About Me — Rachel Riendeau
Faerie tales and folklore from an urban witch
Born and raised in the great state of Vermont, I had always dreamed of living in New York City. Pursuing a career in acting, I studied at Hofstra University on Long Island and moved into the city immediately following graduation. I’ve been here ever since.
My brother once told me that I am full of stories. I’ve told stories my entire life from when I was little and made up tales and epic lives for my toys. I began writing scary stories inspired by Stephen King which I am fairly certain I read a teeny bit too young but luckily I grew up with parents who saw my interest in horror and supported it. I was deeply invested in teaching myself to speak Elvish and devoured every fairy tale, every urban legend, every folklore story I could find.
It was a few years ago during a particular rough time in my life that I began my blog. I wrote about my anxiety and depression and the struggles of living a creative life while trying to balance bills, health insurance, and find stability. I started to take my writing more seriously. I began crafting short stories and original fairy tales. I participated in NaNoWriMo for the first time in 2017 and wrote my first novel which is now in its third draft. I joined Medium around the same time. I started taking my writing seriously and haven’t looked back.
On the acting side, I’ve performed in theaters across the country, New York, and Vermont. I’ve been in television and film and I relish every single second I am on stage or set. It is another way to tell stories and it keeps my soul fed.
I’m an avid Tarot reader and think of myself as an urban witch. I am not great at growing anything but I can navigate a new city like I’ve lived in it my entire life. I’m great with food, wine, and finding secrets in alleyways and city parks. I have a witchy sixth sense where I can feel shifts or changes in those close to me before they happen or I am told of them. I love to follow the stars and the moon and create everyday magic in my life by noticing small moments and messages from the universe around me. I see cardinals everywhere; a sign that spirits are watching over me.
My Stories
If my bio doesn’t clue you in to what I write, here are some more details!
Finding Magic Blog features updates on my writing, tales of anxiety and the city, and much more.
In April I did a project where I retold folklore that I enjoy. They are modern retellings and can be found here: Short Stories
I run an Instagram of flash fiction under the handle @secondstarstories. It features photographs I have taken and stories inspired from them.
My writing on Medium is varied. It is often about how I am feeling and what I am experiencing. I write about anxiety, depression, pop culture, movies I love, books, finding magic, and the everyday struggle of being a writer and actor trying to make it.
I am writing two novels. My first is an untitled fantasy that is in its third draft. My second, working title The Story Collector, is in its first draft and is magical realism, my new favorite genre!
Finally, all my acting credits and reel can be found here!
Why I Write
I write to connect to people. I write to create magic. My biggest dream is to have a novel or story stick to someone’s bones and they carry it with them always. I want to provide escape and wonder. I want to make magic. I think fairy tales, folklore and children’s stories are some of the most powerful magic we have. They teach us to believe, to hope, to dream, and discover. We learn about love and friendship. We see our heroes fall down and get back up. We realize that no matter how dark it gets, there is always light somewhere up ahead.
Stories That Have Stuck To My Bones
The Velveteen Rabbit
Winnie the Pooh
Night Circus
Pet Semetary
Lord of the Rings trilogy
Peter Pan (my all time favorite)
Currently…
I currently live in New York with my husband and our two cats, Daenerys and Cleopatra. My husband is also a writer and we have a production company together called Pretty Beard Productions. Our first film, “Pillow Talk”, won several prestigious awards including the Goldstone Award at the Vermont International Film Festival in 2015. Our current screenplay is winning awards across the festival circuit and we hope to film in post pandemic.
I am wrapping up The Story Collector first draft and will be sending out my Untitled fantasy to beta readers early next year. I plan to self publish the collection of folklore retellings sometime next year and query my novella, What Becomes Of the Brokenhearted.
Thanks for reading!
