Chapman alumna shares journey with OCD, talks published short story
Danielle Krikorian, a 2020 creative writing alumna, shared the development and publishing of her OCD-inspired short story, “Darci and the Hook, Line, and Sinker.”
Growing up in Irvine, Disneyland trips were routine for Danielle Krikorian, who believes that the park helped foster her love for fairy tales.
Fairy tales would become a genre of interest for the ‘20 creative writing alumna as she discovered writing and a blanket of security, growing up with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). It was at the Disneyland parking structure when Krikorian got the news that, after multiple rejections, her OCD-inspired short story was going to be published in Open Minds Quarterly, and soon after, Kaleidoscope Magazine.
“My OCD would kind of sneak into my love of fairy tales and myths, and sometimes I’d have to take a step back, which was always really hard for me, even though it was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I love these things so much that it’s now taking over. It’s coming into this world,’” Krikorian told The Panther. “It always just felt really hopeful in those worlds.”
The Panther sat down with Krikorian to discuss her history as a writer, her journey with OCD and the publishing of her story, “Darci and the Hook, Line, and Sinker.”
In the third grade, Krikorian was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Her parents encouraged her to write about her struggles with OCD, but she was hesitant to do so until college when she heard the song “Another Dumb Blonde” by Hoku and its lyric about a hook, line and sinker. These lyrics would remind her of the disorder.
In her classes, her character Darci, a young woman with OCD, began to take shape. “Darci and the Hook, Line, and Sinker,” which follows Darci battling OCD in a restroom, was inspired by the disorder’s distressing, lingering thoughts and its effects.
Regardless of whether or not they have OCD, Krikorian hopes readers come away with a sense of compassion for those who do and recognize the severity of the disorder. For those suffering, Krikorian wants them to know that they are not alone.
“I just want people to know that this is a very real disorder. This is very real. It causes very real distress. The thing about OCD is that you have to do whatever it is that it wants you to do until it feels just right. Even when it feels just right, the relief only lasts for so long. It doesn’t last forever, and you’re really just feeding it more and more.”
A part of Sigma Tau Delta during her time at Chapman, Krikorian sent the short story to the honor society’s convention, where it was accepted. However, the event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic — a situation that initially left Krikorian saddened. As a college senior at the time, the convention’s encouragement that applicants could submit pieces the following year didn’t reassure her.
“To be honest, I was a little bit bitter... for me, I was like, ‘I’m a senior! There’s not gonna really be a next year,’” Krikorian said. “But since then, I was like, ‘Well, someone over there liked it. Maybe some other magazine will like it too.”
Thus began her submission of the story to multiple outlets, which culminated in the piece’s acceptance by Kaleidoscope and Open Minds Quarterly.
While her writing location can depend on mood, Krikorian sometimes likes to work in enclosed spaces, like her room or coffee shops. Being inside gives her a feeling of safety. When tackling novels, Krikorian likes to have a plot outline — outlining chapters and the directions her story will take. While it has become easier since “Darci and the Hook, Line, and Sinker,” she finds writing short stories difficult.
“I think the key with writing a short story is knowing really what you want to say,” Krikorian told The Panther. “I know that sounds really general, but if you know what you want to say and how you want to say it, you can encapsulate it in that frame of 5,000 words, or whatever word count you want it to be.”
Professor emeritus James Blaylock, who taught Kirkorian in an independent study creative writing class, noted her persistence as being the key to her success as a writer.
“Her writing is and was good, but one of her key strengths is that she continued to write and to revise her work because she was driven to create stories, and that drive didn’t end when a semester was over or when she graduated. ”
Blaylock continued: “That's true of every successful writer I know, including myself. I don't have a degree in creative writing. No one told me I had to write. And that, obviously, is true of Danielle. That's why her writing developed to the point of becoming publishable…Danielle is talented, but perseverance is worth more than talent.”
“Darci and the Hook, Line, and Sinker” can be read in Kaleidoscope Magazine and Open Minds Quarterly.