We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Rachel Kay Barclay a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Rachel Kay, appreciate you joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

Great questions! Writing is the cornerstone of my work, so I will start there. I’m of the firm belief that the more you write, the better you become. I also think the best way for any writer to learn the craft is to read good writing, so in that sense, I started my education quite young. I began writing stories and poetry as a child. I was first introduced to dramatic writing in an undergraduate playwriting class, although I became very interested in character voice and play structure a few years earlier while reading the complete works of Sam Shepard. The experimental style in his earlier plays viscerally moved me, and that’s really when I began to get curious about character-building and storytelling from a writing perspective. I developed my personal aesthetic and writing voice while completing an MFA in Dramatic Writing. This was the best investment for my writing and later work in film because it gave me the structure, time, and deadlines to write regularly. I don’t necessarily think you have to do an MFA to learn the craft of writing or playwriting, but for me personally, it really helped with the discipline of writing. I also learned the art of collaboration while working with actors, directors, and dramaturgs in the program, which turned out to be invaluable after I graduated from the program and began pursuing film and writing in NYC.

I don’t think there’s any way to speed up the process of learning how to write other than working on your craft regularly and reading a lot of great scripts, novels, poetry — whatever kind of work you’re pursuing. I wrote a lot of bad plays and short films, which were great learning opportunities. I don’t think the point of writing is to create something amazing every time you sit at your laptop – it is simply to create; that’s an artist’s only responsibility. Sometimes the work is a flop, other times it’s wonderful. It isn’t my business whether the work ends up being ‘good’ or ‘bad’ — my only business is to show up and do it. That’s where the learning is, as well as whimsy, play, and delight.

A big obstacle to learning was finding time to work on my own projects while making a living, especially in an expensive city like NYC. My advice to writers just starting out is to find jobs that don’t involve writing so that you’re bringing fresh enthusiasm to your own work. I made the mistake of thinking that if I made my living from writing, I was a working writer. While technically true, it’s a different reality if you’re spending all of your time writing someone else’s vision. I spent my first couple of years in NYC working as a ghostwriter. While I was thankful that it paid the bills, after spending all day writing someone else’s book, I had no energy to work on my own material. My advice is to find work that lights you up, but doesn’t use your precious creative energy. For me, that was teaching creative writing workshops, which brought me such energy, inspiration, and joy. For others, it may be a completely different kind of gig. The point is to find work that pays the bills while also giving you the time and energy necessary to build your dreams.

Lastly, I think the most essential skill to harness when pursuing a career in writing, filmmaking, or any creative endeavor is actually more of a personality trait: persistence. You have to be willing to fail (a lot), make mistakes, and pivot. It’s the best way to get good at your craft and build confidence. Practicing persistence also helps you bounce back faster and easier with each new setback. You learn not to take failure personally, to get up, and try again. The intersection of persistence and belief (in yourself, the work) is where the magic lives.

Rachel Kay, 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’m an awarding-winning writer, producer, and actor. I’m passionate about telling women’s stories, and this mission is a connecting thread in all of my work. My writing often has quirky, effervescent characters, larger-than-life worlds, and skews towards themes of connection, vulnerability, and following one’s unique path. My goal with all of my projects is to instill feelings of joy and delight in my audiences.

My projects have screened both domestically and internationally at more than thirty film festivals, like the Big Apple Film Festival, Malibu Film Festival, and Orlando Film Festival. They have won several awards from numerous Best Comedy Awards to seven Best Web Series Awards.
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My background is in theater, and there’s a strong theatrical sensibility in my storytelling aesthetic. After graduating with an MFA in Dramatic Writing, I moved to NYC and began collaborating with filmmakers who worked out of the same co-working space, which served as my foray into TV/Film.

My upcoming projects are a fantasy series about sisters who are called back to their childhood home in the South when their mother falls ill, and discover that they descended from a line of priestesses. I’m also writing a fantasy middle grade novel about a young girl searching for her mother, who realizes that her mother’s disappearance and the fate of the world are intertwined.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

A mission I’ve always had in my writing is to be a storyteller who inspires and uplifts — whether that’s through writing playful, buoyant comedy or highlighting the resilience of the human spirit or the beauty in vulnerability. I want audiences to walk away from my stories feeling lighter, hopeful, and with a greater sense of optimism and joy.

I’m also passionate about highlighting the female perspective in storytelling, and creating more gender parity in both the stories being told in film/TV today and also in the people being hired to tell them.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

One of my favorite books on TV writing is, Save the Cat Writes for TV, by Jamie Nash, and one of my favorite books for storytelling in general is, The Writer’s Journey, by Christopher Vogler.

For creative pursuits in general I highly recommend:

1) Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
2) The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
3) Turning Pro by Steven Pressfield

Contact Info:

• Website: www.rachelkaybarclay.com
• Instagram: @rkbarclay
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/rachelkaybarclay
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelkaybarclay/
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/humantelegraphs
• Other: www.humantelegraphs.com

Image Credits
Moriah Ruth Photography