Mari Mancusi is the author for this Thursday’s Author Tales! Mari is the author of Boys That Bite, Girls that Growl and Stake That. Her new novel Gamer Girl will be released November 13, 2008! For a chance to win a novel by Mari Mancusi be sure to leave a comment! For official guidelines, check out the Monthly Contest post for November.
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Eric Aker Must Die
It was more than twenty years ago, but I remember it like it was yesterday. Me, in class, doodling in my notebook. Eric Aker, my arch nemesis, looking over my shoulder. He laughs and starts loudly taunting me so the whole class can hear. Making fun of my precious drawings. Announcing to everyone in earshot what a weirdo I am. My face burns as he teases me, over and over again, without relent. The tears blur the pencil lines as they fall onto my drawings. I want to crawl under my desk, run out of the room, whatever it takes – just to get away, but class is about to begin. The teacher walks into the room, completely unaware, and Eric retreats to his seat after one last burning remark.
Twenty something years ago and it still makes me furious. To know that this one boy had the power to turn something I loved more than anything into a burning shame I wanted desperately to hide. I gave up drawing after eighth grade—too embarrassed to continue. And I never drew again. Today, I’ve lost the talent I once had—couldn’t draw if my life depended on it. And I blame Eric Aker for taking that gift away from me.
And yet, now, looking back on it, I also blame myself. I let him do it. I gave him my power. Let him control my own-self image. Allowed him to take something from me that I loved. Because I didn’t know any better. Because I felt I had no other options. I didn’t want to be the freak girl. And I didn’t know what to do about it.
I wrote the book Gamer Girl to let teens know that there are better ways to deal with bullies. You must stand up for yourself and not allow an outsider to define your own self-image–to take your power away from you. You are special and amazing – even if you’re different. Heck, especially if you’re different. You should embrace those differences and shine like a beacon into the world saying, “Look at me! I’m freaking great!”
Seriously, weird girls are the most awesome. And usually the most successful later in life.
I know what you’re thinking. Easy for you to say, adult girl. But I’m being tortured, ridiculed, tormented on a daily basis and I don’t know how to make it stop. Believe me, I would have said the same thing at the time. But take it from someone who’s been there. It can turn around. Not overnight. But it can happen.
Actually, it wasn’t until High School that I learned the secret. From a girl named Gretchen who shaved her head and wore black combat boots to school. She walked into each room like she owned it and embraced the stares and jeers as if they were glowing compliments showered upon her. She didn’t care what anyone thought. It was awesome.
I knew that from that first day I wanted to be like Gretchen.
And what I realized, a few years after that, was once I stopped caring what people thought—once I stopped allowing their judgments to affect my life—that was the point that everyone started wanting to be my friend. I ended high school on a high note with many friends and acquaintances. Real, true friends that I could trust—not fremenies who would sell me out as soon as my back was turned.
The old advice goes, “You can’t let them know it bothers you.” I say take it one step further. “Don’t let it bother you to begin with.” They’re only teasing you, they’re only pointing out your flaws, because they are so desperate to hide their own. They want the attention to be off of them—and their perceived inadequacies—and on to you. But if you don’t play the game—if you laugh them off and move on with your life—eventually they’ll get bored and move on, too. And you will still be standing. And you will still be yourself.
I don’t hate Eric Aker anymore. I actually feel sorry for him. He must have been a very sad person with a troubled life. He must have felt pretty bad about himself in order for him to go so far out of his way to hurt me. I hope, in the end, he figured things out. I know I did. And I’m a better person today for it all.
Even if I do suck at drawing.
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For more information on Mari Mancusi and her novels visit the following links:
Website: http://www.marimancusi.com/
Blog: http://marimancusi.blogspot.com/
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/marimancusi
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Great post! First, I thought that you were talking about the book, then I realized that you were talking about your own life!
I suck at drawing too! This was a very great post.
Great post! So true too. I’m still working on not caring, but I’ll get there someday.
Thanks for the great post.
It sounds so empowering. Wow. I think that you have an amazing strength to be able to draw from those experiences and use them to help girls. Thank you so much for that.
Anyways, please enter me in the giveaway. Thanks. =)
Carmen T
carmenalexistsang[at]gmail[dot]com
Wow! That is some really amazing advice.
~Meredith
Awesome post. So, so true. Can’t wait to read GAMER GIRL!
Thanks guys!
In one way this book was a lifetime in the making. But I really hope kids take its message to heart.
Awesome post, Mari!
I’m a weird girl. And proud of it.
I want to read Gamer Girl, badly.
Great post. So true! Congrats on your release day! I have two nieces GAMER GIRL will be perfect for! Plus I can’t wait to read it myself!
lovely book. seems pretty great. i suck at drawing but my friends all happen to be amazingly good >.< hahaaha
would love to be entered. thankss
stephanie
So now when poor Eric googles himself…
Great story — and so TRUE. It’s weird what at some school might make you a freak, at another is considered the height of cool. The artsy people ruled my high shcool. Goes to show how petty these ideas are.
Can’t wait for the book. Or, you know, Wrath of the Lich King.
I, also, suck at drawing. I love the Author Tales!
That was an amazing post!
This sounds like a great book to strengthen ones self. This book is definitely going on my TBR pile.
So….i was reading this post thinking “Oh! This sounds like a cool book plot!”
Then I realized that it was the author’s story and not her book’s plot!
It’s the author’s story, right?
Anyways…I feel bad that she has never drawn since. Boys can be so mean sometimes!
However, I am very thankful for the good advice!
Go weird girls!!!
-Brittney Tabel
perfectbbb@sbcglobal.net
Oh my god, I love the cover!! I think this got to be the first novel I’ve seen with an anime drawn cover! It makes an anime/manga fan like me very happy because I always wondered if there would be one some day. And it came true! I would love to read it!
Fantastic post! I found it really inspiring and I can’t wait to read Gamer Girl!
YAY weird girls. Seriously – in high school people just loved to tell me I was weird.
What I great post! This is a message I try to share with my 7th grade students all the time, but of course, they don’t get it yet.
great post! i used to be good at drawing but i let it fade away. i’d love to be entered.
What a powerful piece! If you don’t mind I would like to share it with my 8th grade students – perhaps incorporate it in a writing lesson to see what stories they may have to share. Thanks so much for sharing your experience.
RJ
Great story. I’ll have to check out that book now.
Awesome post, I never heard that story! It’s such a great thing to use some of those old hurts to make a creative and positive impact! Kudos and can’t wait to see the book!
Thanks guys!
Hey Reading Junky, I would be honored if you used it in your class to inspire talk about bullying! Let me know if you need anything else for me. I’m really passionate about the issue, as you can probably tell.
Great post6. I stopped journaling for a long time after someone picked mine up and read it out loud!
I’m sorry that happened to you! People are just stupid in this world and don’t understand real talent until it is on the poster they’re staring at!
Sara
email: babyprincess716@yahoo.com
Mari Mancusi is great. Thanks for posting this!
wow, very nice post and also scary really, i still can’t see why bullies are bullies, and i think it’s scary cause i can’t see how environment/home/parents/friends… can make a young child to be a bully, so without sympathy and so not innocent; either that or it shows how we really are without sympathy and innocent and learn to be human during growing up. either way, scary we humans can be/are all wild and ruthless and just chance and good luck makes us marginally human!!
definitely don’t want to see world war iii!!
Great post! I still remember becoming quasi-cool in HS after being considered a dork in middle school.
Just doing what you enjoy eventually pays off. ^_^
I’m sorry you lost your drawing skill.
Such a wonderful post. Thanks for that. I am interested to know how you pronounce your name, Mari. Just wondering if it is the same as me.
What an inspiring post! And thank you for sharing it. I think it’s really important for those of us who have been through experiences like that to find the positive in the outcome and be supportive to those young ladies who may be going through it still. (And if that’s not the longest sentence ever… lol)
Please enter me.
Judi
sidhevicious(at)shaw(dot)ca
That was such a great post! I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy of your book.
-emaildayla(at)yahoo(dot)com
I suck at drawing, too. Gamer Girl looks like a great book. I can’t wait to read it! Anyway, great guest blog.
Ooh. I loved that. Gosh, I've only heard of Mari Mancusi just a few weeks ago but her books sound amazing.
H&C,
Tay-Toe
I totally agree with your message! In fact, it’s what I stand for. People are just boring if they are all the same. Individuality is a valuable thing, something to take pride in. Being a little strange is better than just being another face in the crowd. I also love to draw, and I’d love to read Gamer Girl.
This is the first time of heard of this author. That was very unkind of that guy
to make fun of you. There aren’t many
artsy people at my school,..
-Rima
I can’t good English, …because I come from Germany.
Your book “guys to bite” is super!
I hope there are more books published in German!
Stefania K.
great and inspiring story. i can definitely relate
Great post. I am going to have to add these books to my wishlist.
This is AMAZING!!?!?!?!?1!! Im a Middle School student and I started getting bullied in 4th grade this made me see my self in sooooooooo many ways from the insecurity to the manga luving (u even listed off sum of meh favs Chibi Vampire, Dramacon) and I really liked the storyline u gave it I look forward to more like it or maybe if u could a sequel this is one of meh top fav books
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