Cotton O'Connell
ORP: What inspired you to begin writing or creating? Has that source of inspiration changed throughout your life?
Cotton O’Connell: I've been writing since I was a kid, starting with a short murder mystery I wrote in seventh grade. I always wanted to write fiction seriously, but I struggled with ideas as a young adult (though I was working in journalism in my twenties and writing regularly.) It's clichéd, but I think having more life experience—and motherhood in particular—has really helped my creativity. Coming up with ideas for stories isn't a problem for me now.
ORP: What does success as a writer or artist mean to you?
CO: I think I’ll consider myself a "real" writer when I have a dialed-in practice, whether that’s writing at a specific time each day or working toward specific weekly or monthly goals. I've made progress, but I'm not there yet.
ORP: Does writing or creating energize or exhaust you? What aspects of your artistic process would you consider the most challenging or rewarding?
CO: Both. It's intensely satisfying when everything is clicking, and I sit down and write several pages and think they’re pretty good when I reread them. It’s a feeling of being possessed, in the best way. On the other side are the days when I realize I’ve written myself into a corner, plot-wise, and the characters and situations aren't believable or interesting. It’s very hard to self-motivate to find a way out of those dead ends. I’ve abandoned many stories and a few novel ideas in this way.
ORP: What books have you read many times?
CO: Middlemarch, Pride and Prejudice
ORP: How does writing/art influence your worldview, and how does your worldview shape your writing/art?
CO: I’m fascinated by people and how they relate to each other, and all my work has a lot of interiority. I enjoy getting inside characters’ heads. I wish I could say this has made me more empathetic and tolerant in my everyday life. I have good days and bad ones!