- What inspired the idea behind this book?
I learned about Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSBP) from my best friend, who is a school psychologist. The more research I did, the more fascinated I became. The perpetrators of MSBP are usually mothers—interesting in itself since the mother/child bond is supposed to be sacred. Perpetrators act out of a need for attention or love from authority figures within the medical community, a motivation both intriguing and heartbreaking. I wanted to get inside the head of one of these mothers, to try to understand whether they know they’re lying or if they believe they’re doing what’s best for their child. Along came Patty Watts.
- What was the research process like for the book?
I read short- and long-form firsthand accounts of survivors, as well as news articles and a medical textbook. I started by researching the illness (MSBP) in broad strokes, then began to build profiles of both perpetrators and survivors. From these general profiles I was able to establish a few traits my main characters, Patty and Rose Gold, had to have but then fleshed them out to make them my own. I also researched commonly faked illnesses, rigged lab tests, harmful substances to put in the bloodstream, and how real-life perpetrators trick doctors. This information is not for the faint of heart!
- What was the most challenging part of writing this book?
The hardest part was getting Rose Gold’s voice right. She was socially isolated for most of her childhood, so both her worldview and vocabulary are limited to what Patty has taught her. At the beginning of the novel, she has not yet learned social norms, colloquialisms or pop culture references, which the rest of us take for granted. I was constantly going back and rephrasing chapters so they sounded less like me and more like her.
- What’s some great advice you’ve received that has helped you as a writer?
Write coldly. When you compose a disturbing or emotional scene, write about it in a concise, detached way. That matter-of-factness in the face of horror makes the impact much more powerful.
- What’s your daily writing routine like and what are you working on at the moment?
It depends on which part of the process I’m in. For a first draft I write at least 2,000 words a day, often six or seven days a week, because I like that momentum and keeping my head in the story. During brainstorming or revisions, the progress is less quantifiable, so I’ll shoot for 6 hours a day or whatever is feasible before my brain breaks down!
Right now I’m working on the second draft of my second book. It’s about a wellness center called Wisewood that has some cult-like tendencies. The story is told from three points of view: the leader, a member, and a concerned relative.
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