Write Now with Rachel Peterson

Who are you?

Rachel Peterson, author, based in the Midwest and New York City.

What do you write?

My writing is dialogue-driven, and I love playing with pacing and switching character POVs. As a kid, I was equally interested in acting and writing, so whatever I was up to, entertaining people was always the goal. Writing may have been my first true love, offering an outlet for my biggest ideas, emotions and insecurities. Today, being a full-time author is a dream come true.

Where do you write?

I tend to take an always-on approach when working on manuscripts, which has placed me at some fun (unusual?) spots like airports! But my favorite place to write is a little nook in an upstairs bedroom where my pup, Olive, is usually laying around. Cozy with a busy street view where I can look up from time to time.

My brainstorming usually includes me frantically jotting notes into my phone, which can happen anywhere, or over wine and good food at the dinner table with my husband. As far as tools, I always use a laptop – my handwriting is so bad I can barely read it myself – but I have been known to throw a few thousand words into my phone while on the road.

When do you write?

A typical writing session is usually daily in the late afternoon or evening – my one rule is no mornings! A fun signature is that I build Spotify playlists for each of my manuscripts, which I play on repeat while working. For example, my debut novel, Killing Sadie, a YA thriller arriving in late 2026 with Simon Pulse, was written to deliciously nostalgic 90s and early 2000s pop rock.

As my wonderful editor can attest, speed is my friend, and I tend to write anywhere from 1K to 4K words a session, which takes me a few hours. I rarely edit or reread until chunks of the manuscript are complete.

Why do you write?

Before picking my college major, my dad asked a question that has stuck with me ever since: If you could do one thing every day for the rest of your life that would make you happy, what would it be? My full-body response was becoming an author, which led me to studying creative writing.

Throughout my career in marketing and advertising and before becoming a full-time author, I was always checking in with myself to see if my professional roles were drifting too far from writing. Reflecting back, that lens gave me the confidence to know when the time was right to ultimately step away from my former career and into life as an author. Simply put, the closer I am to writing, the more fulfilled I am.

How do you overcome writer's block?

Although I tend to go full force writing once I open the laptop (consistency and habit are key for me, regardless of how I’m feeling on a given day), idea generation can be a different story. Sometimes taking a day off is the right move to let an idea percolate, or doing an activity that takes complete concentration. I’m an equestrian, so that activity usually involves jumping on my horse, Hope! I also find that reading a totally different genre helps me unblock, so you’ll oftentimes find me reading historical nonfiction when I need to let my brain refocus.

Personally, writing almost every day removes the preciousness from the process. I trust that my characters will reveal things to keep the dialogue motoring on, which creates inspiration versus waiting for it to strike.