
The Dark Side of Mind Reading: A Deep Dive with D.I. Jolly.
From The Writing Community Chat Show by Christopher Aggett
March 19, 2026 · 58 min · Season 17
About this episode
This episode features a discussion with D.I. Jolly about his psychological thriller 'Blurred Lines' and its exploration of social anxiety.
The Burden of Mental Noise: Social Anxiety & Psychic Thrills with D.I. Jolly What if you couldn’t turn off the thoughts of everyone around you? In this episode of The Writing Community Chat Show , we sit down with Berlin-based indie author D.I. Jolly to dive into his latest psychological thriller, Blurred Lines .More than just a "superpower" story, Blurred Lines serves as a visceral metaphor for social anxiety. We discuss how the protagonist, Miles, navigates a world of overwhelming mental chatter and the moment a psychic cry for help forces him out of his self-imposed isolation. Inside the Episode: The Power of Practice: How writing over 300 short stories for the Berlin Poetry Club sharpened Jolly's craft. Genre-Bending & Metaphor: Using lycanthropy to explore bipolar disorder in the Mostly Human series. The Research Process: Consulting with therapists to accurately portray the mechanics of anxiety and human thought. Killing Your Darlings: The reality of cutting 15,000 words to save a story. The Indie Hustle: Insights into the “Buy My Effing Book” marketing strategy and the impact of living in seven different countries on world-building. Whether you're an aspiring…
People in this episode
Host: Christopher Aggett
Guest: D.I. Jolly
Topics covered
- social anxiety
- psychological thriller
- writing process
- mental health
- indie publishing
Keywords
- social anxiety
- psychological thriller
- writing
- indie author
- mental noise
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Berlin Poetry Club
Books & works: Blurred Lines
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