It's Not Gonna Write Itself: an Interview with Evelyn Walsh

In "Unraveling," published in our Fall 2026 Issue, Evelyn Walsh takes us on a journey through absurd destruction to tell a story about love and hope. Read our interview with the author to learn her advice on creating, her future writing plans, and what part of her vocabulary makes her sound like a medieval monk.

Why write?

When I was a kid, I just thought that writing was the natural progression of things—first you learned to read, and then you read a lot of books, and then you started writing them. I would fill up notebooks with scribbles before I was old enough to know how to write. It just seemed like what I was supposed to do! It still feels that way.

Do you write by hand or at the keyboard? Why do you prefer one or the other?

I love the idea of handwriting things, but I have to do most of it on the keyboard. The sight of my own handwriting drives me insane (like hearing your own voice on a recording), and also I’m usually not a fast enough hand-writer to keep up with my brain.

Thoughts about sea cucumbers?

I think they’re darling. Perfect garnish for a seaweed salad.

Advice on creating you have learned the hard way?

That, unfortunately, it’s not gonna write itself. It’s endlessly irritating that you have to show up consistently, pay attention, and do the work. I have yet to perfect the art of producing a lot of genius writing while on a cocaine-fueled creative bender, so instead I’m learning to just write consistently and prioritize my creative time.

Favorite book title (regardless of content)?

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers.

What is a word or phrase you find yourself using too much? Why do you think that is the case?

I feel like I constantly use the word “tasty.” Dinner was tasty, breakfast was tasty, my co-worker’s lunch looks tasty, etc. I don’t know why I use it all the time, but it feels like a word that a medieval monk would use a lot. Brother Anselm’s blackberry cordial is very tasty.

Do you plan on writing a novel, or have you started and/or completed one (or more)? No wrong answers.

I would like to write a novel someday. Before I do, I would like to write a collection of short stories that all link together (deconstructed novel).

Tell us a secret.

The secret is that I know your secret. I know what you did. And it’s too late—I’ve already alerted the authorities, so you won’t get away with it.

What’s your favorite under-appreciated novel or short story (a work you rarely hear anyone else talking about)?

Mr. Fox by Helen Oyeyemi. I don’t know if it’s under-appreciated, but no one I know talks about it, and it’s a book that I keep re-reading and thinking about constantly.

Evelyn Walsh lives in New England. When she isn't writing, she enjoys reading fantasy novels, collecting antiques, and playing the saxophone. Her work has most recently appeared in Astral, Alien Fiction and Portrait of New England. Evelyn (and her other published work) can be found on Instagram as @piscataquacryptid.