Exclusive Interview: Jennifer Crystal Reveals the Shocking Inspiration Behind One Tick Stopped the Clock
Richard Hoffman told us, slow down, bring us into the scene. One of the things I talk about with my students is how a good writing-to-heal piece needs both action and reflection. Teaching definitely informs my writing more than anything else. You probably experience that as well.
MB: This should not have come as a surprise to me, but I thought, oh my god, she was sick for so long before anybody figured it out. As hard as everything was, there was also hope in the book.
JC: That’s what I wanted. I wanted to be truthful. I didn’t want to give false hope, and that everything was tied up neatly, because that’s not what happened. It was so dark for so long, but there was this hope. And it did get better. You can still grow up and go on to create a meaningful life in the context of chronic illness even if you can’t go back to the life you had previously.
