FROM FAMILY TALES TO DEBUT NOVEL: WRITING FISSION: A NOVEL OF ATOMIC HEARTBREAK
- Oct 14
- 3 min read
By Leslie R. Schover, PhD
In January, 2026 I publish my debut novel at age 73. Fission: A Novel of Atomic Heartbreak draws on my parents’ stories about being part of the Manhattan Project in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. I was inspired to write it after news reports in 2019 and 2021 about two previously undiscovered spies who stole atomic secrets for the Soviets in Oak Ridge. Both men worked in the same building at Oak Ridge as my father and like him, were young, electronic engineers from Jewish immigrant families. I wondered if he had known either of them, but since he died in 2007, it was too late to ask.
The plot of my novel involves a fictional love triangle between Doris, the young wife who is the heroine, and a Soviet spy. Doris marries at nineteen, has a premature baby, and drops out of college, giving up her dreams of becoming a concert pianist or lawyer. Life in Oak Ridge is lonely and alien to a Chicago girl. Although Doris loves her husband, she is attracted to an army engineer who becomes her piano student. When she realizes he may be a spy, she must weigh her patriotic duty to report him against her fear that doing so will reveal their affair and end her marriage. Many of my parents’ colorful and humorous tales of life in Oak are woven into the novel.
I always wanted to write fiction, but despite taking creative writing courses in college, I dedicated my adult life to my other passion, clinical psychology. During my career as a psychologist I became an expert on treating sexual problems and helping people cope with infertility, especially when cancer or other chronic illnesses disrupted their lives and health. I authored three self-help books and a textbook, as well as many journal articles and book chapters. After retiring, I finally had time to return to my early love of telling stories.
I have strong confidence in my nonfiction writing skills, but writing novels brings out my insecurities. The state of publishing does not help. The Big Five publishers accept a tiny percentage of submissions. The only way to get considered is to have a literary agent—and agents are beseiged with would-be authors. Articles on the internet warn that even talented newbie writers should expect to query a hundred agents before finding one.
As I have worked to sharpen my fiction skills, I have discovered a vast community of older women finding joy in writing. We are often overlooked by literary agents, who prefer recent graduates from creative writing MFA programs or authors who have a large, social media platform. However, selective, small presses and hybrid publishers (such as SheWrites Press which will publish my novel) cater to a pool of excellent novelists who are not expecting to support themselves from their writing but want their books get an audience.
I would advise women starting the publishing process to network and learn from other authors writing in the same genre. I have made more new friends than I have since college, a major benefit since combatting loneliness has major health benefits. I would advise women who write fiction to reach out to other authors. I have widened my social circle from:
Attending writing workshops and conferences
Taking an intensive online course in book marketing
Joining the Women Fiction Writers Association and attending weekly online meetings of the Historical Fiction group
Being part of small author critique groups
Starting an author newsletter on Substack and interacting with other authors on the platform
Connect With Leslie
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