The Story of Their Life: Ayana Gray

Published Author and NYT Best Seller. Her Story

Preface

Her name is Ayana Gray. A New York Times Best Selling Author, a current resident of Arkansas, with three published books – and a fourth being released this November. 

This is her story. 

Introduce Yourself 

“My name’s Ayana. When people ask how to pronounce my name, I usually point to my eye, then mimic a yawn, then say “uh.” People still get it wrong.”

She was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and while in some ways she still considers it home, Northwest Arkansas is her new home. As a native of Georgia and a resident of Arkansas, she has developed an ever-growing appreciation for the American South. 

She explains how the South is an incredibly nuanced and culturally rich region. 

“I think what I love most is that Southerners are, in all ways, fierce—in our beliefs, in our love of sports, in our passion for good food, in our hospitality, in our grudges, and also in our capacity to help anyone who needs a hand. The South isn’t perfect, but I’d pick nowhere else to call home.”

She simultaneously is an introspective, sometimes anxious, and curious person, which drew her to the arts, as she became both a theater and an art kid in high school. Her passion for the arts began what would transform into her future adult career as a successful author, being able to create pieces of art as a full-time job. That alone never ceases to bewilder her. 

Outside of her writing career, she loves to walk, play fetch with her dog, draw, meditate, be around her friends, watch old movies with her husband, and read. 

Reading

Reading as a writer is fundamental, so establishing a list of favorites is difficult. 

But, her “Letterbox” for books, or rather her favorite four books currently sit at:

• Mistress of Rome by Kate Quinn
• An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
• Day of Empire by Amy Chua
• The Autobiography of Fredrick Douglass by Frederick Douglass

A diverse array of literary pieces, but Ayana explains that each book met her at a pivotal moment in her life, shaping, changing, and challenging her perspectives. These books allowed her to feel validated, describing a mirror of words that made her not only feel seen but also feel safe. 

Writing

“As cliché as it will sound, I didn’t find writing—it found me.”

She doesn’t recall the exact moment she began wanting to tell stories, but before she could write them, she drew them. And before she could draw them, she spoke them, and before that – she listened. She listened to her family’s stories. 

So, she always admired stories and always admired authors, their ability to create and form fantastical worlds and narratives, and sought to become one, but struggled with the notion of how to do so. She came close to choosing law, due to her talents in reading and writing, but instead pursued her dream of storytelling. 

Her Process

She starts with a pitch. Sometimes it is a singular sentence, but that only means there is something to build off from. Which is promptly what her next step is. 

She builds off the pitch, creating a summary, then a synopsis, and finally she begins to write a very “rough and bad” first draft.

Her first book, Beast of Prey, was published when she found her literary agent by pitching the book during a pitching event on Twitter in 2019 called #DVpit. Ayana and her agent worked together on the book for a year before selling it to a publisher in July 2020.

Her characters, Ekon, Koffi, and the entire world of Beasts of Prey began to finally come to life in her revisions. She described it as like chipping away at a block of clay or stone until she found the real story behind it.

More About Her

Gray is a high-achieving person, driven by productivity, and someone who savors the feeling of crossing things off her to-do list. And one of her greatest accomplishments in life has been discovering that one of the greatest joys in getting older is learning how to be her most authentic and honest self. 

“For many years, I was deeply uncomfortable in my own skin—literally, and figuratively. One of the greatest joys I’ve found in getting older is learning how to be my most authentic and honest self.” Gray said.

“The relationships I have at this stage of my life are the best I’ve ever had. I’m physically, mentally, and emotionally a much healthier person than I was even a decade ago. I have found a peace that my teenage self didn’t think was possible. I’m both proud and grateful for that personal growth, and hopeful for more to come.”

She has experienced a full life, and with that she also explained how she experienced grief, and regret.

“I regret that I didn’t have more time with my grandfather, and I regret that he never saw me become a published author. If I could have extended his timeline and spared my grandmother the pain of losing her best friend, I would have.”

In her difficult moments, she is grateful to have a strong, diverse, positive community by her side, whom she can lean on, both personally and professionally. She leans on her friends and fellow authors, Rebecca Mix and Margaret Owen, and her family. People she can be her truest and most vulnerable self with, people like her grandparents, parents, and her spouse. 

Her spouse, whom she met in 2017 in Australia. Eight years ago, she decided to make the move, where she sold almost all of her possessions and bought a one-way ticket to Australia. She lived there for an entire year, traveling the country, creating irreplaceable memories, and meeting her now husband.

Advice

To young writers, she advises that there is no “too late” to become an author. 

“I want to first say that talent is not like milk—there’s no expiration date! Whether you’re literally young or young at heart, it’s never “too late” to become a writer. My advice for new writers is to read as much as you can. Every book has a lesson to teach you if you’re willing to learn from it. My advice for creatives in general is to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. When you’re trying something for the first time, you’re probably not going to be great at it, and that includes writing. Keep practicing, and don’t worry about being perfect, just try to be a little better each day, week, month, year.”

Gray explains that even when it sounds simple, life will become much happier and freer when you begin to give up worrying about what others might think about you and begin to pursue things that are truly you. 

“Do what makes you happy, dance to your song, and find the people who don’t ask you to be anything but yourself!” 

Upcoming!

She is publishing her first book for adults—I, Medusa, this fall. This is a new type of story for her, which is extremely exciting, along with her having always loved Greek mythology, and she has always been interested in its monsters and villains. She explains that this story felt like a fun opportunity to reimagine one of its most iconic ones. 

The story will tell the story of the villain and I for one am extremely excited to read it.