Hello Beautiful People!
I’m so happy to introduce you to my new friend and fabulous writer, Rachel Stuhler.
Rachel Stuhler grew up in Rochester, NY, so obsessed with movies and books that she spent as little time as possible in the real world. In her late teens, this obsession led her first to New York as a terrible production assistant and then to Los Angeles, where she spent four years working as a script supervisor (and pining after writing jobs) until one day an actor told her, “If you think you can do it better yourself, just do it.”
Within a year, Rachel had sold TV movies to Lifetime and Hallmark and because she doesn’t know when to quit, began dreaming of writing a novel. After forcing countless crew members, family, and friends to read manuscripts, Rachel came to write Absolutely True Lies. She continues to work on TV movies and plot her next move in world domination, or writing about world domination, which is more fun and a lot less work.
MM: First things first, did you always want to be a writer?
RS: Always! I remember being seven years old and trying to write poems. I’m sure they were terrible, but trying to get all those words to rhyme helped me boost my vocabulary.
MM: Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?
RS: The first one I recall was called The Purple Popple from Pluto, and it was based on characters from a kids TV show. I have no memory of the plot of my “spin-off,” as it were. I tortured people for weeks with that thing, reading it out loud to every friend and relative who stopped by.
MM: What’s your writing process like?
RS: My desire to tell stories came from both books and movies. I grew up with little money, so they were my escape into other possible worlds. I think it’s because of this that my writing process starts with movies in my head. I don’t sit in front of the computer for hours and try to find the words. I watch the movie again and again and when I like what I see, I describe it on paper. If I like an idea but can’t see the conclusion of it, I walk away and work on something else.
MM: What do you hope readers take away from Absolutely True Lies?
RS: To look beyond the surface of people and situations. The greatest lesson I’ve learned working in Hollywood all these years is that very little is actually as it seems. I also hope I’ve given people an entertaining way to spend a few afternoons!
MM: Of all the characters you’ve created, is there one (or more) in particular that you love the most?
RS: I love both Daisy and Holly, for different reasons. Daisy was so much fun to write because we all look at these “sweet” pop culture stars and never see the savvy that’s required to navigate the business world – but it’s there, and it has to be. When it comes to Holly, I know that people either love her or hate her, but I love her. She’s a huge part of who I was ten years ago and it was fun to look back at myself and the stupid decisions I have (and would have) made.
MM: Just for fun, if you were stranded on a desert island, what television shows and movies would you want available to you?
RS: 30 Rock, Golden Girls, Harry Potter, Clueless, Ghostbusters. I love so much content, but if you’re going to be limited to a few for an indefinite period of time, it can’t just be brilliant; it also has to be constantly re-watchable. All About Eve is one of my favorite movies of all time, but if I watched it five times in a row I’d get pretty depressed.
MM: Just for fun, what sound do you love and what sound do you hate?
RS: As a mom, babies laughing is one of my favorite sounds in the world. There’s pure joy in it, every time. They don’t laugh to please anyone and there’s no expectation to it; they’re so often surprised by their own level of amusement. I live to make my son laugh.
A sound I hate? Loud chewing. There’s an episode of How I Met Your Mother where everyone complains that Lily chews too loudly (Marshall: “Say, what’s in that cereal besides dried twigs and small animal bones?”) and that is 100% me. I try never to react because it’s my thing and not the other person’s.
MM: Just for fun, what books are permanently on your bookshelf?
RS: Harry Potter again! But also One Hundred Years of Solitude, Jane Eyre, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Mrs. Dalloway, Song of Solomon, and Cat’s Cradle.
MM: What’s the best piece of advice you’d offer to aspiring writers?
RS: Just write. Stop worrying about editing or who might buy it or how long it will take you to finish. Write every bit of it until you’ve exhausted the idea and only then go back to the beginning to edit. The first time around will be excruciating, but it will get easier and faster every time. Writing is a muscle; work it out and watch it grow.
MM: Arts education programs are often under attack. What reasons would you give to a politician or school board for preserving arts education programming?
RS: Even if you don’t see the value in the art itself, teaching the arts breeds a different level of creativity, an ability to reason beyond limits. Giving children the tools to think in a non-linear way is what leads to new invention and discovery, to adults who can tackle any problem head on.
MM: Who is/was your greatest teacher?
RS: I went to Nazareth Academy, an amazing all-girls high school which sadly closed a few years ago. I feel privileged to have experienced three very special teachers there: Marcia Habecker (English), who kindled my love of books and writing; Carol Gillis (Math), who made me unafraid of numbers for the first time; and Dick Hendrick (Physics), who started me on a lifelong passion for science. The fact that I got to experience all three in such a short time still seems amazing to me.
Thank you, Rachel!
Live, Love, Learn,