Meet Jill Cobb | Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jill Cobb and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jill, looking back, what do you think was the most difficult decision you’ve had to make?
I struggled with deciding to leave my corporate job to have more time to pursue being an author. My son was a baby and I no longer had the energy to write while balancing a corporate career and my family, so I decided to focus on my son and my writing. Luckily, my husband’s job continues to support us while I establish myself through self-publishing. The publishing industry is evolving and has been turbulent the entire time I’ve been pursuing a career as an author. It has been challenging finding my foothold, but it is exciting to have so many new ways to reach readers.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I was bitten by the story telling bug at a young age and have memories of weaving nightly tales for my younger cousins during our summer breaks to help them fall asleep. Then in fifth grade, we had to read a story we wrote to our classmates and after my story was greeted with a loud round of applause, I was hooked. But it wasn’t until my thirties that I got serious about writing, realizing that if I truly wanted to write a book that I needed to get my butt in my chair and my hands on my keyboard. I have found that plotting my novel in detail and then having timed writing sessions helped to get me over the hurdle of approaching the large task of writing eighty-plus thousand words by breaking the effort into more easily managed chunks.

Another important lesson I’ve learned along the way is to embrace who I am. My stories are quirky, and initially I tried to make them more conventional. But my weird would not be denied and ultimately, I think embracing it has made my stories more unique and memorable.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I love getting outside, so I would start with a walk along the Beltline, with a stop at Ponce City Market to grab some ice cream or a bubble tea. There are so many great places to hike around Atlanta, so I would want to include exploring a trail. Some of my favorites are Lullwater Preserve, Sweetwater Creek, Doll’s Head Trail, and Sope Creek. Finally, I’d conclude the outdoor adventures with a trip along the Chattahoochee by either shooting the hooch on the north side of Atlanta or by going paddle boarding at Morgan falls.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are two organizations, the Atlanta Writer’s Club and Georgia Romance Writer’s, that have provided me with inspiration and advice. Through these organizations, I found lifelong friends who have made me better as both a writer and a person. In particular, I’ve been so grateful for my accountability partner Brenda Lowder (brendalowder.com) for keeping me on track and my critique partners Terra Weiss (terraweiss.com) and Deena Short for pushing me to grow and improve.

Website: https://www.jillcobbauthor.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jillcobbauthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jillcobb