Q&A: Creator Rebecca Serle shares what’s behind her ‘magical realism’ and new guide ‘Expiration Dates’

In Rebecca Serle’s new guide “Expiration Dates: A Novel,” the protagonist, Daphne, is aware of when her relationships will finish. A slip of paper all the time reveals up with a reputation and a quantity for the way lengthy they may date.
We meet Daphne on her method to a blind date with Jake — whose paper does not have a quantity. This should imply he is the one. Or is he? Is it useful or a hinderance to have the solutions?
“I used to be enthusiastic about destiny and free will and which one wins,” Serle stated just lately over Zoom from her residence in Los Angeles. “How a lot is inside our management and the way a lot goes to occur whatever the choices we make and the alternatives that we make?”
Serle’s latest novels have blended fantasy and realism. In her final guide, “One Italian Summer time,” a girl meets a youthful model of her mom whereas on trip.
In “Expiration Dates,” Serle, who married in 2023, was impressed by her personal courting historical past.
”I used to be single for a very very long time,” she stated. “I bear in mind relationships would finish and I’d really feel like, “This once more? Did not I already be taught this lesson?” Trying again, I see who I needed to change into earlier than I met my husband, but it surely’s onerous to see within the second. That’s the place the want achievement of ‘Expiration Dates’ is available in. There’s something so compelling concerning the concept the way you would possibly see a relationship should you weren’t coming into into each one, as I did, pondering ‘This might be the one.’”
Serle spoke to The Related Press about philosophy, what she tells her husband about her books, and why working and writing are quite a bit alike.
Remarks have been edited for readability and brevity.
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SERLE: In faculty I’d write magical realism brief tales. I learn lots of Aimee Bender and Haruki Murakami and loved the best way they might open up a universe and never clarify it. One thing about that simply sparkled. I printed 4 younger grownup novels earlier than writing my first novel for adults which was “The Dinner Checklist” in 2018. With that, I went again to how I started by writing magical realism.
SERLE: I used to be really obsessive about philosophy in highschool. I bear in mind studying Plato’s “The Allegory of the Cave” and being blown away.
SERLE: I’m engaged on a guide proper now that may be the final guide that has some sort of magic in it. I need to maintain reinventing myself as a author and rising. However I’m additionally conscious that I’ve an viewers that for no matter purpose, lovingly and splendidly and surprisingly actually likes what I do. We’ll see. As soon as the factor is not attention-grabbing to me, the books aren’t going to be attention-grabbing to learn. That’s simply the reality.
SERLE: I stated to my husband early on, and I remind him on a regular basis, “Joyful marriages does not make attention-grabbing books.” He will inevitably acknowledge himself in every little thing that comes subsequent, as a result of the material of our lives are actually woven collectively. We stay collectively. We share a life collectively He’s going to acknowledge particulars of himself in a husband character. After all he’s. I’m writing it. However simply because that individual you recognize, has an affair doesn’t imply that that’s how I really feel about him. That’s a tough factor generally for non-writers to know.
SERLE: By the best way, by working I imply like, 3 miles. I’m not marathoning, OK? However I by no means ran a mile in my life. I actually had by no means run 5 minutes in my life. I just lately began working as a result of it was one thing I actually wished to discover ways to do. My knees would harm once I ran for 5 minutes, however they don’t harm now that I run for half an hour. Your skill to maintain shifting and your lung capability adapts, however I feel what actually adapts is your mind. Your mind says, ‘I do know I can do that; I do know I can full this.’ I feel that’s precisely what it means to write down a guide. Each time I sit right down to do it, it will get a bit of bit simpler, as a result of I’ve accomplished it earlier than, and I do know I can do it once more You retain on and finally one thing will get constructed.