Special Guest Interview with Martha Conway, Author of The Physician's Daughter

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

In a world made for men, can one woman break free from tradition and walk a new path?

I'm pleased to welcome author Martha Conway to The Writing Desk:

Tell us about your latest book

I suppose you could describe The Physician's Daughter as "But She Persisted" meets "But She Fell in Love." Vita Tenney has always dreamed about becoming a doctor like her father, but in 1865, when the novel takes place, very few women were able to pursue medical careers. Then Vita meets a man who might help her, Civil War veteran Jacob Culhane. For a while it seems as though Vita's plan will work— until she falls in love with Jacob. Will Jacob help Vita to pursue her dream, or will he ask her to help him with his own dream instead?

What is your preferred writing routine?

I write every weekday morning from 9am until 12pm. I started that routine after I left my office job to care for my children, and now that my children are grown it still suits me. If I am writing a first draft (new material), I write at least 500 words a day. Since most of my novels are historical, I often do a bit of research during my writing time—but I try to do the bulk of my research later, during the afternoon or weekends.

What advice do you have for new writers?

For me, I needed to find a routine; I needed to make writing a habit. Try various schedules and see what works for you. Then, once you have found a schedule that works, be as disciplined as you possibly can. It may be that you decide to write during your lunch hour, or on the bus to work, or every Saturday morning ... but whatever it is, commit to it!

What have you found to be the best way to raise awareness of your books?

Interviews like this! And anything and everything—social media, word of mouth, in-person readings, etc. Lately I've been talking to women's groups, groups interested in medicine and/or women in medicine, and Civil War groups. That's been new and fun. I also talk to a lot of book groups (mostly remotely); I've recently spoken to a book group in Pakistan and one in Ireland.

Tell us something unexpected you discovered during your research

My character Vita Tenney dreams of attending the Cleveland Medical College, and I knew that women were admitted there in the 1850s. However, when I went to the Cleveland Museum of Medical History to do research, the docent told me that the CMC had STOPPED admitting women in 1859 — and didn't start admitting women again until 1916. Yes, over 60 years! So I had to figure out a way to get my girl into the program, even though the door was "officially closed" to women.

What was the hardest scene you remember writing?

The sex scene.

What are you planning to write next?

I'm writing a novel that takes place in Ireland during World War 2. Gaby Donnelly, an 18-year-old American girl, is stuck in Ireland in 1940, and finds a job as a cook's assistant at a large manor home. While there, she begins to see the ghost of her younger sister.

Martha Conway

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About the Author

Martha Conway's short fiction has appeared in the Iowa Review, Mississippi Review, The Quarterly, Carolina Quarterly, and other publications. She has reviewed fiction for the San Francisco Chronicle and the Iowa Review, and is a recipient of a California Arts Council fellowship in Creative Writing. In addition to writing, Martha is an instructor of creative writing at Stanford University’s Continuing Studies Program. She received her BA from Vassar College in History and English, and her MA in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University. Born and raised in Ohio, she now lives in San Francisco with her family. Find out more at Martha's website 

https://marthaconway.com/ and follow her posts about writing and reading on Facebook and Twitter at @marthamconway.