When “what ifs” start a debut novel
A simple question started it all for author Paula Riehle: what if. Her debut novel Sarah’s Fall looks at the connections, mistakes, and one fatal day that changes everything amongst high school girlfriends. I spoke to Riehle about what influenced all the teenage drama, how she was able to tap into her characters very specific mindset, and the process of writing her first book while working and parenting.
Q. What was the thought, sentence, or character that inspired your novel and kept you writing?
A. I remember it vividly. "What if they dropped her on purpose?"
A friend of mine told me a story about her daughter- she'd fallen and broken her shoulder during a cheerleading stunt- and for whatever reason, that thought wouldn't leave me. From a writing perspective, I thought there was just so much to work with, so I started thinking about the circumstances that would compel a group of girls to do something like that (fighting over a guy, of course). Then I started thinking about what personality types would be useful--they had to be genuine, and their individual conscience's had to work off of each other in a way that would plausibly lead to no one really knowing what happened.
Q. Did you initially begin the novel in early drafts from the adult POV, or did you begin in the teenage years and do the flashback choice in edits?
A. It was always written with the adult chapters bookending the teen chapters. However, the story was almost entirely rewritten during the editing process. I haven't taken a writing class since high school English, so I didn't really understand the concept of "rules". I'd written it more like a Sex and the City episode where Carrie (Sarah) was in first person, and the entire story was told from her perspective. However I did a lot of, "And meanwhile, downtown, Samantha blah blah blah", where I'd switch to third person for the scenes that Sarah wasn't a part of. I read a lot of detective novels where the author switches from first to third frequently when writing the criminal's scenes, and I had no idea that was only considered acceptable under specific circumstances. When I gave my manuscript to my editor, she loved the story, but told me the structure was all wrong. She suggested telling the story all in third, from Sarah, Dalia's, and Ella's perspective. It was a slog, but it was a fascinating experience, seeing the same scene from another character's perspective. I wasn't able to give up the bookends being in first person, though. It was important for me to emphasize the impact that the situation had on Sarah.
Q. I would love to learn more about the other characters and what sparked each one, especially Dalia. Any interest in another novel from her point of view?
A. Well, as I mentioned, they were invented based on what dynamic would make the story plausible. There had to be two girls fighting over a guy, one caught in the middle, one not so smart one who could be coaxed into something, and one or two others that Sarah could discuss her dilemma with. As far as Sarah and Ella's relationship, I thought about what would create a situation where only Sarah would have some loyalty to her, and that's where the childhood friend idea came from. Regarding Dalia - for one to even request her friends injure another girl, she had to be straight-up crazy, but it was important to me that she have a backstory that for as terrible as her actions were, some people would feel sorry for her, and a few might actually take her side. Once I invented the characters, they started talking, and their personalities developed from there.
As far as another novel with Dalia as the main character--I haven't considered that at this point. I'm actually more intrigued by what Tori has to say. She's no bullshit and very principled, yet she definitely likes to drink. She also had the trauma of losing her father when she was young, so I think there's more to her than Sarah's Fall revealed. If I do go with the story I have in mind, Dalia does make an appearance. I know some readers were dissatisfied that they didn't get to know the characters as adults. I'd like to see how they turn out as well.
Q. It was impressive how well you tapped into the teenage psyche. There were insecurities, misconceptions, and false confidences that rang so true to that age group's mindset. How did you shape these characters younger selves with such accurate nuance?
A. Well, thank you! There are a couple of reasons I can think of that allow me to tune into teen mindset pretty easily. I'm guessing one is that my mom was killed in a car accident when I was fifteen. They say that when a traumatic event happens, part of you stays that age--sort of an arrested development. Everything from that time of my life is still amplified in my mind, so it's not difficult for me to imagine these scenarios and the feelings they would evoke. It also helps that I am still very close to my high school friends. We still laugh and cry and sit around talking just like we did thirty some years ago. I am so lucky to still have these friendships in my life.
Q. You previously worked as a financial professional, what made you take the leap to author and what was the process like from writing to publishing your first novel?
A. I still work as a financial professional, though I would love nothing more than to write full time. I'd always wanted to write, but my dad said, "Nope. You're going to business school. That's where the money is." He wasn't wrong, but I wish I would have pursued both earlier. Working full time and raising three kids didn't leave a lot of room for writing. However, once the cloud came along, I was able to write whenever I had a few minutes here and there instead of running to a coffee shop for two hours, hoping inspiration would strike. When I had downtime at work or on the train, I could keep moving the ball forward. And as my kids got older and needed me less, I was able to dedicate enough time to move it across the finish line.
