Her debut novel is OCD, The Dude, and Me. From Vaughn's Q & A with Alleycat at Verbosity Book Reviews:As a teacher, have your experiences in the classroom helped to inspire OCD, the Dude, and Me in any way?Learn more about the book and author at Lauren Roedy Vaughn's website.
Totally yes. For twenty years, I was a classroom teacher of high school students with learning differences. I wrote about a world I knew. Danielle is not a particular student that I taught, but she embodies qualities familiar to me. She’s bright, unique and creative, but school and life have been difficult for her. Students struggling, are often silent, only understood by a careful eye. It takes courage to come out of hiding and ask for help. Students don’t always want help, but loving adults make sure that help happens anyway—that’s Danielle’s story. I was moved to write about a student who struggled but who also possessed wonderful gifts; those are the teenagers I’ve been blessed to know. There were thrilling moments from my career that influenced the story too. Like Ms. Harrison, I chaperoned students on school trips. Years ago, I took students to England, so I used the itinerary from that particular trip in OCD, the Dude, and Me. I also wrote roasts for each of my students right before they graduated.
I love that you say the struggles of teenagers can be silent. You captured a teenager’s life so perfectly in your novel.
With all the emotional and heart wrenching content in OCD, the Dude, and Me, were any scenes ever difficult to write? And what was the hardest part about writing this novel in general?
Some parts...[read on]
Writers Read: Lauren Roedy Vaughn.
The Page 69 Test: OCD, The Dude, and Me.
My Book, The Movie: OCD, the Dude, and Me.
--Marshal Zeringue