Behind the Book: Officially Losing It by Rebecca Anderson

Our lovely author, Rebecca Anderson, was recently published by Scholastic. Her YA debut has been described as “Mean Girls level quotability and a loveable cast of down-to-earth characters reminiscent of Derry Girls and The Inbetweeners,” so we checked in with Rebecca to ask her more about the book and publication process!

What is your story about and where did you get the inspiration to write it from?

In terms of plot, Officially Losing It is about seventeen-year-old Rose's failed attempt to have sex with her boyfriend for the first time and the journey she goes on – both medically and emotionally – over the following year. In terms of themes, OLI is about friendships, self-worth, society's expectations and stepping out of the 'shoulds' we so often confine ourselves to. The inspiration to write Rose's story came from my own experiences and a desire to write a novel that I felt was missing from my own teen years. I hope that by keeping the curtain up during moments of vulnerability, the book can empower and validate those who feel alienated by heavily romanticised accounts of sex – especially teenagers who are beginning to learn about consent and what a healthy, intimate relationship looks like.

How close was the experience of being published to what you expected? Were there any big surprises?

The experience of being published felt pretty similar to what I expected. I followed a very traditional route. I queried about 50 agents before landing my dream agent, the wonderful Sara O’Keeffe. We went for coffee and croissants in London and it was everything I had  dreamed of. We worked on edits for about four months and then we went on submission. Julia Sanderson at Scholastic offered, and the editing began. Looking back on it I would probably say I loved every minute of it, but I wonder if that's akin to what someone might say about the birth of a child – you forget the painful parts! I was very lucky to have lots of support from the writing community and some wonderful mentors to go to if I had any questions/wobbles/needed a listening ear which helped massively. I expected it very much to be a rollercoaster, and that it was, but one that I adored riding, which is saying something because I am not usually an adrenaline junkie. 

What was the most important piece of advice you received while collaborating with Cornerstones?

I got so much valuable advice from my mentor Gina, but one specific piece I remember is her suggestion I get into the story quicker. I had a lot of chapters at the beginning of my first draft that I loved, but they did nothing for my pacing or to hook a reader. When I cut all of that, my manuscript was way better for it. On a wider note, just cutting in general is always a great piece of advice. I am very good at that now, having cut 5+ thousand words from the start of my newest draft of book two. 

What stage in your writing career are you at now? Are you working on anything new?

It's still early days but I would go as far as to say I'm really getting into my stride as an author. My debut novel is out in the world, which is an amazing experience (and still mad to think people are actually reading it!) and my second book is currently on submission to editors. I have given up the day job to do my counselling work and writing full time, and I am absolutely living the dream! I am getting my head into marketing and even getting over my fear of talking to camera on the dreaded Book-Tok. I hope to be brave enough soon to get stuck into school visits, too. 

If you could go back and talk to yourself just before you started writing your first manuscript, what would you say to yourself?

You are good enough, trust yourself and the process, find a community to support you, put yourself out there, and know that it's a rite of passage to have a wobble (or many) and convince yourself your writing is total crap. I would also reassure myself that it's okay (and important) to share such a personal and vulnerable story, despite knowing that at some point your Mum, Dad, Grandma, bosses and random strangers will one day be reading it!!