My Story

AS A WRITER

Most people will know me as T. Octavius, but my given name is Thulani Pasipamire. My name, Thulani, means the quiet one, and it originates from South Africa. That being said, by birth, I am both South African and Zimbabwean. 

I moved to the U.S and lived in North Carolina for a few years. This was the point in my life where my creative nature showed itself, but more in regards to singing and dancing. I also genuinely disliked reading at this point. 

I ended up moving to Calgary, Alberta, Canada. This is where I have lived for more than half of my life and I can say I am proud to add "Canadian as part of my identity. This also is the beginning of my writing journey. 

I was born in Zimbabwe and lived there until I was seven years of age. While I was there, I was raised around my mother's side of the family. That would be my Zimbabwean half, and the reason I heavily associate myself more as a Zimbabwean than a South African. But proudly, I am both. 

I am no different from most people. I hated reading when I was younger, much to the annoyance of my mother, who sincerely loves reading.

Much like every other child a the time I was very fond of playing outside and letting my imagination run vividly. It wasn’t until I was slightly older that I started reading comics and manga, but never the traditional books. They were too bland for me.

Well, that didn’t happen until I was fourteen years of age when I started genuinely reading. Funnily enough, I had taken an interest in writing and creating stories long before I had enjoyed a traditional novel. Even at that point, my mind was very creative and imaginative.

I don’t really remember the grade, but it was in Jr. High, and Kenneth Oppel came to my school. The author of the Silverwing series. I had never met an author before, and just the meeting alone spurred me to take a look at the said series. I absolutely loved it. It was from then on that I started reading a bunch of other authors and fell in love with the fantasy genre.

None of those compared to the sheer excitement of bouncing ideas back and forth with my best friend. He is my twin in every sense of the word, and I think that was how it truly began. We would make these worlds together and sometimes just even write down characters and lore to go along with them.

Truthfully speaking, a lot of factors played into it. Sometimes having an over-imaginative mind can be a hindrance. I was not only interested in writing stories, but also writing songs. I was interested in acting. All these factors are still true to this day. 

Also, it really does not get easier the older you get. The thought of writing a book is a foreign idea. You can curse yourself with self-doubt, wondering if your work will ever be good enough. I know I did many times, but I finally made it to the starting line.

Nothing really. Would it be nice if I become successful after launching my first book? Yes, what person would say no. But I think personally, I just hope people like my debut novel. And not just that, but they feel the same way I do when they read it. That they’re being transported to another world, and they can see it all playing in their minds. To me, that is the sign of a very good book.