The official Coffee Community book for exclusive interviews and advice from Wattys winners, Wattpad Stars, Ambassadors and various upcoming authors and poets. Peak inside, we have cups of Ristretto too!
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Our author of the month is Brynn, who is also known as brynnbunker on Wattpad.
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Hello! Thank you for taking the time to get involved with Coffee Community. It's great to hear from authors like yourself and get to know a little bit about what motivates you to write longer works of fiction.
So, to begin, tell us a little bit about yourself as an author on Wattpad. For anyone who hasn't met you before, how would you describe yourself and your fiction?
I write slow-burn romances that test reader's patience a lot of the time, as I like to make sure the characters motives for getting together make complete sense, and aren't rushed in any sort of way. I live for the drama, really. With the main characters, I also make sure to place a strong emphasis on a group of side characters that readers can relate to, or latch onto, whose stories are separate from that of the main plotline, but it all coincides nicely with the story, just adding more layers to the overall book.
When did you start writing and what does writing mean to you?
I started writing from a really young age, it's always been my favorite activity to do in my free-time. I would write the worst little stories in my journals growing up, and then some terrible stories I'd drafted on Wattpad when I joined around 11 years old. Writing means everything to me, if I weren't writing on a day-to-day basis, I'd be losing my mind. Writing fuels me, and helps me not only discover ways in which I can manipulate stories for reader's enjoyment, but also get across some meaningful messages, while also learning more about myself, and my writing style in the process.
Out of all the stories that you've written so far, which one is your favourite and why?
I have a soft spot for all of the stories I've written, but my personal favorite is My Jeep Girl. I started writing that story when I moved away for college, in a pretty lonely time in my existence, and latching onto the characters and plot for that story was highly therapeutic for me. My story Hopeless Romantic is sort of a spin-off from this book, as well as including a beloved character (Porkchop) from my book Better Than You, so I typically include the two together when talking about them because I love how their stories coincide, and bring together a fuller picture of both the main and side characters written about in My Jeep Girl.
What is your writing process like? Are you more of a plotter or a pantser?
My writing process varies on the way my life is going, but typically, I try and plot things out nicely before just writing away. My long-time friend and I sit down every year, or every 6+ months to discuss a new idea for a story I can write, coming up with characters, main plot points, drama, side characters, location, etc. That's my favorite tradition that sparks an instant inspiration in my mind and heart, so I usually start planning around 10 chapters in a document to get things started. When I'm not on top of things, I sort of skip around, write whatever comes to me, and let it all flow.
Writing for sustained periods is a hurdle that every writer, beginner or experienced, faces from time to time. What powers you through those longer bursts of creativity and keeps you focused?
I live very close to this lovely café that serves some gorgeous pastries and one of the best iced lattés I've ever had, so typically, taking a little walk through the city, trying to get as close to the trees and flowers as possible, and hitting up that café to sit down, and just write allows me to get my creative energy flowing. I'll think about spending an hour or two, and suddenly, it's been about four hours, and my productivity has instantly spiked. If I'm really stuck, I'll watch a cheesy movie, or read one of my favorite books to get some inspiration, some ideas flowing through the noggin.
What top tips would you advise for getting a story, a novella or a longer piece of fiction off the starting line? What kind of story developments motivate you to see it through to the end?
If you have a general idea for a plot, or even a cliché you'd like to take on writing about, I would always advise sitting down and doing some planning first. Don't make it super tense, and don't force yourself to know every little detail about the book. But if you can get inspired writing down your ideas for the plot, at least a few main characters, and some interesting drama points that may also have to do with the main character's backstories and personalities, then I'd say you have a pretty good foundation. Jump into chapter one with a hook that excites readers, rather than immediately info-dumping them with all the backstory, personality traits, even characteristics. Info-dumping can be so boring, and should be spread out through the book to fuel more of the plot, rather than all at once in the beginning. Do something exciting. I always start of with some sort of party, inciting incident, a fight, etc. that gets the story going really fast.
What was your first ever experience with the power of the written language?
You know, I have had a lot of experiences understanding just how powerful writing can be. Journaling privately, as well as certain writing activities in my classes have been insightful, so as to allow me to come into my own self, and writing style more. But one specific moment that written language really hit me was after I'd seen the movie "Call Me By Your Name", and immediately read the book thereafter. While movies can convey meaning in different ways, I feel that after reading the book, my understanding of the characters and overall story was way more profound, and meaningful. You get to understand the inner workings of the character's minds when it's written well, detailed, and in a really gorgeous way. It doesn't come across in the movie as easily as reading the book, and understanding all of the thoughts, motives, and ideas coursing through the main character's head. I could really see myself in the main character, and understand even more why certain thoughts arose inside his mind, and it fueled me to carry that sort of in-depth writing style into my own works, which I still am working on progressing even more.
Lastly, do you drink coffee? If yes, what is your favourite coffee beverage?
I drink lots of coffee, of course. Coffee is always a big part of my books, I think, because half the time I'm drinking it, and the other half, I'm craving it. I'm pretty plain in my coffee likings, I either go for a cappuccino, or an iced latté. Depends on how cold it is outside, but typically, an iced latté is the way to go, as long as the roast is right, and it's not too milky. I'm not trying to just drink cold milk with a splash of coffee out here. :)
It was a pleasure speaking with you and getting to know you more. We wish you all the best for your writing journey, Brynn!☕
