Member Spotlight: Rachel Bennett Steury

Why is writing important to you and why do you think it’s an important medium for the world? My life is unconventional enough that readers might find motivation or inspiration in the stories I tell. My curiosity gives me the courage to do some really rewarding things and I’m happy to share what I’ve learned along the way.

What are your tried and tested remedies to cure writer’s block? I would take a stroll through a museum, especially one I haven’t been to before. It doesn’t even matter what kind of museum it is. Spam Museum, sure! Art Museum, yep! History Museum, of course! In those archives of living, I am never short of inspiration.

What is your favorite time to write? Middle of the day between the hours of 11:30am and 2pm. That’s after I’ve had my coffee and watched The View and before it’s time to think about dinner.

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received and would like to impart to other writers? You just have to start. It won’t be perfect. You might not even form complete sentences. The goal is to get the words out, one after the other. Once you commit to doing that, the editing and perfecting can come in due time.

What excites you most about being a writer in today’s age? Storytelling has become so much more accessible to readers thanks to technology. Ebooks, audiobooks, screen readers, large print; having minimal obstacles in the way allows for more readers to make connections with writers they relate to.

Rachel Bennett Steury’s Losing My Kidney and Finding My Voice: Confessions of a Living Donor is out now with BC Books LLC.