Member Spotlight: Jeffrey Ashkin

Why is writing important to you and why do you think it’s an important medium for the world? Writing is important to me because it allows me to articulate concepts I can’t quite articulate in person. It is a form of self-expression that can be therapeutic and enlightening, giving me a way to process my experiences and thoughts. Writing is important for the world because it preserves knowledge and history, ensuring that future generations can learn from the past.

What are your tried and tested remedies to cure writer’s block? The best way for me is to just go out and do something fun. Many times my subconscious mind figures things out while I’m just enjoying my life and not thinking about the story.

What is your favorite time to write? Early in the morning is my favorite. If I can get my writing started by 7 or 8 AM I can usually get a lot done by midday.

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received and would like to impart to other writers? The best piece of advice I ever received about writing was to enjoy rewriting. Don’t be too precious with something you wrote. Take notes and rewrite your story over and over again until it feels right.

What excites you most about being a writer in today’s age? I love how fast news travels with social media. I feel a book can come out and become a best seller if the reviews are good and people share the book enough times.

Jeffrey Ashkin’s The Second Life of Jonathan Sendel is out now with Ink Smith Publishing.