In the world of storytelling, Ashley Cobb has crafted a beacon of historical insight and personal reflection with her novel Her Book of Dreams. Driven by her deep passion for history and a commitment to enlightening others about the African and African-American experience, Cobb seamlessly weaves together historical truths and fictional narratives. Through her unique lens, readers embark on a journey that not only entertains but also educates, revealing the rich tapestry of history and human resilience. In this interview, we delve into the inspirations behind her writing, the challenges she faced, and the profound ways in which her personal experiences have shaped her storytelling. Cobb’s dedication to her craft and her thoughtful approach to integrating history into fiction serve as an inspiration for aspiring writers and history enthusiasts alike.
What inspired you to write Her Book of Dreams, and how does it reflect your personal journey and passions?
- I am an avid reader and freelance writer. I wrote Her Book of Dreams as a way to encourage others to not only read, but to learn about history. It’s a Historical Fiction novel that gives a historical context on the plight of Africans and African Americans. An area I am passionate about.
- Can you share how your own experiences and background influenced the themes and characters in your novel?
The two main characters, Amel and Malcolm are loosely based on my husband and I. We met when I was 16, married when I was 17, so many key elements of them come from the two of us. Through high school and college, I became infatuated with all aspects of history not just Black History. In Her Book of Dreams, one of the supporting characters, Mark Levin, is a Jewish professor who sheds light on their plight. - What challenges did you face while writing Her Book of Dreams, and how did you overcome them?
Two of my biggest challenges were writing the story from two places that I do not reside. While it was easier to write from the perspective of New York City, I’ve never been to Paris, so that was very difficult. Overcome this challenge, I did thorough research using Google maps for example to help give me an idea of some of the places that I referenced in my book. - How do you balance your creative pursuits with other aspects of your life, and what role does mental health play in this balance?
As a teacher, a lot of my writing takes place during the summer and overextended breaks so that I don’t feel overwhelmed. This definitely helps with my mental health aspect because I am not overwhelmed. I feel like I can dedicate 100% of my time and effort into writing a novel during the summer extended break and during the school year strictly on teaching. - How did you approach integrating historical facts into your novel, and what impact did you hope to achieve by shedding light on these issues?
Integrated a lot of historical facts into the novel through the dreams. This is where I will take the reader from the 1600s through modern times and give them what I like to call history lessons and because it’s interwoven as short stories it also has the entertaining aspect to it. And light on these issues I just wanted to give us an opportunity to understand the different dynamics that are at play when it comes to race and religion, and by providing the entertainment aspect that allows them to not feel like they are learning in the rote sense, but in an entertaining sense. - What has been the most rewarding aspect of seeing Her Book of Dreamscome to fruition?
The most rewarding aspect is just knowing that with five children a husband, a full-time job that I was able to actually do something I said out to do. It is a book that I was passionate about. I did not set out to write it just to say I wrote a book but for everyone who has read the book Every hope that I had for the reader has been fulfilled. - How do you handle writer’s block or periods of low motivation, and what strategies do you use to stay inspired?
For me, social media is actually a place that can be inspiring. I follow a lot of people who are creators themselves, and watching other people create sparks ideas within myself. When that doesn’t work, I listen to music and stroll through Pinterest. - Can you describe a significant moment of personal growth or realization that occurred during the writing process?
This will definitely be the scenes in which the couple is flourishing and having to have more intimate conversations and actions within their relationships. I had to push myself to write it. It’s easy to think about these aspects but writing it was totally different and I did it. - What feedback or reactions from readers have stood out to you, and how have they influenced your work or perspective?
We always stand out in terms of feedback and reactions from readers is how much people didn’t know about African and African-American history. There’s hasn’t been anyone who’s rare the book that didn’t walk away learning something new. - What advice would you give to other women who are aspiring to write and publish their own books?
Just do it. if you have an idea, script it out. What worked for me was writing my ideas in notebooks, using stickies, and highlighters to my out what each chapter would look like and from there it was a piece of cake. We often found ourselves juggling so many things and it’s important for us to make sure we prioritize the things that we want to do so if you are an aspiring writer, please make sure you prioritize writing. - How do you maintain your mental well-being while navigating the pressures of being a writer and public figure?
What I’ve learned is that a lot of aspects that interfere with mental health are often in our own heads and also come from not setting boundaries so one of the biggest things I do is make sure I set boundaries to keep my mental health and check. If I’m in a writing zone that made me closing my office door and making sure nobody interferes family wise or I may even leave the house for uninterrupted time. Disconnected from social media and put my phone on do not disturb also are quite helpful. - What role do you think literature plays in understanding and addressing historical and social issues?
In my case, I used historical and social issues to educate my readers and, as I mentioned above, it’s entertaining they’re being educated, but it doesn’t feel like a history lesson in school. - How do you approach creating characters and narratives that are both authentic and engaging?
I always want to give my characters positive qualities that people can look to for inspiration, so before I started my novel, I sat and thought about what I actually wanted those characters to have the positive traits that I wanted them to exude throughout the book. - What future projects or goals do you have in mind, and how do you envision continuing to contribute to literature and social awareness?
I’m currently working on two novels. They are historical fiction novels as well. Contributing in this manner will always be beneficial to me because of the education that comes from a historical novel. Would I really want to push myself to do is write a novel from a cultural background that’s different from my own because that will not only push me to do research and continue to learn about his three which I love, but to write about it in a creative way to inspire others. One short term goal is to be a full-time writer. I’ll see how that goes in the next 2 to 4 years. - How has writing Her Book of Dreams changed or impacted your own life, and what personal lessons have you learned from the experience?
Prior to writing in this novel, I consider myself 100% an introvert after writing this novel while I am still an introvert I am finding myself being more of an extrovert and speaking more about the novel and speaking more in general and atmospheres and spaces that normally I would shy away from.
IG: @theashcobb
