Member Spotlight: Thomas Asher

Why is writing important to you and why do you think it’s an important medium for the world? Literature is one of our oldest ways of sharing ideas and obtaining information. It serves both form and function. Art and utility. It persists, trending toward the betterment of civilization, and is the ultimate antidote to suppression and oppression.

What are your tried and tested remedies to cure writer’s block? Immersion. If I write about forests, I go for a hike. If I write about paleontology, I volunteer for a fossil dig. If I talk about science, I dive into research. Or I go for a long walk.

What is your favorite time to write? Mornings with my coffee.

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received and would like to impart to other writers? Persistence is key. That and reading. The best way to get better at writing is to consume others’ writing. Write down words you like, look up words you don’t know. Compile a list of words you’d like to use in future projects.

What excites you most about being a writer in today’s age? In the current environment, books seem more popular than ever. People are starved for connection. A book can provide that, can provide an escape from reality.

Thomas Asher’s Rift: The Sixth Extinction is out now with Aberrant Form Press.