Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Ewing.
Hi Rachel, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’ve been a storyteller since I was a little kid. Instead of a teddy bear, I had a monster head. Instead of playing princesses, I played detectives solving crimes. I was a lonely kid a lot of the time, but I was able to express myself and get people to understand me with my stories. I started with short Encyclopedia Brown stories, then moved to my own short plays, then full plays, and finally movies/ TV. I got into NYU Tisch and spend two years getting my MFA in screenwriting. That time was important because it allowed me to get my ten thousand hours, but also because it helped me find my people. A little gang of us moved to LA together and it made the city seem a little more manageable. I actually still meet with many of them and we have a writers group that meets (almost) every week. I’ve met the most amazing people since moving to LA– Other writers, producers, casting directors, actors, and crew. I belong to a marvelous Women in Film group and I am so thankful for all the support from the people around me.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s been a bumpy ride, but again, my community has been there for me. Going from being a young adult who never had a real job to being in my mid-30’s and running my life had some rough times: Bosses who pushed me to my limit. Bad taste in boyfriends and some friends who wanted to use me. I struggled to cook anything. And the worst thing was trying to write after a long full day of working a thankless day job. But over the years I really worked to reframe what success means to me. So much of working as a writer is out of your control and I just have decided that trying is succeeding. I found people who support and cheer me on. I bought an air fryer. I found a job I love and that allows me time to also work on personal projects. I decided that if I’m working and putting things out there– That is its own kind of victory.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I specialize in horror/ thriller writing. I think as a person with anxiety my horror is really grounded in things that scare me and my honest reactions to those things. I do a lot of cat and mouse horror or death game horror where the protagonist has to make smart decisions to survive. It helps me to watch someone out-think a problem. Especially now, when the world is so scary and unpredictable, I like to write all my fears out onto the page and then have someone fight to survive them. I’ve had people tell me that they like reading my work because the choices feel hard and real, but it’s weirdly comforting to have someone fighting through.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I hope our industry brings more work back to LA and more things get made here.. It’s a movie town and it’s full of movie people who want to make stuff. I also hope we return to more low/ mid budget films. I love watching a star-studded cast of alien fighters, but I also love small human stories with no green screen or explosions. I think having a real range what kinds of stories are being told is so important and those mid/ low budgets really allowed more stories and voices to be heard.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.rachelewing.com/
- Instagram: rewingtheday
