Q&A with Judy Foreman

  

 

 

Judy Foreman is the author of the new novel The Scallop Plot. Her other books include the novel CRISPR'd. She lives outside of Boston.

 

Q: What inspired you to write The Scallop Plot? 

 

A: I had a handywoman when I had a summer house near Provincetown on Cape Cod and she was a scallop fisherwoman.  I was in awe and very intrigued.

 

Q: As you alluded to, the novel is set on Cape Cod--how important is setting to you in your writing? 

 

A: Cape Cod is very special to me. My husband and I had a house in Truro for many years.

 

Q: How did you create your cast of characters? 

 

A: Well, I used my trusty female reporter. Samantha Fuller, the reporter, was the star in my previous thriller, CRISPR’d, and I very much wanted to highlight her again.

 

I used my handywoman as a model for my feisty scallopfisherwoman. And I created the scientists who alter the scallop embryos because I love writing about gene editing.

 

I created my evil wind farm developer from scratch because I needed an interesting villain.

 

Q: How did your background as a science and medical writer affect the creation of this novel?

 

A: Totally. I did a lot of research into the gene editing process, I talked to scientists about enhancing growth and size in fish, and I learned a lot about the pros and cons of offshore wind.

 

Q: What are you working on now? 

 

A: Ah, that’s a secret.

 

Q: Anything else we should know? 

 

A: I really had a blast writing this book. I hope other people enjoy it as much as I did.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Judy Foreman.