A Word with Doug Wilhelm

I was visiting a middle school a couple of weeks ago where everyone had read The Revealers. It was evening: I had spent the day in school talking with the kids, and now we were waiting for a parents’ forum on bullying and my book to begin. I was sitting with some students, when one asked if she could write something in my notebook. I had told the kids that day about my writer’s notebook, pulling it from my pocket to show them and explaining that if I noticed something that day, if I heard or saw or learned something from them that I wanted to remember, I would write it down.

“Sure,” I said, and I handed my notebook to the seventh grader. “Here you go.” She took it and wrote down for me a couple of evil text messages she had recently received. They were amazingly cutting and cruel. She added, in my little book, that in my new novel for young adults I should write about “texting abuse (lies).”

Now I want to know more — a lot more. My impression is that the number of nasty, cruel, harsh text messages being sent every day by young teenagers to each other is far greater than anyone — even the teenagers themselves — suspects. And because the book I’m currently writing is a sequel to The Revealers, in which the kids’ use of technology is up to date in both positive and negative ways, I want to know about nasty texting. What is in the cutting messages kids are receiving?

Have you received — or sent — a nasty text? If so, What did it say?

I’m asking you to share these messages with me, not so I can repeat them but so that I can write a realistic new book. You can share with me the kinds of texts that have passed through your phone in one of two ways:

1. Post a comment here. (If you do that, others will be able to read your comment.)

2. Send an email to me at dwilhelm@together.net. (Then only I will read what you share.)

Because I’m writing fiction, I won’t share or repeat what you send me! You will help me understand, and write realistically about, the dark side of what is happening with texting among teens today — the kinds of harsh and cruel messages that really are being sent.

This is only part of my new story, but it’s an important part, I think.

Will you help me by telling me the truth?