 He sold his first short story, "Willow", in 1975 to "Cosmopolitan" magazine.After publishing several stories in "Cosmopolitan", "Seventeen", "Young Miss", and "Gallery," Doubleday published Walton's first novel "Inside Moves", which inspired an eponymous motion picture in 1980.The film, with a screenplay by Barry Levinson, was directed by Richard Donner and starred John Savage, David Morse, and Diana Scarwid, who received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Louise.