The Honeymoon Phase
(Invisible Battles Volume 1)
The Honeymoon Phase will be a full-color graphic novel that is for young adults. It is the first volume in the series “Invisible Battles”
About the Graphic Novel
Janina is experiencing some really strange bodily symptoms that are interfering with her typical teenage life. When it’s discovered that she has type 1 diabetes, her whole world is turned upside down, and she must now navigate life with a new and very annoying side-kick, blood sugar.
Blood sugar is frustratingly relentless and extremely unhelpful in everyday situations. At times it seems to be its mission in life to make the most simple tasks challenging! Not only can blood sugar make her dangerously unwell if she doesn’t figure out how to manage her type 1 diabetes, there are a whole lot of thoughts and emotions around dealing with a chronic disease that Janina didn’t have before. And considering people have preconceived ideas around diabetes, it feels like nobody really understands what life with diabetes is really like.
Interspersed with Janina’s story are other true diagnosis stories from others with type 1 diabetes from around the world, that bring to light the complexities and unique challenges of living with this chronic disease.
The objective of this graphic novel is to convey a meaningful and thought-provoking exploration of the diagnosis of type 1 diabetes. It will appeal to those who were not only diagnosed recently, but those who have been living with diabetes for many years. Friends and family of loved ones with type 1 diabetes might also find this graphic novel interesting as it will bring insight to the often not seen or understood world of type 1 diabetes.
This graphic novel will focus on certain aspects of type 1 diabetes that we experience during the period of diagnosis. It will be told through 4 chapters with the possibility of additional arcs to expand the series into multiple books.
symptoms of type 1 diabetes
type 1 diabetes diagnosis
what is type 1 diabetes?
thoughts, feelings and emotions of being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes
navigating life with type 1 diabetes
insulin (what it is, and the history of insulin)
the honeymoon phase
hypoglycaemia, hyperglycaemia, ketoacidosis
school and diabetes
the “routine” of type 1 diabetes
no day is the same with type 1 diabetes
diabetes stigma and dealing with initial public perceptions of diabetes at diagnosis
diabetes education at diagnosis
parents of children with type 1 diabetes perspectives
Graphic Novel Themes
A unique part of this graphic novel is that I would like to include community stories on being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes from around the world.
There will also be specific questions around certain themes. For example:
“How high was your blood sugar when you were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes?”
”Were you comfortable telling people you’ve been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes?”
”What was the hardest thing for you after being diagnosed?”
”What were your first experiences at school/work like after being diagnosed?”
Your story could help and inspire others who are struggling with their type 1 diabetes diagnosis, or make people feel less alone in their journey with type 1 diabetes. If you would like to submit a response to a question based on your experience of type 1 diabetes and diagnosis, please click here.
Follow the Journey
Stay connected with the development of "The Honeymoon Period" and gain exclusive access to behind-the-scenes content. Here’s how you can follow my progress and support my work:
Regular Updates
Development Milestones:
Track the progress of the graphic novel through my detailed timeline. I’ll share key milestones such as script completion, illustration phases, and final edits.
Example Milestones:
Script Completion: Finished writing the script and outlining the chapters.
Character Design: Finalized the design of main characters, including Janina and supporting cast.
First Draft of Illustrations: Completed initial sketches and layouts for the first three chapters.
Final Edits: Incorporating feedback and making final adjustments to illustrations and dialogue.
Behind-the-Scenes Insights:
Dive into the creative process with exclusive behind-the-scenes content. I’ll share our journey, challenges, and triumphs as I bring "The Honeymoon Period" to life.
Insights Include:
Sketches and Concept Art: Early sketches and concept art that showcase the development of characters and settings.
Storyboarding: Glimpses of our storyboarding process, showing how scenes are planned and executed.
Creative Challenges: Personal stories and reflections on overcoming creative hurdles and refining the narrative.
Exclusive Sneak Peeks:
Be the first to see new artwork, completed panels, and excerpts from the graphic novel. I’ll provide sneak peeks to keep you engaged and excited about the upcoming release.
Become a patron of my work
Support "The Honeymoon Period" by becoming a patron of Miss Diabetes! Your support helps me to continue creating high-quality content and brings me closer to publication. My hope is to make this into a graphic novel series, where I can cover other topics that follow on from diagnosis and initial explanations of life with diabetes such as diabetes advocacy, insulin access, diabetes cures, healthcare systems and more.
Meet the Characters so far…
Janina is like any typical teenager - she loves art and movies like Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal, Punky Brewster and Sweet Valley High Books. But lately she has been experiencing some strange bodily symptoms. When she is diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, she is overwhelmed by how much her life has to change, not to mention the sudden appearance of an annoying side-kick, blood sugar!