Muffy Walker is a multifaceted individual with a unique blend of professional expertise and personal passions. She has written chapters, guides, and newspaper articles on mental health and stigma. Holding a master’s of science in psychiatric nursing from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA, her diverse educational background reflects her commitment to both the intricacies of mental health and the complexities of business management.

Your new novel, Memory Weavers, came out on April 8th. What’s it about, and why were you inspired to write it?

I began writing this book over thirteen years ago. My mother had Alzheimer’s and she one day said she wanted “to trade brains” with someone she thought had a less evil disease.

In Memory Weavers, Hadley is preparing for her twenty-second wedding anniversary from her office in Manhattan. She surprises her husband, Bergen, with a gift to get their genomes sequenced to proactively counter any disease risks. Meanwhile, in the East Village, twenty-seven-year-old Rachel reluctantly goes to therapy for her panic attacks and flashbacks from a college rape. Her mother is overprotective, and her father has left the family. When the genome results come back, Hadley learns her fate and spirals into depression. Her family struggles to help while grieving her mental decline.

Rachel and Hadley meet in the therapist’s waiting room. One woman is desperately holding onto her memories, while the other tries to banish them. They form a supportive friendship, each filling a void in the other’s life.

Publishing a book can be an intimidating process, and it’s certainly a learning curve. What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned throughout the publishing process, and what advice would you give to aspiring authors? 

The biggest thing I learned was how to perfect my writing skills. In the thirteen years it took me to complete it, I thought the book was finished and ready at least three times! Be patient, join writing groups, get a writing coach.

Authors often suggest different avenues in the way of marketing. Can you explain what has worked for you? Where did you begin?

I founded a nonprofit organization in the mental health space fifteen years ago and therefore already had a lot of contacts. Outside of that group, I researched everybody who was in any way related to the themes in my book and reached out to them.

What’s your writing routine like? Do you have any sacred rituals or practices that help you show up at the blank page?

I’m a “pantser,” meaning I just write when the mood strikes and I don’t follow an outline. No rituals or practices other than knowing I’ll have at least several hours of uninterrupted time to write.

Elizabeth Gilbert says in her book Big Magic that “a creative life is an amplified life. It’s a bigger life.” How has your life expanded as a result of your writing practice?

I have really gotten involved with the Alzheimer’s Association, UsAgainstAlzheimer’s, and other Alzheimer’s related organizations, research institutes, and caregiver groups.