‘People absolutely hate me’: Rachel Paris in her dream, as an debut novelist

Claire Mabey talks to Rachel Paris, whose debut novel sees how they fall is a crime story about the rot in the center of a dynastic family rich in Sydney.

Rachel Paris’s premiere novel is an elegant, rapid -paced with arsenic infusion, which focuses on devastated mom, Skye and brilliant but defective detective, MEI. See how they fall the kind of book you can read on a weekend or even once, because the tension is so well tied. I talked to Paris about learning to write, his dream publication, and the anxieties that come upon launching a book.

Claire Mabey: How did this book come about?

Rachel Paris: When I was a child I was an obsessive writer and reader. But I ended up becoming a lawyer (I’m from the generation where if you were vaguely academic, you were channeled to the law, accounting or medicine) and lost confidence when writing.

So, long history, Covid happened. I was working at home, trying to deal with the kids going from bananas. And I remember being there trying to write a difficult advice for a client, and my children were leaving the pantry like monkeys, and I thought, ‘What am I doing?’

Soon after that, my younger sister was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer (she left it thanks to God), and was a large amount of awakening. If something is precious, you need to do that.

I started searching for Google Writing Courses and found the Master in Creative Writing at the University of AucklandAnd applied, entered and was a watershed.

How do you juggle with work, paternity and course?

I ended up my workload to focus on writing, which was not the piece of cake I thought would be. It was a rude shock. I had to realize that crap writer I was and had to eat a humble pie and start from scratch. In the end, I discovered my voice and what I was trying to say.

What made you feel like a crap writer?

I was so naive and ignorant entering the course. But basically you have a day of crafts and a day of workshop (essentially feedback). So stupidly offered to go first to all workshop sessions. When we filled the schedule, I couldn’t find out why no one wanted to go first.

I soon found that the system is that all the good feedback is saved to a letter your classmates write to you, and all difficult things are personally in the workshop. People get into the weaknesses of your work and it’s like you are pulling your clothes and sitting naked in front of the class.

What was your process of finishing the course until you find an editor?

Traditionally, you should complete a complete romance manuscript, but I think because of UNI cuts, it’s hard for them to give the examiners to examine a complete manuscript. So I ended up writing about 45,000 words – about the first half of the book – and then Paula Morris [who runs the course] Sends a sampler to local editors with an excerpt from everyone’s work.

People absolutely hate me because, as a result of her doing so, I received calls from some of the local editors asking me to send the manuscript. I got into this ridiculous situation where I had several offers and ended up going with Hachette under Paula’s advice because they had a connection with Hachette Australia and, as the book is set in Sydney, looked like a natural home to him.

This is a dream race!

I am almost embarrassed to tell my classmates: they are all writers much better than me, but it happened that I wrote a book in a specific genre. What I learned is that with the publication, there is a lot about luck and being in the right place at the right time.

Your novel reminded me of the perfect couple on Netflix – I wondered what is in this rich family configuration that interested him?

At first to me, it was simply the story of a mother trying to protect her son from some dark force within the family. During Covid, I was writing for the family for a while – trying to write my way to history. I came across the persecution of the truth by New York Times journalists Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, who exposed the story of Harvey Weinstein, and there were all these things coming out about Jeffrey Epstein. I came from a career where I worked for 20 years here and abroad with many very rich and powerful people. I didn’t sit with any kind of agenda, but I realized that there is something interesting to explore where you have this very bright and perfect outdoor with a dark belly. I think it’s a really rich and juicy territory for a romance.

Why did you define the book in Sydney?

Initially, I established the story in Auckland, but it didn’t seem credible. Because, although we have rich families in New Zealand, they seem to be quite discreet. People usually do not necessarily know them by their name, while in Australia you have this tradition of dynastic wealth that is visible. Everyone is aware of at least two or three stupendously rich Australian families.

It was definitely not the story I would never imagine I would have written. To be honest, I don’t read criminal fiction masses. So it’s still a surprise to me that I wrote a crime book.

This is fascinating, since it is such a skillful crime novel: you have established Easter eggs, the plot moves, the tension increases and you have the wonderfully defective detective character. Where did you see Mei?

I needed another character because Skye’s story is isolated and claustrophobic. Originally, the other character would be a journalist covering the story, but it didn’t work. But then Mei just got into my head totally formed. It was the most bizarre and amazing experience. I love her. It is a kind of mix of people I know: friends who are detectives, who have dealt with sexist colleagues, who are taking care of elderly parents, friends with financial concerns, relationship disasters.

I was interested in the decision to make MEI of Chinese ancestry. Could you tell me about this process?

MEI’s Mom is Chinese and her father is Irish, and they came to Sydney as immigrants just before MEI’s birth. I’m not Chinese heritage. I know there is a lot of discussion about whether it is appropriate to write someone who has a different culture or ethnicity. But I wanted Mei to be someone I could have a drink, with whom I could relate to, so I really needed to know it. So I thought: If you are in Sydney, it is unlikely that everyone will be white; This is a multicultural city. Mei went up in my mind with this inheritance, which I know it’s strange, but that’s how she came to me.

I talked to Chinese friends, someone who came from China and lives in Auckland, and another who lives in Sydney and studied in high school in Sydney, but came from China as a teenager. I also found periodicals and on -line articles in mixed breed or children of Chinese heritage who grew up in Australia. A story that stood out was about the neighbors of the TV show. There was an episode on that program about a Chinese family that moved to Ramsey Street and the jokes made in that episode are atrocously racist. Many children who were at school at the time were horribly bullying because of that. Some of these casual racism remains today.

When you found out you had a publication agreement and the book would go to readers, did you start worrying about some aspect of the book?

This whole thing was the most insane emotional roller coaster. I am a very calm person. I tend not to get stressed or emotional or whatever. But this has been the next level. I mean, it’s terrifying, right? What if everyone hates that? What if no one buy it? And if all these people in the publisher had placed all this feature in this book, and it’s a complete failure.

TThe main theme of history is violence against women and children. You said you didn’t necessarily propose to write a crime novel, but what led it to this subject?

I feel that people have moved away from the #metoo movement. There was a massive reaction against it, and people are almost bored. But I think, as much as I am lucky to have the most amazing men in my life, I know there is still misogyny out there, there is violence against women, and that violence is sometimes physical, most of the time psychological, and just because you can’t see it, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. I came through corporate law in an era different from today. I saw some very bad behavior. And I have friends who are in really challenging relationships.

I think it was a concern on my side and that was the story that came out of me.

Have you ever watched your adolescence on Netflix?

WAnd he watched with our 14 -year -old son and our daughter, which is probably a terrible paternity, but it was exactly the point of talking. It is announced as a series of crimes, but it is about the collateral damage of this type of offense; It is also about the pressures about young people. What does it mean to be a man in the world today? What is acceptable masculinity? What is toxic masculinity? I thought adolescence was just brilliant. I would not even put my book in the same sentence, and say I think I was interested in the victims of warranty.

While I was reading, I could see the book as a TV show, and wondered if there was any discussion about rights.

It was optional for an American production company. They have an attached screenwriter and are actively trying to develop it with the goal of being filmed in Australia. But I am very realistic about the fact that these things are rarely materialized.

I did not mention earlier that I had another writing experience. When my son was a baby, I wrote a script based on Middlearch Singles Ball. My sister and I wrote a stupid script and the Pacific South Pacific photos really opted. It was under development for about four years and then failed and it was nowhere. So when I decided to make a chance again, I went to a romance instead of a script.

I would watch a show about Middlemarch’s singles ball.

It was a fun project!

You mentioned before that you are writing another book. Are you writing another criminal novel or are doing something different?

My contract is a deal of two books. I’m massively behind. In a way, it is similar because they are still rich families, but this time there are about three middle -aged sisters, one of which dies in the first kind of part of the book. A Whodunnit, but I really want to deeply bury these relationships between the three sisters and talk much more about the pressures about women in mid -aging and wealth of that sister bond and female friendships

Are you now a full -time writer?

I am, in the sense that I am not doing any law, but not in the sense that I have three children, two dogs, a cat, and I have some other things in motion. But, yes, I have no excuse not to be pumping a book a year, although it seems very difficult in reality. I don’t know where I’m going wrong. I’m very lucky to be able to make it a career. If people buy the book!

See how they fall for Rachel Paris ($ 38, Moa Press) is available for purchase of Unity Books.