And so, here is the interview with the talented Rachel Sandell!
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Nyle: You work as a barista, right?
Rachel: I recently left my barista life behind, actually! Right now, I’m editing a lot more with several great companies, including The Scribe Source, which provides writers with top-quality editing and feedback. I also recently became the managing editor intern at The Daily Fandom, which is basically dreamland for a geek! TDF is all about exploring and analyzing fandom-related topics, from comics to film to anime and more, through an academic lens. It’s everything I could have hoped for in a new editorial experience!
Nyle: That sounds awesome. It’s always nice to work in a field you enjoy and that sounds perfect for you just based upon what I see you post on Twitter. If you had to recommend one article from TDF to get people to get on board, which would it be?
Rachel: That’s a great question! There is a wide range of articles to choose from, so I suppose it depends on who I’m suggesting them to. “Borderlands + Injustice In Avatar: The Last Airbender” is one that would get Avatar fans interested. One of the first articles I read is actually “Harry Potter: Can You Still Love Your Favorite Series When You Don’t Agree With The Author” which is both relevant and approached from an unbiased angle. New articles are published several times a week, so the content is always fresh and plentiful.
Nyle: What bender would you like to be?
Rachel: Water triiiibe. Though all four elements are useful in their own ways, water’s emphasis on community and family stands out to me. It’s quite a versatile bending ability, with equal potential for defensive and offensive movements, as well as healing. Or, maybe I just want to be in the same tribe as my favorite Avatar character...
Nyle: Who is...?
A: That’s such a tough question! While I think that Zuko’s character arc is the most solid, and that Iroh is easily the wisest, my favorite character has to be Sokka. He is incredibly adaptable; while he originally held some stubborn views early on, he is quick to learn from his mistakes and reshape his mindset when presented with facts. That same ability to learn allows him to keep up with benders, both friend and foe. He can think his way out of tough situations and train himself to be useful whenever he is needed. For a comedic side character, Sokka also has a surprisingly large amount of depth.
Nyle: So true on all accounts! Now I have one major issue with Avatar in the worldbuilding realm. What is your take on this? If a solar eclipse can take away firebending, why not night or being in caves?
Rachel: The way I understand the magic system in Avatar, each bender is connected to their element. Water benders draw their power from the moon, so when the moon spirit was killed in the season one finale, none of the water-benders could bend at all. It’s different for fire benders and the solar eclipse. It’s a small detail, but in The Day of Black Sun, defiant fire benders, unaware that the eclipse had already begun, try to fight back only to get a comedic little puff of smoke. Because the sun isn’t gone completely, just trapped behind the moon, fire-benders can draw from its heat. The problem is that their power is significantly weaker, too weak to even hold a flame for any longer than a moment. At night, after the sun has set, it is still in the sky, just shining over a different part of the world. So, fire-benders have no trouble bending at night, just as water-benders have no trouble bending during the day. They also don’t necessarily need to be able to see the sun to be directly under it to bend (same as water benders don’t need to be directly under the moon), as they are still connected to the heat. So, fire-bending in a cave or any other spot tucked away from sunlight is also fair game. That’s my two cents on the topic! I could be biased, but Avatar’s worldbuilding always seemed very solid to me.
Nyle: That is a pretty good explanation. Thanks for your thoughts.
Nyle: Looking at your bookshelf, you have a lot of books from various genres. What is your favorite thing about books?
Rachel: What continues to amaze me about books is that you can fit an entire world—and sometimes several worlds—within an object small enough to hold in your hands. No matter what genre book it is, there’s always a connection of some sort formed between the author and the reader, and the reader with other readers. Books are one way of sharing experiences, feelings, thoughts, and more with other people, no matter where or when you are. It’s easy to assume that losing yourself in a book can be a way of isolating yourself from the world and other people, but the opposite is true: Immersing yourself in someone else’s story gives you new perspectives on others and even yourself. Considering how valuable these experiences can be, it’s no wonder so many people, including myself, go crazy over books!
Nyle: So if you could only keep one form of media from books, tv shows, movies, and radio, which would you pick?
Rachel: That’s a tough one, but I would choose books every time. It’s more of a personal preference than anything else, but books just mean a little more to me than any other form of media. TV shows and movies are both fantastic mediums to tell great stories, for sure. But there’s just something special to me about turning a physical page, reading scribbles, and feeling intense emotions, as if you’re really there. I’ve never lost myself in a movie like I’ve lost myself in books.
Nyle: You appear to be quite active. You work, have a blog, read a lot of books, write reviews, write stories, write poetry, and even beta-read my stories. What is the secret to this high level of activity and productivity?
Rachel: Thank you! I never really realized just how much I do until it’s listed back to me like this! I don’t think there’s any secret to productivity. In the end, it’s all about organization, prioritization, and, most importantly, making time for what you love. My blog, book reviews, poetry, and writing all stem from a passion to create and enjoy stories. Beta-reading for fellow writers is a joy, especially when I get to see those books published! Sometimes, high activity can be overwhelming, but all you really need to do when that happens is step back, take a breath, and reorganize your priorities. It’s also important to remember that you don’t always have to be super productive all day, every day, 365 days a year. Sometimes the most productive thing you do in a day is read a page of your favorite book. Taking a moment to relax and refresh yourself is just as important as flipping your switch to ON and going becoming the Energizer Bunny.
Nyle: The Energizer Bunny. Hmmm. Just or fun, how would you feel if it became part of the Avatar? Perhaps as a bending master of how to stay energized? :D
Rachel: Ha! I suppose energy bending is kind of part of the Avatar world already. But I’d love to see certain characters interact with a pink bunny in sunglasses!
Nyle: What was the first story you have published?
Rachel: The very work I published was a poem called “Puppet,” and it was in Pacific Lutheran University’s literary magazine, Saxifrage, in, I don’t know, maybe 2017? The year after, I published “Paper Mache” in the same magazine. Both poems are now free to read on my website, actually. But my first short story was a bit different. I published “The Nightmare” as a sort of experiment in self-publishing and Amazon KDP in 2018 (wow, it’s already been two years!). The story is a retelling of the Hades and Persephone myth from Hades’ perspective, with a few key twists on the Greek tale. I first thought of the idea way back in my community college days, when my creative writing class was discussing retellings and fairy tales, and the inspiration to write hit me like a truck. Fun fact: “The Nightmare” is actually just one chapter of a larger story that may or may not ever see the light of day.
Nyle: I recall having a vague feeling that it was part of something bigger. That certainly explains it. And you have recently published another work, right?
Rachel: Just last year, my short story, “The Boy with Black Eyes,” was featured in JL Anthology The Magic Within, which was a blast! I met a lot of talented writers and even got to interview a couple. “The Boy with Black Eyes” grew from a prompt for the anthology, and I will say that it’s my favorite published work so far. It’s also the very first time I saw my name and my story printed in a paperback book with many other lovely authors!
Nyle: When can we expect to see more of your stories?
Rachel: I regularly update my website with new poems or flash fiction pieces about once a month. In terms of stories, I have a couple in the works but with no set date of publication as of yet. For now, suffice it to say that I’m always writing and creating, and hopefully some of the stories I’m most proud of will be ready for readers soon!
Nyle: I know that feeling. I think I’ve had a few stories that I was proud of but always just missing something to say it’s ready to publish. Do you have any tips for that?
Rachel: I would say that finding and learning from a group of like-minded writers is definitely a step in the right direction. As for the actual writing, you just have to keep at it! Sometimes, a story will need to sit for a while before you realize what it was missing. And sometimes little tweaks over time will gradually shape it into what it needed to be. From past experience, I definitely want to emphasize that you don’t have to be scared to make changes to the story if it just isn’t working. Once I finish my drafts, sometimes I don’t want to revise much for fear I’ll “ruin” it. But it’s good to make changes for the good of the story, and I don’t regret killing some of my darlings to find the true story beneath.
Nyle: You participated in Camp NaNoWriMo, right? Any tips for people who might want to try NaNoWriMo?
Rachel: NaNoWriMo is very fun and can produce a lot of real results! I know of a few writers who thrive in this environment: making goals for themselves, writing a lot every day, and meeting those word counts without a struggle. It isn’t for everyone; in fact, sometimes if I don’t have a set idea waiting to be written or an outline drawn up, my NaNoWriMo experience can be daunting. My best tip is to just have fun with it! Find friends (or make friends!) and join groups to cheer each other on. Reward yourself for every badge you earn and hurdle you clear. NaNoWriMo is about writing and productivity, but mostly it’s about doing what you love.
Nyle: You are a big supporter of the writing community on Twitter. Care to list some of your favorite indie authors?
Rachel: Yes, the writing community on Twitter is great to interact with! I discovered some of my favorite authors (indie or otherwise) there, and I’d love to list some. J.D. Nyle, of course, is a blast to beta read for, as the Neostriker short stories are always fun! I enjoy the twists on Greek stories that Nicole Scarano and Adam Wing employ in their books, Pomegranate and Icarus, respectively. Rebecca J. Caffery is also an active member of the writing community, and I’m so excited to note that her debut novel, Cherrington Academy, will be published in August. As one of the beta readers for the book, I can’t wait to hold the published version in my hands! I met Nancy O’Toole Merservier when I asked for indie book recommendations for Indiecember and fell absolutely in love with her superhero series, Red and Black. Timothy Hickson (HelloFutureMe) and Megan Tennant (Cloud Kitten Chronicles) are also wonderful writers, and they both have great YouTube channels as well. It feels so good to gush about the lovely writers out there, and I’m glad to have discovered each one.
Nyle: This was a lot of fun. Thank you for answering my questions.
Rachel: Thank you for having me!
Book links
The Nightmare: https://www.amazon.com/Nightmare-Short-Story-Rachel-Sandell-ebook/dp/B07JQJ933K/
The Boy with Black Eyes: https://www.amazon.com/Magic-Within-Spellbinding-Anthology-JL/dp/1943171319/
Social media
Website: rachelsandell.com
Twitter: @rachelsandell_
Goodreads: Rachel Sandell
Instagram: rachelsandell_writer
Facebook: rachelasandell
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