I am excited I got to interview G.F. Miller on her newest book, What If You Fall For Me First. You can read my interview with her on Not If You Break Up with Me First which posted almost exactly a year ago!
About the Book
Hi G.F.! Can you give us a short summary about the book?
Sofia is sick of her goody-two-shoes reputation and desperate for her crush to notice her. To help her level up from forgettable to fierce, Sofia enlists trendy and confident Holden—the guy who everyone else has written off as a total player and a first-class jerk. Under Holden’s guidance, Sofia learns to revamp her style, ride a skateboard, and stand up for herself. At the same time, Holden learns that when he’s alone with Sofia, it’s safe to drop the cool guy act and just be himself.
When their efforts start to pay off, and Sofia’s crush finally seems interested in her, she’s faced with a choice. Should she stick with the plan—and risk losing herself in the process—or take a chance on the person everyone says will break her heart?
I love that there were many things about this that felt like a classic teen movie from the 80s (best rom coms ever!). What movies were inspiration for it? Can I guess? I felt Pretty in Pink (or at least Duckie Dale) and Can’t Buy Me Love vibes!
Ooh, those were good ones. I love CBML. I mean, how cute was Patrick Dempsey circa 1987?? I see your classic rom coms and raise with “She’s All That”—another adorable (if somewhat problematic) movie. (And did you see the gender-swapped remake, “He’s All That?” Love <3). So, bestie, I’m thinking movie night?! I’ll bring the popcorn!
I’m surely up for an 80s Rom Com movie night! LOL. I like how this book has the feel of a YA book but is for those kids (like me!) who enjoyed reading about high school relationships. Can you share what you feel keeps this in the middle grade realm vs young adult? I know a lot of authors have difficulty knowing where to categorize their work.
It’s solidly middle grade! I was very conscientious about keeping the romantic chemistry, the language, and the themes at the right level for tween readers. In fact, as we edited, I ran every word, phrase, reference, and plot point through the litmus test of, “Would I want to explain that to my 10-year-old?” Parents and teachers can feel confident recommending this book to kids who are interested in reading romance but don’t want (young) adult content.
About the Author
Did you sneak anything from your childhood into this book? (Who hasn’t fallen for a Mark??)
I won’t pretend I was ever as purely kind and gentle as Sofia is, but I do relate to her desire to change herself and grow up on the double. I remember that moment in junior high when I thought, “I have to burn everything little kiddish and bury all weakness and grow out my bangs and prove to myself and the world that I am a baddie.” (Please see attached photo for the results.)
Glow-Up (Kind of)
And, um, yeah—crushes galore! If you’re a male human reading this, and you attended Indian Trail Junior High School for more than a week between the years 1990 and 1992, I probably had a crush on you at some point. Now you know. Sorry for making it awkward.
Which character would you say you’re most like?
There’s a lot of me in every character, to be honest. I find my own cluttered headspace to be an endless well of source material. Sofia’s desire to transform and prove herself. Holden’s conflicted relationship with himself and others. Even the teachers and various mothers are really exaggerated versions of me in my best and worst moments.
What authors (and/or books) were some of your favorites at this age?
In junior high, I was devouring Lois Duncan books. High schoolers falling in love and running for their lives and having out-of-body experiences—that was my jam. When the covers fell off all the Duncan books, I read my share of Sweet Valley High and Harlequin Classics. But then I discovered Christopher Pike, and I was instantly addicted. Not only were those books creepy and thrilling, but the tone felt so real—like the author actually knew how teenagers talk and think and act. If you’re reading this Lois or Christopher, thanks for the memories!
Research/Writing
Where did the idea for this book begin—The problem? The resolution?
This book started with Holden. He was behaving very badly in Not If You Break Up With Me First, and I didn’t like him at all. When we started to dream about what might come next, he was the one character that I most wanted to get to know to see if maybe there was someone lovable under all that bad-boy bravado. As soon as Holden’s backstory and character arc came into focus, the rest of the story fell into place pretty easily. Sofia was the obvious perfect foil for Holden, and her crush on Mark in Not If You Break Up With Me First, was so fun to dig deeper into.
Do you make an outline? (Are you a plotter or a pantser with the genre?)
I do outline. And then the characters do whatever they want, so I go back and re-outline. And then the characters mess with the story again. And I re-outline… Thus, I plot my way through by the seat of my pants, and when I go back and read my first draft outline, I have to shake my head at how wrong I was about practically everything.
Can you share any tips for writing rom coms? Do you have any good sources for authors?
Rom coms are possibly the most character-driven of all the genres. The entire set-up, plot, and pay-off is driven by these two characters and how they bounce off each other. My tips are: (1) focus on character and (2) read and watch every possible rom com (if you’re even thinking about writing a rom com, you’re doing this already, right??). A good craft book is Writing the Romantic Comedy by Billy Mernit. It’s a screenwriting book, but the story principles still apply!
I appreciate your knowledge of technology trends and slang you use in your book. (Sadly, I hadn’t heard the expression “glow up” before.) What are some sources for keeping up-to-date on both what kids are doing on social media and what words/expressions are in?
I don’t know of any better way to keep up than to hang out with lots of teenagers. My kids and niblings teach me new stuff every day! They are so fluent in this language—not only do they know all the terms, but they seamlessly use them in new and surprising ways. They each have their own unique spin on the language.
If you don’t have time to volunteer at your local Boys & Girls Club, you could start by following @mr_phlindsay_sped on Instagram. He’s a comedian and middle school teacher, and you’ll pick up some lingo from him.
For Teachers
Photo Credit: Shannon Ly for Shannon Ly Photography
Do you have a curriculum guide or discussion questions posted online?
I do! You can find classroom resources at gfmiller.com/educators-press
Are you doing school visits related to this book?
I don’t have a formal school visiting program, but I’d be open to discussing it! When I visit junior highs, I typically talk about story craft and publishing. But if you want an unqualified person to talk about how to handle middle school relationships, I’m game for that too!
How can we learn more about you?
Visit me at gfmiller.com and follow me on Instragram @author.gfmiller
Thanks for your time, G.F.
Thank YOU, Natalie!
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