Career Roadmap
Rachel's work combines: Writing, Art, and Upholding a Cause and Belief
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Solebury School
Bachelor's Degree
Anthropology, General
Bryn Mawr College
Graduate Degree
Creative Writing
Sarah Lawrence College
Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be a Poets, Lyricists & Creative Writers:
High School
Learn more about different paths to this career
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
I started writing at the age of 7. My father encouraged me, and even bought me my own typewriter.
2.
A classmate told me, "You're a good writer, but you don't want to be good; you want to be great."
3.
My first few books did fine but they didn't break the sound barrier, so I had to take odd jobs.
4.
My first job was at a law firm. I didn't belong. I preferred the secretaries & mailroom employees.
5.
A friend noticed that I "saw" people that most others overlooked.
6.
I knew that was something I'd learned growing up with my sister, who has an intellectual disability.
7.
I was inspired to write a book about my relationship with my sister; it became a bestseller.
8.
I'd never thought of speaking as part of my career path, but it fell into my lap and now I love it.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Teachers:
You need to edit this. This story could probably be better.
How I responded:
The first time a teacher edited my story, I mistook her constructive criticism as a sign that my writing was poor, I wasn't smart, etc. Only years later did I realize that she'd actually been encouraging me to be clearer, deeper, more precise. A similar thing happened in college; after a friend did an intense critique of one of my stories, I asked him (in tears), "But don't you think I'm a good writer?" He replied, "Yes, but you don't want to be a good writer; you want to be a great writer."
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
My parents split up when I was very young, so along with my sister's disability, I was dealing with lots of family drama. However, I was lucky enough to have a father who encouraged my writing. It's so important to find someone who believes in you.
My sister has learning issues. She's only 11 months younger than me, so that's always been part of my world. Later in life, I realized how much being my sister's sister shaped my life and my views, which led me to write my most successful books.