Wattpad Creator Dani Brull (@DaniBrull) has been writing on Wattpad since 2020. Their most popular books on the platform is Willow Hills. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Wattpad corp. or affiliated companies.
Howdy! I’m Dani, your friendly, bisexual, trans masc person from the southern plains. You can usually find me cooking, writing, reading, or chasing around my three littles. I also enjoy gardening and doing anything outdoorsy. Camping trip? Sign me up. Fishing trip? I’m in.
I also cannot go a day without coffee.
If it sounds like I’m quite busy, that’s usually the case.
But luckily, I always find the time to write.
You can also find me penning romantic, magical, or haunting stories that often feature queer characters. I find writing these characters is a very important part of who I am. It just feels natural. I write what I relate to, so inevitably this extends to the way I craft stories.
Not only does my identity influence how I orient myself in the real world, but it also inspires my stories a great deal. It helps me craft relatable characters that often reflect my experiences and perspectives. I might be a bit all over the place when it comes to genres, but all of my stories have queer characters.
My lived experience as a trans masc person serves as a source of inspiration and provides a distinct lens through which I gather ideas. I also tend to write tough, morally grey characters who are not ashamed of what they are or who they love. I love a good antihero. I also love a good tragic backstory, which was on par with my obsession with villains growing up.
Being trans and queer also plays heavily into what I read. All year long, I’m voraciously devouring whatever book I can get my hands on. I’m especially drawn to stories that explore love and relationships. Reading about somebody like me is also an added bonus, but not necessarily a requirement.
I remember when I first wrote my story, Willow Hills, I was actually in high school. Around that time, I hadn’t come out, but I enjoyed writing from the perspective of an angry, queer ghost who just wanted to speak her truth. I suppose you can say I was living vicariously through my stories for a better portion of my early life!
Not that I am particularly angry.
(Not that I am a ghost, either).
I also kept my writing pretty much a secret until I hit my mid-twenties. Connecting with other LGBTQIA+ writers online has been a crucial part of my writing journey and helped me break out of my shell. The support, creativity, and knowledge I’ve gained from these connections have been invaluable. I think the community in which you surround yourself with is very important, especially when you first start out.
It can be incredibly daunting to put your work out there for the world to see. When I first started sharing my stories, I remember being excited and somewhat nervous, sweating when I hit "publish".
Thank goodness I did, though.
The community cheered me on. It was not long before I was joining book clubs, conversing with other authors, and reading other queer writers' works until the early hours of the morning. Through this safe space, I was able to flourish. The inclusivity in the book world was also something that gave me a boost of much-needed confidence.
No matter where you are on your writing journey, my advice would be to write authentically. Share your voice, your words, and your story because it is essential. Being trans is a human experience. Being queer is a human experience. And like all human experiences, they can vary vastly or be much the same depending on who you ask.
There is value in each of our stories.
