Guest post: Author Julia Jacobs
I’m thrilled to welcome to the blog Ms. Julia Jacobs, a writer whose balance of work and life is nothing short of inspirational. I had the opportunity to interview her for a guest post and I’m excited to share that with you all. Julia is a clinical therapist, soldier, mother, and author. And despite all that, she took the time to discuss with me how her clinical background influences her writing, her love for literature, and why writing should always feel like playtime.
Meet Julia
Julia: Hello! I am a mental health counselor, soldier, and currently in the process of applying to graduate schools with the hope of becoming a doctor in the near future. I began writing at about four years old, creating little pamphlets about a girl skipping school to play in the woods. This expanded tenfold when I started to play with dolls—I’d spend hours creating scenarios for them.
At age fourteen, I started writing about a girl who ran away from home and finished it around seventeen. Eventually, that manuscript was thrown away by someone who shall not be named. Finishing my book, Through to My Soul, was truly a tribute to my teenage self. My general philosophy is that writing should be as much fun as possible. It’s a wonderful escape.
You wear many hats: therapist, soldier, mother. How do these roles influence your writing?
Julia: Being a therapist has influenced me the most. I find myself asking: “Does a truly strong person exist, or are we all just soft and mushy humans wearing a ‘strong’ mask?” Emotions have such a strong connection to behavior; I try to drive that into the “why” of my characters' actions. I’ve also learned just how much representation matters—race, gender, disability, sexuality, and socioeconomic status.
As a mother, I love that my son sees me doing something creative. I hope it influences him to do the same as he grows. Regarding the military ... I prefer to keep that side a bit more private.
Influences
Your reading list is filled with heavy hitters. Who are the authors that had the biggest impact for you?
Julia: My favorites are absolutely Toni Morrison, Alex Haley, Richard Wright, and James Baldwin. I love books about the Black experience in America and the criminal justice system. Tar Baby by Toni Morrison may be my favorite book of all time.
In terms of style, Sister Souljah had the greatest influence on me. Reading The Coldest Winter Ever was the first time I didn’t want to put a book down, even to sleep. I also credit Coe Booth’s Tyrell for teaching me how to write out emotions from a male perspective.
How do you balance the need for drama in fiction with the responsibility of depicting mental health and trauma accurately?
Julia: I focus on humanity. Everyone is the villain to someone at some point, and circumstances push people to do things they normally wouldn’t. I also try to minimize “black and white” thinking. Most people aren’t just good or bad, and things aren't always right or wrong. That thought process causes undue stress, and I don’t think it does people any good to think that way.
On Writing
With such a busy schedule, what does a "writing day" look like for you?
Julia: I don’t actually have “non-negotiable” writing time. If I have a ton of applications or meetings, I won't write. I want it to be a fun activity, not an obligation.
When I do write, I have an adorable little white desk I found while thrifting. I light five candles—pumpkin spice, cranberry, and lemon—but the most important one is my James Baldwin prayer candle. It keeps me going! I hand-write everything from beginning to end in a notebook before typing it into Google Docs for editing.
What is your biggest challenge as a writer?
Julia: Getting over worrying about what other people think. So long as I like it, that is what matters. I go back to that feeling of being a little girl playing with dolls. I didn’t worry about how it would be received then, I just played. That’s what I want my process to look like now.
Looking Ahead
What advice would you give to other professionals who feel they are "too busy" to be creative?
Julia: Life isn’t a race, and comparison takes away joy. While you’re in a busy time, you may only be able to carve out a few minutes at a time, and that’s okay. Those minutes add up to a great story. Most deadlines we assign ourselves do nothing but cause stress.
Where can readers find your work, and what are you working on next?
Julia: Through to My Soul is available now on Amazon! I am currently working on So I Jumped, which should be out in the Fall of 2026, and a third project for 2027 which is a traveling romance novel.
Find Julia’s Book: Through to My Soul on Amazon
Add it on Goodreads: Through to My Soul
