  Then I felt this idea was wrong-- that the definitive book on the subject already existed, and there could never be another. I felt as though I were trying to rewrite the Bible. But many people I know tried to convince me otherwise, saying in one way or another that no two stories are alike. And that it doesn't matter if someone has already written on the subject, your own story is unique as are your voice and perspective.  For a while, I had trouble convincing myself of all this. But now I know it's all true--we all have our own stories to tell.

There were some things about the author that I felt I identified with, but even so, I still have a different story to tell.  I found the book to be thought-provoking as the author came to terms with her depression, something I had trouble doing until now.  I don't feel ashamed to tell anyone about being Prozac, as you can see from recent posts here on my site and have mentioned it on Facebook as well.  Several people on Facebook liked my review of Prozac Nation (my Goodreads account is connected to my Facebook one), more than I would have expected.

I now feel if I want to do it, I can and I should.  I began writing notes for a possible introduction to the story in my notebook.  I see it being written in first person, but still not sure how to fictionalize it.