Rachel Beanland (M.F.A.’20) is a time traveler of sorts. In the pages of her novels, readers are transported to Atlantic City, N.J. amid the Great Depression; Richmond, Va. in the early 1800s; or an Italian island during the Cold War. While the stories may be set in an unfamiliar era or place, Beanland succeeds in sharing relatable personal stories. 

She began her writing career in the Department of English’s novel writing workshop, a part of the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program. In the program, Beanland refined the first story she wanted to tell, “Florence Adler Swims Forever,” waking up to write before her family or even the sun rose in the morning and balancing her full-time job. Her debut novel was published two months after her graduation in July 2020. 

Now a full-time novelist, Beanland has built upon the foundation from her graduate program to write, “The House is on Fire,” in 2023, and her newest novel, “The Half Life,” which was published this July, all while getting a little extra sleep in the mornings.

You published your first novel, "Florence Adler Swims Forever," months after graduating with your M.F.A. and you credit the writing workshop for helping get the novel published. Can you talk a little bit about the experience of writing your novel in that environment?

I was lucky enough to take VCU’s two-semester novel-writing workshop twice. I took it once, as a community member, and again when I had officially matriculated into the program. The first time I took it, it was led by Tom De Haven, who was about to retire, and being allowed into that class was (and still is) the luckiest thing that’s ever happened to me. Tom got what I was trying to do with “Florence Adler Swims Forever,” and he really made me believe I was going to complete a manuscript by May. That didn’t happen, of course, but I did wind up with about 150 pages of the novel — enough to where I knew I’d finish it.

When I think back on why that workshop worked so well for me, I credit Tom with creating an extremely warm and welcoming environment, where it didn’t feel scary to share fresh work. But I think the most important thing he did for me was lavish praise on my work. As a teacher, it can be tempting to withhold praise in workshops because there is always room for students to improve. Tom certainly pointed out my novel’s problems, but the overall message I got again and again was that the manuscript was good and that, if I kept going, it would indeed become a book.

What is your favorite memory from attending VCU?

I always liked reading books for the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award. I love reading under any circumstance, but it was especially rewarding to be exposed to new writers and to know that, as members of the committee, we were contributing to the larger literary community. Winning a prize can have a significant impact on a writer’s career, and the great thing about the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award is that, because there’s always a public program, the city of Richmond benefits, too.

You've published two more novels since graduating, "The House Is On Fire" in 2023 and "The Half Life" this July. How has your writing process evolved since graduation?

I have more time now. When I was in grad school, I was also working full-time, so I had to do all my writing between the hours of 4:30 and 7 a.m. I managed to get everything done, but there wasn’t a lot of breathing room. These days I’m waking up at six and writing during the day after my youngest kid gets off to school. It’s a much more manageable schedule.

At a craft level, I think I’m getting better at writing forward, even when the work is raw and my ideas aren’t fully formed. In grad school, I didn’t like showing anyone my work if I didn’t already think it was letter perfect. But I’ve learned that, when I loosen the reins during the drafting phase, I can be a little more imaginative and then come back and tighten everything up at the end. 

What do you find most rewarding from writing? Most challenging?

I like editing the best — once I see where the story is going and I figure out what scenes really need to be there, it’s fun to go in and re-shape that messy first draft. The hardest part is getting that messy first draft done, getting the initial words on the page. At that point, there are still so many options open to you, and it can feel overwhelming when you don’t know where to go. It’s one of the reasons why, despite having access to programs like Scrivener, I still prefer drafting in Microsoft Word. I only want to think about the scene that’s right in front of me.

Tell us a little bit about your newest novel, "The Half Life." What was your inspiration for the story? Had you been to the setting of the novel, La Maddalena, Italy, before?

“The Half Life” is about a twenty-three-year-old woman named Eileen O’Malley who in 1974 meets a charismatic naval officer named Paul Archer in the Charleston department store where she works. Paul already has orders to La Maddalena, Italy, and the only way Eileen’s going with him is as his wife, so they have a quick wedding and move to this tiny Sardinian island where the U.S. Navy has moored a submarine tender capable of repairing and resupplying nuclear-powered submarines. The novel takes place over the course of the Archers’ two-year tour, while Eileen is slowly discovering more about herself, her marriage, and the navy’s mission in Italy.

I know something about La Maddalena and the U.S. Navy’s presence there because I lived on the island as a little girl. My father was a naval officer who was stationed on the USS Orion between 1986 and 1988, so not the exact time period in which my story is set, but close. I returned to the island for the first time in 2019, and after that trip, I knew I wanted to write something that was set there.

What’s your why?

Using fiction to get at the realities of the human experience.