Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Rachael Hanel. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Rachael, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you wish you had started sooner?

My first job was as a newspaper reporter and copy editor. I majored in journalism in college. My family always watched television news and my dad brought home newspapers each day, so at an early age I was captivated by the drama of real life. I liked to read and write, so by about age 12 I thought journalism would be a fun career. I had never considered any other kind of writing. I loved to read books, but actually writing a book was nothing that had ever crossed my mind.

In college I learned a little bit about literary journalists like Gay Talese and Joan Didion. I was intrigued by that blend of reportage and first-person narration, but didn’t get a chance to practice it while I was working as a journalist.

When I was pursuing a master’s degree in history, I took a creative nonfiction workshop. I wrote a personal essay about a memory I had growing up as a gravedigger’s daughter. I enjoyed this type of writing and I thought, there’s more where that came from. At that point, I thought maybe I had a memoir in me.

I was 25 and almost done with my master’s degree, so it was too late to pursue an advanced degree in creative writing. So I had to learn the craft of memoir on my own, cobbling together instruction by attending community classes, reading books, and going to conferences and lectures. I found a writing group and received support that way, too.

Sometimes I wish I had known about creative writing and advanced degree options earlier. But all of my work up to that point in journalism did feed into my craft. I’m a big believer in things happening when they are meant to happen. Perhaps I would have finished my memoir earlier than I did had I had gone to school for creative writing, but it probably would have been a very different memoir. I’m pleased with the version I have.

Rachael, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I exclusively write creative nonfiction. For people who may not be familiar with this genre, it is a way to tell true stories while using craft elements found in fiction, such as dialogue, scene-setting, narrative arc, characterization, etc. I write memoir, personal essays, and literary journalism.

I have always been fascinated by the real world and the drama, conflicts, and joys that real people experience. This led me to my first job out of college at a newspaper. After a few years, I discovered memoir and essay, in which I write my own experiences in a way that I hope readers can relate. For example, in my memoir We’ll Be the Last Ones to Let You Down: Memoir of a Gravedigger’s Daughter, I write about my experiences spending a lot of time around death because of my dad’s job. Then my dad died unexpectedly when I was 15. It’s a story that is unique to me, but the larger themes of grief and death and loss I hope readers can relate to.

One of my greatest joys is teaching creative nonfiction to undergraduate and graduate students. The personal essays they come up with never fail to amaze me. I just love seeing that spark of recognition when they realize readers can relate to their experiences. These students are endlessly creative.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being a writer is the connections with readers. First and foremost, I write for myself. I’m writing personal stories as a way to figure out my own life, to attach meaning to my experiences. But a secondary benefit is that I hope others can identify with my experiences. Because being a writer is a solo venture, I sometimes forget that other people will read my work! So when they reach out to tell me why they like my writing, I’m so grateful.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Both of my books had very long journeys from writing to publication. My memoir took 13 years, and my narrative nonfiction book took 23 years! Perseverance was the key. There were moments during both of those journeys when I thought my writing would never be published. I queried more than 100 agents and editors for both books and along the way, got dozens and dozens of rejections (or never heard back at all). Right before both books were picked up for publication, I was at my lowest points. I thought, I’ll give it one more shot—I’ll reach out to one more person and then that’s it. And both times, it was that last person who said yes. I believed in these books. I believed that they would find an audience. So that’s why I kept going.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.rachaelhanel.com
• Instagram: rachael_hanel
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachaelhanel/
• Twitter: Rachael18
• Other: Substack:
  https://rachaelhanel.substack.com