Meet The Authors Showcase Edition #2 (2 of 3)

A showcase with @brynnbunker, author of Better Than You

1 what inspired the idea of your story?

My friend and I were sitting on an empty volleyball court at one of our last tournaments, and we were waiting to play. We were so bored, and then she turned to me and was like "I have a terrible idea for a Wattpad book, and I think you'll hate it." So naturally, I had her tell me her idea, which was basically the premise that the captain of a girl's volleyball team and the captain of a boy's volleyball team at the same high school are enemies, hate each other, and eventually fall in love. So obviously, I was in. 

2 what is something you struggled constructing with your story?

I struggled the most with keeping my characters real, yet likeable for readers. I know that my main character, Logan, has gotten a lot of backlash for being incredibly rude and short fused, and often taking things too far. Honestly, when I was writing her character, I didn't intend to make her come off like a completely terrible person, I just wanted her to have real anger and struggles because of her own life and character development story. So it was hard for me to find a balance between showing her at her very worst and giving her those redeeming moments, and the backstory to go along with it.

3 what did you enjoy writing most of your story?

All the different characters, but most prominently Porkchop. I love a lot of side characters, and to focus on a few specific side character arcs, and I've gotten more accustomed to doing that in my other stories, as well. But with this one, it was kind of my introductory book, and I wanted to have a bunch of well-rounded characters with separate personalities, experiences, and stories. Quirks, too, of course.

4 what's the overall response of your story from your readers?

I feel like most people have really loved the story and been very kind with their compliments. I try my best to connect with my readers and read comments, responding on occasion, because it means so much that people have taken such a liking to my silly work.

5 is your story a stand alone novel or a piece of a series ?

"Better Than You" is a standalone, but there is a spin-off with a few of the main characters called "Hopeless Romantic" that focuses on Porkchop (AKA Clay)

6 what would you like your readers to take away from your story?

There are a lot of smaller story arcs and morals that you could take away, but mainly, I'd want people to realize that they have the free will to live their own life and make the right decisions to their benefit. Logan basically goes through this whole journey realizing that the life she assumed she would have after high school wasn't the life that she actually wanted to strive for, and I feel like that can apply to a lot of people, myself included.

7 what advice would you provide to fellow writers, when it comes to focusing on their own story?

Write without judgment! Do what you want! I would whip out chapters without scrutinizing myself or getting in my head about whether people would like it or not because that's the best way to do it. Write what you like, what you want, and how you want, and do it for yourself more than anything.

8 does your main character share any similarities to yourself?

My main character Logan is pretty much me in most scenarios. More outwardly bold than I am, though we share a lot, especially in the sports realm. That's why I'll defend her character and all of her mistakes, though I can admit they're not all easily forgivable. 

9 what is something about your story you believe would draw in new readers?

People going through some self-discovery might be able to relate to several characters, all going through their own journeys discovering who they are, and who they want to be both in the present and in their futures.

10 do you have any future projects?

 I'm working on a few! "Golden", which is a bit enemies-to-lovers itself, and follows 2 characters who escape similar traumas that occurred in their lives on Christmas. I want that one to be hard-hitting, but still like my other cliche and fun books. I also have a few other stories, including some possible sequels/spin-offs in the works, which I'm super excited about...