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When did you first consider yourself as a “writer”?
When I finished my first full-length
book. It was the process of writing a
first draft, editing, re-editing, and then giving it over to others for
objective criticism that made me feel like a writer. It was like an initiation into a club.
What is the name of your latest book,
and if you had to summarize it in less than 20 words, what would you say?
Atomic Summer - THREE friends,
TWO secrets, ONE lie, and the summer in 1953 that changed their lives.
What can we expect from you in the
future? i.e. More books of the same genre?
Books of a different genre?
More women’s fiction. I will be releasing my second novel,
Restoration, next summer.
After reading some of my daughter’s YA
fiction, I realized that YA fiction readers would also enjoy Atomic Summer. She hasn’t read it yet, because after all,
I’m Mom to her and how could I possibly entertain her with my prose.
What made you decide to write that genre
of books?
People fascinate me and I’m fascinated by
the complexities of relationships, so that is what I write. I put my characters in situations and see how
they navigate through them. Creating
characters a reader can connect with, cheer on, relate too, feel sympathy
toward, or even hate, are what make stories so compelling. People want to connect with other
people. Think about the recent Olympic
coverage. It was peppered with personal
interest vignettes about the athletes because viewers are interested in
learning about the people behind the events.
Do you choose a title first, or write
the book then choose the title?
I write first and somewhere along the
way the title comes to me. In the
beginning, I have a working title I use so I can save the file on my computer
by the working title name. The working
title for Atomic
Summer was The Truth About Lies. It doesn’t quite have the punch Atomic Summer
does, does it?
How do you come up with character names
and places in your book?
Sometimes, I know right off the bat what
the names should be because the name fits the character I’m imagining. Other times, just as with the title, the
final character names come to me as I’m going through the editing process
because they fit with the story. In Atomic Summer,
three of the characters, who are brothers and a sister, were named after
saints. One of the saint names ends up
being prophetic in what happens to that character, so I had to do my history
homework. Places in the book are places
I have lived and am familiar with which helps me create a sense of place and
setting that is authentic for the reader.
Do you decide on character traits before
writing the whole book or as you go along?
I flesh out my characters before I begin
writing. Since my stories are character
driven, I have to know them really well before we journey off together into the
story.
Do you plot/plan your book before you
actually begin writing, or do you let the writing flow and see where it takes
the story?
I have a destination in mind
and sketch out scenes that will get me there, but my characters steer the
story. They take me down roads that I
don't see when I first start writing. Instead of forcing a situation on a
character to make the story work, the situation unfolds because my characters
present them to me based on who they are and what motivates them.
Are there any hidden messages or morals
contained in your books?
No, but there are universal questions asked
and experienced through the characters that many of us ask ourselves at
different points in our lives. Atomic Summer is a coming of age story with three teenage girls
growing up in the anxiety-riddled times of 1953. They struggle with faith, friendships, and
their burgeoning sexuality, as well as struggling between conforming to and
rebelling against the norms of the times.
If you could invite three favorite writers to
dinner, who would you invite and enjoy chatting with?
Anne Frank - She was an ordinary girl growing
up and living under extraordinary circumstances. When I was a young girl, I was mesmerized by
both her diary and the story around her years in hiding and the helpers who
aided those in hiding. Visiting her
hiding place in Amsterdam is on my bucket list, so she has to be on my
invitation list.
Shakespeare - He wrote during one of my
favorite periods in history, so besides wanting to talk with him about his
craft, I would love to hear about his experiences living in the Elizabethan
Age.
Pat Conroy - I love his books and how he draws
upon his own experiences when writing them.
His life is just as interesting as his stories and I would enjoy the
opportunity to ask him the one hundred questions that have crossed my mind
while reading his books.
Where can readers follow you?
Website:
Facebook page:
Goodreads Author page:
Twitter: @ElaineDWalsh
Any other information you wish to supply?
100% of the profits from my book sale
royalties in 2012 will be donated to cancer related causes and charities. It was my mother’s story about her and her
friend’s conversations about what each of them would do if the end of the world
was imminent that was the creative spark for Atomic Summer. My mother lost her battle to cancer and this
book is dedicated to her memory. And as
Anne Frank wrote, “How wonderful it is that nobody need
wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”
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