Deborah Kelly discusses self-worth, resilience, and empathy in connection with her novel Skin to empower teens and share that one’s worth lies far beyond just appearances.

What do you love most about writing children’s fiction?

Having the opportunity to share my stories with young people all over the world is such a privilege. I enjoy exploring themes and ideas that are important to today’s children in a way that is relatable for each age group. I love getting to know my characters and building a world around them. Being a curious person, I love to learn new things, so I enjoy the research element that is required for some stories.

What inspired you to write Skin?

Skin was inspired by an experience my daughter had when she was younger. When a dark freckle appeared suddenly on her otherwise very clear cheek, we had it checked and it turned out to be a spitz nevus, a rare type of pre-melanoma that had nothing to do with sun exposure, but which needed to be removed because of the high likelihood of it turning into a melanoma down the track. The surgery and recovery were painful and difficult for her, and the scar she was left with afterwards had a real impact on her self-esteem. As we explored these feelings, she came to realise that her scar was part of her story and that her worth as a person extended far beyond the surface layers.

Though difficult, this experience enabled her to develop resilience and maturity. I wanted to capture some of that for teen audiences—especially important for a generation so immersed in the world of social media.

Do you have a usual process you follow when drafting new stories? Did you do anything differently for this story?

I spend a lot of time thinking about my characters—their desires (and motives), obstacles preventing them from achieving those desires as well as setting and the major themes I want to explore. I summarise the idea in a few paragraphs, and then a single line. Then I work out the elements of the narrative arc (exposition, inciting incident, turning points one, two and three and coda) and from there I flesh out how the chapters will lie, how many, and how many words per chapter. I work out a mini arc for each main thread or theme/ idea in the story, as well as an arc for each main character. I don’t over-plan because I want to leave space for magic to happen—where brilliant ideas pop up organically and tie in beautifully with what I have written.

Skin follows Lexie Collins, who discovers a melanoma on her cheek. What was it like to write on this particular topic for a teen audience?

I think the concept of our worth being more than skin deep is an important one for all teens but especially the current generation who are so immersed in the misrepresentations perpetuated by social media. While some of the major themes in the book—such as navigating friendships, coping with change, resilience and self-esteem—are universal, I couldn’t draw on my own experiences of social media because it didn’t exist when I was a teenager. My teenage daughter beta read this manuscript and offered me a lot of feedback to ensure the dialogue and actions of the characters were realistic and representative of today’s youth.

Were there any aspects of this story that you found challenging or confronting to write about?

Not challenging or confronting necessarily but writing on this topic did allow me to reflect on occasions where I may have judged people based on appearances. I have tried to acknowledge some people whose paths I have crossed over the years who were treated differently because of how they looked. Aunt Layla, Moira, Miss A, Maisy and Lexie are all based on real people.

What do you hope readers will take away from Skin?

That their worth extends far beyond their appearance. That adverse experiences can build strength and resilience and allow for growth.That it is natural for friendships to change as we develop and grow. And that there is value in sharing our lived experience with others; it allows us to look at the world and each other very differently, fostering empathy. And I would encourage them to always show compassion—none of us know what kinds of battles other people might be facing.

Do you have any other projects in the works?

Yes! More middle grade, young adult and a junior fiction series.