Meet Octavia Grant

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Octavia Grant. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Octavia below.

Hi Octavia, thank you so much for making time for us today. Let’s jump right into a question so many in our community are looking for answers to – how to overcome creativity blocks, writer’s block, etc. We’d love to hear your thoughts or any advice you might have.

Writer’s Block is the most frustrating part of being a creative writer. There is nothing more draining and exhausting than having a perfect storyline, yet the words won’t come to create it. When I’m faced with this issue, I step away from my work in progress until my thoughts form. Reading, listening to music, or a podcast often helps me organize my thoughts. If that doesn’t work, I’ll start working on something else.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I am an Independent Author (or Indie Author), which simply means I write and publish my own books. The most exciting part of being an Author is my ability to create a book that I know will act as a source of enjoyment for my readers. As an Indie Author, I have penned over 30 thrilling and suspenseful novels. I have had the pleasure of speaking on the Thrilling Tales Author Panel at ESSENCE Fest and I’ve been interviewed by Narrator iiKane, Literary Reviewer and Movie Commentator Tamara Walker of Tam Telling Tales, and featured in magazines such as WYB Lifestyle, VoyageJacksonville, Canvas Rebel, and featured in the book, 160 Black Women In Horror. My psychological thriller novella, Dear Vicky, was the winner of the Black Girls Who Write It’s Lit Award for Best Black Mystery/Suspense, AAMBC Award Winner for Mystery/Thriller Book of the Year, and the North Star Award Winner by Audio In Black for it’s audiobook adaptation. Readers can expect 3 more new releases from me this year.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Three skills that have been most impactful in my literary journey have been my ability to adapt to change, listening to understand, and my eagerness to learn. I do not know everything, so I surround myself with people who are experts. I surround myself with people that I can learn from. My advice for newcomers would be to stay true to themselves. Never allow anyone to change your mind about the things you are passionate about. A person that stands for nothing will fall for anything.

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?

As cliche as it may sound, when I feel overwhelmed, I step away from my projects and take time for myself. Mental clarity is needed to be successful. One cannot operate successfully while in a state of confusion. So when I feel that ‘life is lifing’ a little too hard, I simply focus on finding my peace because nothing gets done when I’m not at my best. A word of advice: Self care isn’t selfish.

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