Author Q&A With Rebekah L. Pierce
Rebekah L. Pierce is an English professor, playwright, and women’s advocate whose work centers on storytelling, truth, and transformation. A parent, veteran, and proud member of Richmond’s literary community, she inspires others to reflect, rise, and reclaim their voices through her teaching, plays, and essays. Meet Rebekah:
You are an author, but is it your day job? If not, what fills your days? Well, sort of. I teach English Composition and Literature for my day job. I have been an English teacher for 26 years now, and I have taught in vocational schools, public schools, colleges & universities. I am also a professional editor and ghostwriter, so you could say that I am an author by day and night. LOL!
Did you always want to be an author? Yes! I often say that I more than likely came out of my mother’s womb with a pad, pencil, and book in my hands. I have always loved reading and creating stories. I grew up reading mysteries like the Hardy Boys & Nancy Drew, Agatha Christie, etc., and, of course, Judy Blume. I wrote my first actual book for a book fair contest in the 8th grade called “Fast Times at Coolmont High” (yes, it was named after the movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High, but I was not allowed to see the film itself because I was too young). A classmate did the illustrations, and we actually won first place. I also started a “side hustle” in high school of writing love poems for my classmates. I charged $5 and made enough money to buy lunch now and again. Everybody knew I was a writer, and I have been writing ever since.
What is your most recent book, and what inspired you to write it? My newest book is Before the Lesson Begins: Using Breath, Reflection, & Affirmations to Inspire Student Learning, and I was inspired to write it because, firstly, after 25 years in the classroom, I realized that the most meaningful work we do as educators does not begin when instruction starts. It begins with our intention: our decision to show up with compassion, clarity, accountability, and presence, no matter what is happening in our personal world. Secondly, and most importantly, I was inspired in large part by my students. A few years ago, after suffering a traumatic experience, I introduced a daily practice of breathing, freewriting, and affirmations into the classroom because it was what I had started doing in my own personal journey to heal from the trauma.
Over time, students shared how this simple ritual was transforming not only their attitudes toward writing but also their confidence, emotional resilience, and sense of self. Their honesty moved me profoundly and affirmed the power of intentional, human-centered teaching. Their growth and the reflection it sparked in my own journey ultimately gave life to this book, along with their permission to tell this story.
How do you hope your book will uplift readers? Oh my gosh! Such a good question, and it has almost kept me up at night. My hope (and prayer) for this book is that it reaches those who need it, right on time. In other words, I hope that the teacher who is about to quit – who is exhausted, overwhelmed, and at their wits’ end – encounters this book and finds in it a way to exhale. Teaching, especially today, is so challenging. There are so many obstacles to overcome, but as I talk about in my book, we need to get back to our “why” and taking a moment to breathe – inhale, exhale – can reconnect us to it so that we can show up well not only for our students, but primarily for ourselves.
What are you most excited about with this book? What I am most excited about in this book is something I teach my writing students: why writers write, and that is that I have chosen to “enter the conversation.” That is, I have now added my voice, my experiences, my story to the national conversation about the profession of teaching, and I am taking my students – past, present, and future – along with me. I could not have written it without their willingness to buy into this unique approach to classroom management and instruction. I mean, think about it. These young people are fresh out of high school; they are scared and uncertain of what the future holds for them, and then here comes this teacher on the first day of class, talking about:
“Let’s take a collective breath together. Inhale. Hold. Exhale …
Now, we’re going to freewrite in silence for 5 minutes. Write what’s on your mind. If you don’t know what’s on your mind, write that down. Start there! …
Here’s your affirmation statement for today. Write it down in your notebook. What does it mean to you?”
Their willingness to do this for 15 weeks and to see remarkable improvement in their work, their attitudes, and their mindset demonstrates to me what I have to offer in my book WORKS, but only if the teacher and the students are willing to go on the journey together. In short, I have added a valuable resource to my fellow educators and profession. I hope this makes sense.
How did writing a book help your career take off? Before the Lesson Begins is my 9th or 10th published book. But it is the first for my profession. I have published historic fiction, journals, fiction, plays, and essays over the past 20 years or so. Writing a book adds credibility to a brand – yes, a writer is a brand. I have said this for years. I teach in my classes that writing is a sacred, intentional act, so we must mind our words well because they carry energy and are forever. So, for me, everything I have published was done with intention, care, love, and with the understanding that each work is building my brand and giving me credibility to stand before a classroom or boardroom and teach writing/publishing/communication/history, etc.
What advice would you give someone wanting to succeed in your professional industry? The advice I would give someone who wants to enter the teaching profession is to know and understand your WHY because this field is HARD on the mind and spirit. We are everything to our students: counselor, teacher, parole officer, therapist, parent, friend, enemy, spiritual advisor, and so much more. If you are not grounded in your sense of self and faith, it will wear you down. I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the ugly in both secondary and post-secondary education. So, have an outlet, a way to decompress. Take advantage of opportunities to learn more about your field through continuing education units – be a lifelong learner – and have fun as much as possible with your students and your peers.
For those who want to become professional writers, I offer the same advice because, in the end, all of this is about serving others. But we have to take care of our mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being to stay committed and ready to serve.
How do you handle setbacks and criticism? Before I began my work on mindset growth, I did not handle setbacks and criticism well. I took everything personally and internalized it all. I would talk down to myself and judge myself harshly. It was not a healthy way to live. Our inner self-critic can be so cruel and our biggest enemy, but after experiencing a massive loss in 2020, I had to turn her into my best Hype-Woman. I began practicing breathwork and meditation along with developing a workout routine that included walking for at least 20 minutes 2-3x a week, drinking lots of water, and changing my eating habits. I also got rid of all of the negative, life-draining people in my life as much as I could. And what I mean by that is, I re-evaluated my inner circle: if you were not adding to my life but instead taking away from me or leeching off me, I let you go. Like energy attracts like energy, and I was changing my energy all around. So, I began changing the way I talked to myself, using affirmations (and gratitude), and listening to and reading positive-mindset videos like Les Brown’s and books like Eckhart Tolle’s. I discuss much of this in my book, Before the Lesson Begins, because it is connected to the teaching pedagogy and methodology I use in the classroom to help students build their writing skills.
Being an author today is like running a business. How do you manage your publicity and social media and maintain engagement with readers? Yikes! That’s a good question! I used to get all over-stressed and anxious about managing social media because I had like four parts of me floating around: podcast foodie host, baker, writer, and teacher. I struggled for years with how to manage what I thought were different parts of me, and it was confusing my audience. I hired social media content managers for these other parts, but it was unsuccessful because I did not have a clear understanding of who they were or what they did. Needless to say, I lost a lot of money. It was really this time last year that Spirit gave me clarity. I am all of these parts in one. So, I have rebranded everything as “The Nourishment Collective” because no matter where you find me – the foodie podcast, the Substack writer, the bakery – you have seen ME. You have found nourishment in whatever I am doing on that platform. And I respond to everyone who reaches out to me because I am grateful that they found me, the me that resonates with them. As such, I no longer stress about identifying which me needs to show up today. I post at least three times a week on my social media platforms, and I always tell myself before I do so, “Do not lose yourself in this. Just share what feels good to you right now.”
How do you hold yourself accountable and achieve the goals that you set forth? I once heard Eric Thomas, the powerful motivational speaker, say that if you did not reach a goal(s) by your deadline, then it was because it did not mean that much to you. This caused me to take a really GOOD look at what is important to me and the vision I have for my life. I have a yearly positive intention sheet that I fill out each year, an affirmation statement for the year, an achievable, not just wishful, all-encompassing goal(s) for the year, and a reminder statement for the year. It is on a board directly in front of my laptop, in my line of sight, so I read it every time I sit down at my desk. It is a reminder to stay accountable and focused on the bigger picture. Do I have a smaller list of daily or weekly goals? Yes! And I cross off what gets done and move what doesn’t to the next day’s list. I will not stress over what does not get done. That, to me, is accountability: being clear about what can be done and what to let go of.
How do you structure your day and make time for writing? Ok. I am not a writer who writes to a schedule or a set topic. No ma’am. LOL! I am probably the last person to talk to about writing schedules because I don’t want to stress myself out like that. What I do, however, is commit to writing an essay for Substack, for example, twice a week, with the caveat that I will not commit to a pre-planned topic. I will write about what I am feeling or what I am called to that day. I am an inspirational writer – I look for inspiration. If I do not feel inspired that day, I will turn to Spirit and ask, “What do you want me to share today?” It may be a haiku or a repost (Writer’s Note: do not be afraid to repurpose or repost old content because not everything one writes and posts gets seen the first time), but I am in tune with my Muse (aka, Spirit). If I am not given something to share that day, I will not worry about it. I will wait.
However, because I teach writing and have writing clients, I am definitely in the world of writing every day. LOL! I am never too far away.
What do you find most fulfilling in the career that you’ve chosen? When the light bulb goes off. When a student or client goes from barely being able to express a complete thought on the page at the beginning to drafting a brilliant piece of writing within their scope of ability, I love to see them finally see themselves and what they are capable of. It is an entire level of joy to say to a student, “This is the best essay you have written. I am so proud of you,” and to see their face light up.
What book uplifts you? Ma’am, I am an English teacher. There is not enough space on the World Wide Web for me to answer this question. LOL! There is not one book; there are MANY.
Anything else you’d like to share with your readers? Yes! Don’t be afraid to write – to tell your story or “a” story. No one has to permit you; you are the only one who can do that. So, write. Not everything has to be public. Write for yourself. Write to yourself. Breath. Just write.
Rebekah L. Pierce is a professor of English Literature & Composition, playwright, veteran, and women’s advocate committed to empowering women to live with purpose. As a mindset strategist and speaker, her work centers on the spiritual, emotional, physical, and financial well-being of women and their families. She believes deeply in the healing power of storytelling—whether on the page, stage, or through public speaking—and calls herself “an advocate and ally for the often dazzling, blinding reality of truth.”
Pierce is the author of two best-selling historical fiction novels, Murder on Second Street: The Jackson Ward Murdersand The Secret Life of Lucy Bosman, as well as an award-winning playwright and entrepreneur. Represented by Lisa Hagan of Lisa Hagan Literary, she released her latest nonfiction book, Before the Lesson Begins: Using Breath, Reflection, & Affirmations to Inspire Student Learning, in December 2025. The book offers a transformative approach to teaching and learning.
