When she’s not turning one of the many places she’s visited into the setting of her next thriller, she can usually be found trip planning.
Ochs's debut thriller is The Resort.
My Q&A with the author:
How much work does your title do to take readers into the story?Visit Sara Ochs's website.
This is quite the loaded question when it comes to my debut, which actually has two different titles depending on where it’s being sold in the world. While my U.S. publisher is releasing the book under the title The Resort, it is actually already being sold in the U.K. and throughout Europe, Australia, and New Zealand as The Dive. A lot of this boils down to behind-the-scenes marketing and publicity (and can be attributed to people who are much savvier than me!), but it has certainly generated some confusion.
How surprised would your teenage reader self be by your new novel?
My teenage self would be shocked that I wrote a novel! Until a few years ago, I never thought professional writing would be in the cards for me. I have loved reading since I was a child and have always been in awe of authors, but never imagined I would be able to write a full novel, let alone one people wanted to read!
I think the genre I settled on would be less surprising to my teenage self. I have always been a fan of murder mysteries, especially those with exotic settings. There is just something that draws me into books that can transport me to faraway places, especially those that are filled with suspense!
Do you find it harder to write beginnings or endings? Which do you change more?
This is a really tough question! I think it definitely depends on the book. For instance, when writing The Resort, I had a very clear idea of how I wanted the book to start, and—aside from some relatively minor edits—I kept the same beginning from the first to final drafts. However, I didn’t have an ending—or even know who the killer was—until I finished my first draft. And while the climax (andmurderer) stayed largely the same throughout drafts, I constantly found myself finding new ways of wrapping up all the loose threads.
However, with my second book, I’m finding the exact opposite is the case—my beginning keeps changing throughout various drafts, but my ending is largely staying the same.
Do you see much of yourself in your characters? Do they have any connection to your personality, or are they a world apart?
I absolutely see myself in my characters, especially my narrators, for better or worse. In that sense, writing is a very vulnerable and cathartic process for me, as I can bestow my characters with what I perceive as some of my biggest weaknesses. I would like to clarify, however, that I do not see myself in the murderers!
What non-literary inspirations have influenced your writing?
I would say my writing is most influenced by my personal travels. The Resort and my forthcoming thrillers are all set in travel destinations where I have had transformative experiences. For instance, The Resort is set on a fictional island in Thailand that is very much based on an island I backpacked to during my twenties, a trip that ignited my love for travel and even prompted me to daydream for several years about dropping everything and moving there. Given that I write “destination thrillers,” I am always looking for new destinations to serve as settings for future books. It gives me even more reason to travel!
--Marshal Zeringue