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CHRISTINA: Fifteen years ago, I was a reader for Laurel Ann Nattress's Jane Austen Made Me Do It anthology contest. Laurel Ann had curated a multi-author list of bestselling romance authors but opened up to submissions for one unpublished author to win a spot in the anthology. I remember reading about 80 submissions in a month to help Laurel Ann find the one. I was a fan of Brenna Aubrey's contemporary Persuasion-esque short story from the start and was delighted to learn she won the coveted slot. Imagine the excitement, later in 2013, when her first contemporary romance had a bidding war going on between publishers...and she bravely opted to self-publish! Here is the link, if you don't believe me. But I can assure, long-time fan that I am, it has all turned out well for Brenna going the indie route.
What comes first, plot, or characters?
BRENNA: Characters. Always. Well, setup probably comes first. Then characters. For me, plot is just the by-product of the decisions the characters make that make sense for them and are a logical progression from one point to the next with regards to the character’s growth arc and their goals in the story. And of course, their flaws. We all make mistakes, right?
CHRISTINA: Is there one of your characters you most identify with and why?
BRENNA: Not really. Maybe the heroines more than the heroes because on average, I spend more time in their heads, given the average amount of point of view I give them versus the heroines. Also, I like to center on issues particular to women and what we face, both in our time and throughout history. I’d say that every one of my heroines carries a facet of my own personality or viewpoint in some way, so I identify with each and every one of them at certain times and situations in my life.
CHRISTINA: What is your current project or latest release?
BRENNA: It’s still a seeeekrit for right now but it has very much captured my imagination and set me on fire with the desire to tell the story. It’s still a romance story and starts a new series but the subgenre is quite different than what I’ve been writing before (mostly). This will make more sense when I can start talking about it in greater detail. I can’t wait to share more.
CHRISTINA: Ooooh, I can't wait.
If you were to revise any of your books, which would you choose and why?
BRENNA: At Any Price needs a bit of a technology update. If I were writing it now, I’d make Mia, the heroine, a Twitch TV streamer instead of a gaming blogger (but I ended up giving her friend Kat, that role in her own book, For the Taking). But yeah, I think I’d like to update At Any Price with more modern tech than what existed in 2013, when I wrote it. Fortunately, gaming hasn’t changed all that much, though.
CHRISTINA: I have a soft spot for that geek-centric romance. Really, it's okay if you never update it. I want it to be adapted to film with Henry Cavill playing the billionaire tech CEO Adam Drake. Because we all know what a gamer and geek he is in real life. Let's put that out into the universe again.
What makes you get up in the morning? What do you love?
BRENNA: I love telling stories and even though it isn’t always the easiest, I still think that writing books is the best job ever. Opening up that brand new doc file to start a new story is so exciting and stuffed with wild possibilities. It feels a lot like when you crack open a much-anticipated new book you’ve just bought. You’ve read the blurb, savored the cover, happily forked over the money to get the privilege to take it home, then you get lost for hours on end. Writing is like that too. Only you steer the ship of the story rather than leaning back to enjoy the ride. Both are amazing experiences.
CHRISTINA: Yes, both are amazing experiences.
What do you think makes a good story?
BRENNA: Conflict is the building block to any good story, no matter what the length, short or long. Conflict is the engine that drives the story from one place to the next. Characters come into conflict with each other, with the setting, with the world around them, with the rules and when their desires clash with their own fears. It exists on every level. Where there’s no conflict, there’s no drive forward, no progression.
Good characters are key to this, of course. At the risk of repeating myself—
CHRISTINA: Yes, I'll reference previous statements.
If you could have dinner with three people, who would be at your table—and how might that go?
BRENNA: Jane Austen, Emily Bronte, and L.M. Montgomery. My three favorite authors all happen to be ladies. I think they’d have one heck of a spirited conversation among the three of them and there’d probably be no small amount of laughter. In fact, I’d probably just listen to the three of them. I’d be happy to be a fly on that wall—or probably in a position much further up, and behind something sturdy.
CHRISTINA: Best advice for new writers:
BRENNA: Find a writing buddy who is at a similar path and trajectory to your own with regards to your writing career and what you want out of it, level of experience, and partner with them to improve yourself. This can be more valuable than gold—and many times more valuable than a degree in creative writing if you find the right person, have the right chemistry and can exchange critiques with that person, learn and grow together to progress your craft and your writing goals.
CHRISTINA: Good advice. Makes so much sense.
If you weren’t a writer, what would you be?
BRENNA: A mime artist. Just kidding…I talk too much.
CHRISTINA: Aw, I look forward to meeting you one day in real life and chatting up a storm then. Thanks so much for your interview. I am so looking forward to your news, next project.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brenna Aubrey is a USA TODAY Bestselling Author of contemporary romance stories that center on geek culture. Her debut novel, At Any Price, is currently free on all platforms. Her books are on over a million e-readers worldwide, have been translated into German, French, Italian, and Dutch. They've also been adapted as an interactive app game. Look for the brand-new POINT OF NO RETURN series and her extremely popular GAMING THE SYSTEM series.
She has always sought comfort in good books and the long, involved stories she weaves in her head. Brenna is a city girl with a nature-lover’s heart. She therefore finds herself out in green open spaces any chance she can get. She currently resides on the west coast of the US with her husband and children (both human and furry). You can connect with Brenna via her website and social media.
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