Ask the Author: Rachel Urquhart
Answered Questions (7)
Rachel Urquhart
hi rebecca--first of all, thank you for reading my book. your question is a good one because, although i'm not sure i would characterize the shakers' behavior in my novel as "shady," it is certainly darker than most people would think realistic. that said, the book has been universally embraced by the community of hardcore shaker scholars in this country--something i'm very proud of. the shakers were human--which is easy to forget when we read about all the truly amazing things they did. they were also survivalists. they had to be, especially given their views on procreation etc.. so, for example, they had to be very commercially savvy and also quite sharp about buying up real estate or taking over the land and possessions of those who joined them. it wasn't greed that motivated them, but self-preservation. as for the way they looked at children, they saw them as investments in the future and, as such, needed to be sure that they could hold onto any child they took in at least until the child turned 18 so that the shakers got at least some return on all the money and time they put into clothing, education and teaching young shakers trades such as blacksmithing, carpentry, cooking etc.. finally, as far as the more outrageous-seeming worship rituals in the book go, they are all inspired very closely by what i read in the many books i studied while researching 'the visionst.' revivals in any religion are different from calmer periods of worship, and the one i wrote about--the era of manifestations--was a genuinely earthshaking decade for the shakers. thanks again for taking an interest. best, rachel
Rachel Urquhart
If I can't write, I read. Also, I find one trusted person to read whatever I have managed to get down, and I ask for comments. That way, when I am ready to write again, I can start with a very specific focus.
Rachel Urquhart
Making up stories!
Rachel Urquhart
Don't let yourself be told that there is only one way to write. Set your own rules, then stick by them. Keep coming back to the table, even when you hate every word you eek out and it seems as though nothing will ever work. Don't compare yourself to anyone. You are as singular as a snowflake and your story is yours alone. The time it takes you to write it is equally unique, and it is what it is. Surprise yourself by NOT giving up.
Rachel Urquhart
I'm working on a contemporary novel that takes place in a wilderness camp in Maine, right around the time of an epic storm.
Rachel Urquhart
It is sometimes a real struggle. Scratch that. It is OFTEN a real struggle. The first thing I try to do is quiet down other thoughts and worries. If I can escape for a few hours into my imagination, then I can begin to think about my writing. If I am just starting out with an idea, I tell the story to myself over and over, trying out different little details each time. I might not be able to write anything down, but I keep the story alive by just rolling it around in my brain. Sometimes, I read books that are in a similar voice to the one I am writing in, or about a similar subject or time period, or are non-fiction books that I can use for research. Sometimes, I make a playlist of songs that either say something similar to what I want to say, or sound like a feeling I want to create. Sometimes, I go to a museum and look at art or photography. It reaffirms what I am trying to do in my work when I look at other peoples', and it shows me that I'll get there...someday.
Rachel Urquhart
I got the idea for The Visionist when I read about a strange time in Shaker history known as the Era of Manifestations. Teenage girls began speaking in tongues and slipping into trance states as they communed with the spirit world. They were known as "visionists." I thought it was interesting that a religion as practical as Shakerism could also have a wilder side.
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Feb 07, 2016 01:00PM · flag