“A heartwrenching tribute to familial trauma, guilt and loss, Sun Seekers makes for a captivating, beautiful holiday read.” Daily Mail
Rachel McRady’s debut novel Sun Seekers is an emotionally resonant depiction of a broken family uniting in the face of a health crisis. It movingly explores the lasting effects of grief, complex family dynamics, the impact that a disease like dementia can have on everyone involved, and how the innocence of a child can bring light into even the darkest situations. Seven years in the making, here are some tips for fellow writers that she fine-tuned along the way…

Join a gym

As a writer, you’re going to need to develop some tough skin. There’s no better place to do this than at the gym. It’s hard to think about a one-star review when you’re bench pressing next to that guy who looks like he could crush a car with his bare hands. Moving your body and distracting your mind can be a big help.

Don’t get attached

Just like a one-night stand, make sure you don’t get too emotionally invested in anything you write. Chances are, you’ll have to rewrite, revise, or completely scrap the majority of it at some point. The less precious you are about your words, the more successful you’ll end up being.

Test your characters

If you want fleshed-out, developed characters, you have to know them inside out. Even if it doesn’t fit into your story, write out scenarios and see how your characters would react. A fire breaks out in the house. How does your main character respond? What about their best friend? Figuring out the differences in your characters will help distinguish them and give them a voice.

No tight pants!

If you’re writing anything for more than 30 minutes while wearing jeans, you might be a sociopath. While that will work for thrillers, any other genres should stick to sweatpants, leggings, pyjama bottoms, or anything with a breathable fabric.

Join a book club

Want some candid insight into what your readers might think of your work? Join a book club – preferably one that serves wine – and jump into the conversation. It could help your own story to see how others view the books you read.

Get out

Need some inspiration? Leaving the four walls of your room will help. Sit by the river, eat a Mars bar, ride a bus, go watch a choir of elderly women sing a Katy Perry song. Experience some life so you can write about… you know, life.

Make a playlist

Music sometimes speaks in ways that words on the page cannot. Creating a playlist your characters might listen to or that captures the feeling of the book can spark some interesting plot twists and turns.

Hydrate

I like to have a minimum of three drinks with me at all times. Ice water, coffee and tea. Sometimes I throw in a soda, if I’m feeling frisky.

Keep a phone list

For me, inspiration almost never strikes when I’m sitting surrounded by notebooks or a computer. I like to keep a list in my phone’s Notes app when I think of a line of dialogue, a plot device, or really anything. My most recent note: “Sycamore: person or dog’s name.” Okay, they can’t all be winners.

Read in your genre

It’s a bit trite, but the best possible tip I can give is to read as much as you possibly can in the genre you’re writing in. Nothing is more helpful than taking in the work of other writers, those who do it well and those who could have been left on the shelf. Everything you read will help contribute to how you write.

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Rachel McRady is an Emmy-winning writer and editor for Entertainment Tonight. She has lived in New York City and London, writing for publications including the Washington Post, US Weekly, Time, Motherly, Teen Vogue, Parade and more. She currently lives in Richmond, Virginia, with her husband and two daughters. Sun Seekers is published by Verve Books in paperback and eBook.
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Author photo by Kathleen Northrop