Photo by Kevin Neilson
Mara Williams is the author of the new novel The Other Side of Starting Over. Her other books include The Truth Is in the Detours. She lives in California.
Q: What inspired you to write The Other Side of Starting Over, and how did you create your character Bea?
A: The first line of the book came to me fully formed: “He was all my love stories.” It haunted me for a while as the characters, plot, and themes began to crystallize.
From that line emerged the story of a woman whose entire world has been turned upside down. She’s lost her husband, her livelihood, and her home and must start over—but not from scratch. She has baggage, responsibilities, and—most importantly—her dear children who need her to carry on into an uncharted future.
In many ways, this book is an exploration of motherhood during crisis, and Bea enabled me to explore how a mother pushed to the brink could pull her children—and herself—out of disaster.
While she is beat down by life, she’s not beaten. I wanted her to be resilient, smart, and capable, which helped create the tension between her current state and her character.
Q: How would you describe the dynamic between your characters Bea and Simon?
A: Combative. In many ways, their dynamic is a battle between two Type As. They are both stubborn and particular—and because of their backgrounds and competing priorities, don’t give each other the benefit of the doubt.
However, while working together, they realize that they have different approaches, but similar goals. As their distrust turns into begrudging respect, they let their walls down enough to truly see each other.
Q: The novel is set in California’s Sierra Mountains—how important is setting to you in your writing?
A: Setting is critical, and often my favorite thing to brainstorm while planning a new project. I want my books to transport the reader and immerse them in the story. I want the setting to do a lot of work in reinforcing the theme, aesthetics, and plot.
Beatrice, the young widow, moves home after her husband passes away. The plot required that she feel isolated and alone, and that the move would be a source of resentment for her rebelling teens. So I chose a setting that would feel remote, stagnant, and act as a pressure cooker for the family.
I set the book in the Sierra foothills of California because it’s a region that I love; it’s beautiful, charming, but might feel stifling for a family accustomed to the bustle of a bigger city. I spent a lot of time there as a child, so it was a setting that invoked a tremendous amount of nostalgia for me, which was also a critical theme of the story.
Q: Did you know how the book would end before you started writing it, or did you make many changes along the way?
A: I rarely know how a book will end before I begin writing because I don’t develop a full outline in advance. I will brainstorm the concept to have a sense of where the story is going, but as the characters develop, they often have different ideas that take the story down a surprising path. That intuitive voice is a trusted partner in my process.
However, early in drafting, I want to have a sense of the major conflict and implosion in the third act. Since the conflict drives the action, I want to ensure there’s enough of it to power a full book, so that’s the only plot point that is clear to me at the outset.
With The Other Side of Starting Over, the climax of the third act was so intense that I couldn’t stop writing until I resolved it. Leaving my characters in such a state caused me great angst, so I had to push through. I drafted the final act in an epic writing sprint and let momentum carry me toward a conclusion.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: My fourth book comes out in summer 2027. All Roads Lead to Us is a second-chance, dual timeline romance about a passionate women’s rights activist who lands a dream job with a wealthy matriarch to give away her fortune, only to realize the woman’s grandson is the man she ghosted in Rome a decade ago. It’s messy, romantic, and dramatic and a perfect summer read.
Coming In from the Cold is scheduled for winter 2027 and is about a couple on the brink of divorce who must fake it for the holidays while stuck in a cabin with their entire extended family. It will be a cozy and chaotic holiday book.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: When I begin any book, I start with a question I want to answer. The question I was trying to answer in writing The Other Side of Starting Over was whether someone can move on—whole—after severe heartbreak and betrayal.
And I think the answer is “yes, but…” Starting over doesn’t erase our histories. We aren’t able to begin again with a blank slate. We bring our pain with us and build our new stories over our scars, and that actually makes the recovery even more meaningful and beautiful.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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