A Conversation with Judy Mollen Walters
Q: When you did you first realize you wanted to pursue writing? Was it a slow realization or a sudden one?
Judy: I have been a writer since I was a little girl. I can clearly remember being in fourth grade and taking a creative writing class on Saturdays. The teacher took my father aside one Saturday when he came to pick me up and told him that I had real talent. Ever since then, in some way or another, I’ve been writing. It feels just as much a part of me as brushing my teeth or driving a car – but way harder!
Q: All your novels involve the social implications of chronic health conditions, such as multiple sclerosis, eating disorders and autism, and the struggle for personal acceptance or a new sense of normalcy. What pulls you toward that subgenre of women’s fiction?
Judy: I’ve had a chronic condition for the last twenty years that has deeply affected my daily life. That is part of the impetus, I think, for writing about medical issues. Also, I am very interested in pregnancy, birth, and delivery, (I shoulda’ been a midwife, I tell you!) so I usually incorporate, and have written many times about, these topics.
Q: Who are some of your greatest influences?
Judy: Who are some of my greatest writing influences or influences in general? Well, both. 😊 In general, my husband and two daughters are my greatest influences in how and what I write. I also turn to certain authors, like Jodi Picoult, whose writing inspires me.
Q: You offer baked goods to book clubs within one hundred miles that invite you to speak. What role does baking play in your life?
Judy: In my family, the women seem to all lean towards cooking or baking in stressful times. During this last year’s election season, for example, I baked a lot for about a week straight. It’s a relaxation for me that others might find in activities such as walking or reading or getting a massage. (I like all those things, too!) I love to bake and give treats away, so whenever there is an opportunity, I do so. If I can find a reason to do it, I do it!
Q: Was it a struggle to balance motherhood and writing? Do you have advice for writer moms with young kids at home?
Judy: I didn’t find it to be a struggle to be a writer and mother. For one thing, I didn’t even start publishing until my girls were in high school. But for another, I just worked my writing around motherhood. I wrote when they were in preschool or school or away at camp the summer – I was very fortunate that way. But I know for many moms, that’s not the case, and they really struggle to find the time to carve out. I wish there was some really great advice I could give, but I’ll just say if you can write one page a day for a year, you will have an entire book. I find when I break my writing or editing down to small chunks, it feels much more manageable.
Q: What can we expect from you next?
Judy: Next up is a novel about two best friends and their two teenage children who are also best friends, and the shocking secret that comes out, threatening to destroy all of their lives. Look for it this fall!
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