Ashley Cowger
Oyster River Pages: Do you rely more on discipline, inspiration, or something else when writing or creating artwork?
Ashley Cowger: I rely on discipline and momentum as a writer. Inspiration is unreliable and fragile. What really makes a piece of writing come together is not some magical muse whispering in my ear but the hard work I put in. If I only wrote when I was inspired, I wouldn't write very often and my writing would likely not be very good because I would be constantly out of practice. Instead of waiting for inspiration to strike, I write almost every day, whether I'm "feeling it" or not, and that momentum carries me through the multiple drafts it takes to complete each project.
ORP: What is your favorite piece that you have written or created? If applicable, please link us to the site where it is published so we can share it along with your response!
AC: My favorite piece that I've written is actually one of my earliest published pieces: a short story called "The Number One." This is a rare piece of flash fiction that came out pretty much fully formed on the first draft, and I still love it—its message is still close to my heart all these years later.
ORP: Are you working on anything at present that you would like to share with your readers/viewers?
AC: I'm working on several projects that I'm excited about. I'm shopping around a new short story collection, and I'm in the final stages of revising a novel. I've also just begun work on a new creative nonfiction project in which I am visiting various allegedly "haunted" and "possessed" places/things and exploring my own relationship with and skepticism about the paranormal.
ORP: Who is an up-and-coming writer or artist that you would recommend our ORP audience check out? Please link us to their site, social media, or published work so we can share it along with your response!
AC: I'm obsessed with Kathy Anderson, author of Bull and Other Stories. Her stories are raw and voicey and absolutely fantastic!
ORP: What do you see as the greatest obstacle or challenge to your personal creativity? How do you work to overcome it?
AC: My biggest challenge as a writer is honestly just life—work, parenthood, marriage, friends, finding time to wash dishes and pick up the living room, that sort of thing. There are always other things I could (or perhaps should) be doing, but writing is about actually sitting down and doing the work. I don't wait for there to be time to write; I make writing a priority. I schedule time to write in my day planner, so I always know when it's time to fire up the computer and get to work. The dishes can always wait.
