Behind the Pages: an Interview with Ruth Ware

Thriller/SuspenseFictionAuthor Interview Series

May 21

OUT 5/21 IN THE US AND CANADA, 7/18 IN THE UK, AND 7/31 IN AUSTRALIA

I am delighted to share my recent Q&A with the brilliant Ruth Ware, one of my all-time favorite authors. My love for Ruth's books is a passion I share with my mom and grandmother, who joined me at the signing event for "Zero Days" at the Curious Iguana Bookstore in Frederick, MD, last June. Meeting Ruth at that sold-out event only solidified her status as an 'auto-buy' author for me. She was incredibly genuine and took her time with each reader, never rushing anyone despite the long line.

Wendy (my mom), Linda (my grandmother), Me, and Ruth at the Curious Iguana - ‘Zero Days’ event in Frederick, MD. June 2023.

This Q&A offers a deeper look into her latest novel, "One Perfect Couple," her creative process, and her journey as a writer. A special thanks to Ruth for her time and participation in my author interview series!

The Influence of Setting in 'One Perfect Couple'

Q: The secluded Ever After Island in 'One Perfect Couple' not only shapes the story's suspense and urgency but also marks a return to the ‘remote setting’ or 'locked room' theme that is prominently featured in your works. Can you discuss your process for bringing this unique setting to life and how it plays into the novel's atmosphere?

A: I should preface this by saying that I’m not sure One Perfect Couple actually is a locked room mystery in strictest terms – a lot of people feel that description should only be used in the case of an “impossible crime” set-up like, for example, The Speckled Band, or The Murders in the Rue Morgue. One Perfect Couple definitely isn’t that, but it’s certainly a remote setting and a closed circle of suspects.

I don’t exactly know why I keep returning to this theme, apart from the fact that most of my novels play off my own fears and phobias in some way, and I think being trapped in a hideous situation with people you don’t like or trust and being unable to get away is probably most people’s idea of hell, so it makes for a really good starting point for a high tension thriller!

I also love a closed cast, not just because it enables you to delve really deeply into each character, but because it forces you, as a writer, to be really creative. You can’t bring on a forensic expert or a hot shot detective in act III to wrap everything up. You have only the toolbox you gave yourself at the start of the adventure to solve this conundrum!

Balancing Thrills and Psychological Depth

Q: The theme of survival is central to 'One Perfect Couple', with the characters facing life-or-death stakes far beyond the game show's premise. How did you balance the elements of a thriller with the psychological exploration of survival under duress?

A: I suppose the thing is, the theme of a thriller is always survival on some level – can I find out who did this before they find me, can I get through this experience with my sanity and integrity intact. So adding in an extra level of physical challenge felt very natural. Lyla is trying to survive not just the island, but her fellow contestants. What I really enjoyed, and what was very different from my previous books, was figuring out how all the standard game show tropes would play out in a much larger arena for much higher stakes. That was really fun – trying to figure out how a familiar type of contestant would react in a totally alien situation.

Crafting Memorable Characters

Q: To me, your works stand out for many reasons; one being that they feature characters with memorable and distinctive names. Can you share the process behind selecting names for your characters in 'One Perfect Couple' and your other works? How do you ensure the names fit the characters' personalities and the story's setting? Would you say you change their names often during the writing or editing process, or does your initial pick usually hit the mark?

A: Oh thank you! I honestly never thought about that, but it’s a great point! I guess I tend to pick names that are not too odd, but equally not too common – I called one of the characters in my earlier books “Kate” and had messages from several of the half dozen Kates I know saying, effectively, “uh, what gives?” I had to apologize and explain I really didn’t base the character on any of them!

I also think names and specifically nicknames can be a fun, subtle way of showing the interaction between people. In the case of Lyla and Nico, it tells you something about them that Nico chooses not to go by his birth name, Nick. And it also tells you something about how he and Lyla are feeling about each other, whether he calls her Lyla or his pet name for her, Lil. Finally, it tells you something about Baz that he can’t be bothered to get Lyla’s name right until they’re actually on the island – and often not even then. I don’t often change a character’s name, but it does sometimes happen, often about halfway through when I realize a name isn’t hitting the spot. In the case of One Perfect Couple, I changed Joel’s name, but it was right at the end, during the editing phase. He was originally Joe, but my editor kept getting him mixed up with Dan – I think partly because I hadn’t done as much work on the characters in my first draft, but also because they’re both very plain, one-syllable names. Adding an L was a way of making Joel’s name a little bit more distinctive along with his character, while still being a similar “feel.” I try not to change names unless strictly necessary because changing names is unfortunately an easy way of screwing up your manuscript. It’s very easy to do a find and replace from “Ben” to “Rick” and end up with people being rickt out of shape or finding a rickefit in a difficult situation. Having been in this situation a few times, the key is to remember to tick “match case,” so you’re only looking for Bens and not bens, and choose “whole words only” (obviously you then have to do Ben’s and Ben’ll separately). The one name that even those hacks won’t solve is Will. That’s my writing tip - never call a character Will unless you’re 100% sure it’s right!

Engaging with the Thriller Writing Community

Q: As a distinguished member of the thriller writing community, could you elaborate on your involvement with the International Thriller Writers organization? How has engaging with both aspiring writers and established authors, among other publishing professionals within ITW enriched your experience in your career?

A: Although I’m a member of ITW and have done a few virtual events with them, I’ve actually never attended Thrillerfest – until this year! This will be my first time. So in many ways I’m a complete newbie. But generally, I’m a big believer in sending the elevator back down as much as possible. Publishing is a confusing business, and I can’t tell you how to become a bestseller – if I knew, believe me, I’d bottle that for myself! - but if I can unravel any mysteries or provide any kind of roadmap, I always want to do that. That’s a big reason why I’m on social media – obviously connecting with readers is a huge part of it, but I also want to try to help aspiring writers wherever I can. There’s a lot of myths swirling around about how to get published and how the business works from the inside, and I certainly don’t know everything, but if I do know something, I want to share it. Engaging with organizations like ITW is just part of that.

Reading Preferences and Influences

Q: In terms of your personal reading habits, do you find yourself exploring within the thriller genre, or do your tastes take you elsewhere? How does your reading influence your writing, if at all?

A: I love reading thrillers, but I find it hard to read anything too close to my own genre when I’m first-drafting. I tend to take refuge in completely different parts of the bookshop when I’m coming up with new ideas and finding my feet with a new project – sci-fi, fantasy, non-fiction, that kind of thing. There’s also always the horror that you might stumble across someone tackling the same subject matter as yourself. This actually happened with One Perfect Couple when I found out that a writer friend, Clare Mackintosh, was also tackling reality TV with her new book, A Game of Lies. Fortunately, they turned out to be very, very different approaches to the same topic, but there was a moment when I was wondering, “Oh God, am I going to have to abandon this book?!”

A Fun Fact About Ruth Ware

Q: What is something about your writing life or personal interests that might surprise your readers? Is there an aspect of your journey to becoming a bestselling author that you think fans would find unexpected or particularly interesting?

A: I’ve talked so extensively about my writing journey that I’m not sure there are many surprises left – but people might be surprised to know that I briefly lived in a convent. Not part of my writing journey, but you never know, it might make it into a novel someday!

Thank you, Ruth, for this enlightening conversation and for giving us a glimpse into your creative world. Your thoughtful answers provided a deeper understanding of your creative process and the fascinating layers behind "One Perfect Couple." I am truly grateful for the time you took to share your insights.

Additionally, I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to your publicist, Sydney, for handling all the back-and-forth communication and making this opportunity possible. Your efforts in arranging this interview are greatly appreciated. Thank you both for your time and generosity.

‘ONE PERFECT COUPLE’ is out:

5/21 in the US and Canada

7/18 in the UK

7/31 in Australia

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