Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Marian Bruno. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Marian, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Have you signed with an agent or manager? Why or why not?
I sent out hundreds of queries trying to secure representation for my first book, Twin Flames. Many agents were intrigued by the concept and requested pages, but none of it translated into lasting interest. It wasn’t until I self-published my second book, The Exception, that things began to shift.
Encouraged by my close friends, my husband, and a self-publishing podcast, I decided to take the leap. I hired an editor and a cover artist, but the bulk of the work fell on my shoulders. I had to teach myself how to format the book so it looked as polished—if not more so—than traditionally published titles. Then came distribution and marketing. I am not a salesperson; I’m an artist. Promotion doesn’t come naturally to me.
But when opportunities to put myself out there came up, I took them. One such opportunity was selling my book at a garden tour. As much as I didn’t want to stand under a tent in the sun peddling my funny, slightly smutty romantic comedy to a crowd of conservative garden enthusiasts, I did it. And, surprisingly, that may have been the lynchpin that secured my future as a professional writer.
After decades of putting myself out there—first as an entertainer, then as a writer—begging for representation, my management team eventually came to me. Proving the adage: If you build it, they will come.
Emma Gobillot was scrolling her Facebook feed when she saw two people mention my book. (One of them might’ve been from the garden tour, though I still don’t know for sure.) She took a chance, read The Exception, and loved it. She reached out through the “Contact Me” page on my website and asked to set up a meeting with her and her boss, Kassie Evashevski, at Anonymous Content—a major management and production firm in New York.
I was beside myself. After all that time waiting for gatekeepers to let me in, it turned out all I really had to do was back myself. Trust that my work was good enough.
Was my book perfect? No. I’m still finding punctuation fails. But I put it out there, and it was found. And more importantly, it resonated—with someone, with many someones. That was always the goal.
Now, Kassie and Emma are working to make a movie deal for The Exception, and they’re helping guide my next project.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
Feminist. Former actress. Mom of two adorable, demanding toddlers.
My background is in performing and writing stand-up and sketch comedy, but for the past decade, I’ve devoted myself to my truest passion: writing. I haven’t dropped the title of “comedian,” though—all of my stories feature at least a few sarcastic, foul-mouthed humorists spitting mad (and sometimes bad) jokes. Who knows? I may one day get the itch to bark sardonic life observations at strangers in dark bars again. But honestly, I’d have to re-train myself to be that kind of social—I like to be in bed by nine.
I once had every intention of going to Hollywood to become a badass, boss-bitch executive—and I had the résumé to back it up. I graduated cum laude with a degree in broadcast communications and film. I interned at Warner Brothers in both LA and NYC, as well as WDSU News in New Orleans. I worked as a news producer and anchor, and even completed a thesis on women in sports broadcasting. When I arrived in LA, I was ready to fix Hollywood. It was a mess. More funny movies? Yes. More inclusion of women and underrepresented voices? Absolutely.
It didn’t take long to learn that no one cared about my opinions—or my accolades. After getting emotionally slapped around by my boss (think: a short male version of Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada), I walked away from the office world and became a hostess at The Saddle Ranch on Sunset Boulevard, signing B-list celebs up to ride the mechanical bull. Thus began my winding, wild journey through the backwoods of Hollywood.
I completed the Second City Conservatory program and co-created an interactive comedy series, Screwball City, with my fellow improvisers. The world wasn’t quite ready for it—but it was a hoot. I went on to study improv and sketch writing at UCB and The Improv Olympic Theater. With my comedy group, The Associates of Awesome, I performed on stages in LA and NYC and helped create a viral video series called The Most Popular Girls in School—the first episode now has over 12 million views.
Eventually, exhausted and fed up with the misogyny of comedy culture and Hollywood at large, I stepped away to focus on content that spoke to women. I wrote, edited, and produced several web series, including Feminist Fairytales and Wannabees—the latter was acquired by Fox Digital. I also performed a one-woman show, That’s Me in the Corner, and did stand-up at venues including the World Famous Comedy Store and The Improv. I even popped into scenes on a few network comedies.
These days, I’ve stepped off the stage to focus fully on writing novels.
Twin Flames was written as a personal challenge. I’d always wanted to finish a book but wasn’t sure I could—so I signed up for NaNoWriMo, and the rest is history. I wrote what I wanted to read and, in the process, fell in love with the form. I found my purpose.
The Exception was inspired by the very real and raw challenge my husband and I faced trying to conceive while trying to stay connected and happy. It took a year to write the book and two and a half years to get a positive pee stick. I’m thrilled to see that people are connecting with it.
Momma Drama is in the works—a comedic buddy romance inspired by my quest for the perfect mom friend.
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
When I see myself through the eyes of a practicing doctor, lawyer, or financier, I see a loose cannon. A wandering fool. An irresponsible, narcissistic misanthrope. I imagine they look at me and see someone foolish enough to believe they can succeed in a field where so many have failed. They might think I’m arrogant, an attention-seeker who hasn’t yet proven worthy of their time—and therefore, in their eyes, worthless.
These are the judgments I voice so they don’t have to. And still, I push through their perceived rejection and misunderstanding. Because if I let them win—if I let that narrow concept of what has value prevail—then there would be no creatives. No earth-shattering films. No soul-possessing music. No gut-wrenching, pee-your-pants laughter.
We need artists to be selfish. To turn inward, to explore their darkest depths and mine their subconscious. We need them to pull back and see society clearly, and reflect it in a way that helps others recognize their own creative spark. Because we are all creatives.
We need everyone to co-create a better world—and for that, we need artists to be free. To imagine better alternatives.
For me, personally, the creative journey is a healing one. I write to discover and accept myself. It’s therapeutic. Without it, I’d be lost.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
My mission is to be as authentic as possible, as truthful about my own experience as I can be to help people feel less alone in this incredibly difficult life, to bring humor and levity to the darkness and ultimately to provide hope.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.marianbruno.com
- Instagram: @marianbrunowrites
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Marian-Bruno/pfbid02x2DfUFanoeMpMWCV26B1UL1gxZn5dfJi4u7Nc1wAuECy3NTvkh6ToDEwMNSjnvCHl/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marian-bruno-a289a867
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsgmwgBwvALHNGde520tE3w
- Other: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/49147176.Marian_Bruno
Image Credits
Natalie Montgomery