Meet Rachel McMinn, author of The Other Side of Loneliness

Rachel McMinn was born in Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom. She emigrated to the United States in 1998 where she currently resides on the Connecticut shoreline.

Ms. McMinn is an English teacher at The College and Career Readiness Center in Meriden, Connecticut where she teaches 9th-12th grade English and entertains her students with her British charm, sarcastic sense of humor and ridiculous projects (who wants to write a 30,000 word novel this semester?)

When she is not teaching or writing, Ms. McMinn enjoys spending time chasing her two year old daughter, running long distances for fun and enjoying warm sunny days at the beach.

The Other Side of Loneliness, is Ms. McMinn's debut novel and was inspired by the resilience and determination she has witnessed from many of her students in the face of adversity.

Rachel McMinn can be found on Instagram @authorrachelmcminn

Rachel McMinn on writing:

Rachel believes that a key to writing is to sit back and observe the world. Every person that you see is a potential character. The more you watch how the world interacts with each other, the more you're in tune with the characters and the more you will find to write.

Still feeling uninspired? Rachel likes to grab a coffee and then go for a walk. Caffeine wakes you up and then what you observe on your excursion may be just the inspiration that you need,

Also, write a lot. Whether it's in a journal or something you may share with others, the more you write, the better you write. 

Read a lot. Figure out what it is in the books that you love that makes you love them so much. Look for mentors to encourage you, as well.

Rachel McMinn on her own work:

Rachel works as an English teacher, which provides inspiration as she observes her students over the years. So many of them have had to face difficult struggles, yet are able to persevere. She draws from their strength and stories in her debut novel and believes we need to listen to the voices of the younger generation.

She is taking a short break from writing to conclude the school year and then hopes to work on her second novel. In the meantime, read more about her first one, The Other Side of Loneliness, here.