An Inspired Chat with Garrett Broussard of Los Angeles

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Garrett Broussard. Check out our conversation below.

Hi Garrett, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: Who are you learning from right now?
The top 3, in no particular order, would be Matt Dinniman, Stephen King, and myself.

Learning from myself isn’t some arrogant, “I’m the best, be my own CEO” type thing. I just believe that we all have a lot to tell ourselves and we gain so much by being willing to listen. We have literal dozens of miles of nerves in our bodies constantly sending feedback to our brains. Why ignore that? Stress is so common among our population, but the brain isn’t really able to combat it. Thinking your way out of overthinking is impossible, that’s where the body comes in. Allowing my body to weigh in on my choices has only resulted in positive growth and a sturdy intuition. I praise logic and rationality too, but the body tends to get ignored because it’s ok being silent.

Stephen King’s “On Writing” has some really short and powerful phrases, razors if you will. I took note of some gems, like “write a lot, read a lot”, “writing is telepathy”, and his notes on passive voice, and I let those roll around in my head when I write-and when I think about writing. It isn’t someone standing over me with a ruler, smacking my hands when I use an adverb, but it is the life of a talented and dedicated writer simmered down to simple, memorable phrases. The flour of his decades of writing and teaching, sitting there with nothing to do until the rich butter of his life experiences is thrown into the steel pot and melted down to make a roux for all to enjoy. His practical tips on grammar blend in with his life advice on how to survive as a writer, leaving me with memories that I’m still learning how to apply years later.

Matt Dinniman’s “Dungeon Crawler Carl” is the hottest book series out there right now, in my completely biased opinion. Not only has he built two amazing main characters and an ensemble cast that inhabit an expansive fictional world, but all of it is approachable and relatable for millions of people. People who “don’t read fantasy” read his books and relate to them. His writing style reminds me of Hemmingway in the way that he avoids fancy language and unnecessarily complex sentences. His characters feel so real, like I could meet that person at the grocery store tomorrow. There’s a lot for a new writer like me to learn from his writing and his career, but I also learned so much about life from Carl’s experiences. I was forced to move out of Altadena after the fires earlier this year and, during a time filled with so many conflicting emotions and uncertainty, I found this series and found myself in Carl’s shoes. “You will not break me” became my mantra during the FEMA calls, the lead tests, the flatbeds full of personal belongings covered in microscopic toxins.
A book is a book, but it can also be so much more.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hello!
I’m an author, storyteller, software developer for animation and visual effects, husband, D&D nerd, whisky lover, professional dog petter, and consumer of too many buffalo wings. I’ve worked on blockbuster hits, like Space Jam: A New Legacy, Alita: Battle Angel, Trolls: World Tour, and all the way back to my first film, Book of Life. I’ve recently published my first book, Cacophony of Crowns, which is a genre-bending short story collection where power always claims its price – think D&D magic in a Game of Thrones-ish world, cut into vignettes like Black Mirror.

My brand is interesting, as it covers both the film and literary industries, yet they’re inseparable and neither love was born before the other. My love for movies heavily influences what I write, and my love for writing and art drives my passion to create software from a place of compassion and helpfulness. I love telling my stories on a smaller scale, and helping artists tell their stories on the grandest scale of all. I feel super lucky to have the power to do both.

I’m applying my art school background to my writing by experimenting with genre, characters and plots. I find the short story the most conducive medium for this, both as a writer and as a reader. It’s not a popular medium, especially amongst the rich worldbuilding that can only be accomplished in a novel, but I’m enjoying it and learning so much along the way.

That said, I am currently tackling a novel of contemporary fiction. I won’t give too much away, as talking about the “novel I’ve been working on” isn’t nearly as interesting as showing it once I’ve published it. I’m testing out first person writing and seeing how much more engaging it is for the readers. Stay tuned!

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a kid, I believed everything people said, critical or positive, and put in effort to resolve conflicting points of view. People wouldn’t just say things that weren’t true, so both must be true somehow, right? This led me to hold on to outdated opinions about people and the world, and also hold on to some untrue opinions about myself and what I could accomplish. Luckily, I got the opportunity to meet a diverse group of folks in college and learn how art allows us all to expand our minds and our hearts. I’m still learning to trust myself when I make my art, and that I shouldn’t judge my art based on whether other people like it.

I still try to give people the benefit of the doubt, but now I trust my intuition and allow myself to filter out harmful rhetoric and words that come from a place of hate or unwelcomed judgement. I’ve learned how to tell when people are trying to help, and to sit with their opinions before deciding whether to go along with them. You can’t please everyone, nor should you, but when people’s opinions come from a place of caring they’re worth listening to and digesting the meaning even if they still end up discarded.

What fear has held you back the most in your life?
The fear of being trapped and not being able to get what I want out of life. This fears breeds indecision in me, as if a single choice can ruin everything I’ve worked for. I’ve begun to notice it as a tightness in my chest, like a snake slowly crushing me with every breath to punish each poor decision I’ve ever made. I’ve spent so much time watching the world move around me, frozen in a state of overthinking while the snake wraps around me.

Now that I can recognize the fear, I can turn towards it and learn from it. I use it as a signal that I’m feeling trapped and uncertain in this moment, and I ask myself how I can get what I want from this. That’s my key to getting out, it makes me focus on what I want and manifest it, rather than focusing on what I don’t want. It’s not easy and doesn’t always work, but it has helped me a ton.

Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
I’d say so. At most, it’s a version of myself that I strive to become – thoughtful, patient, funny, excited. I’m not usually to type to put myself out there or draw attention, so some aspects of marketing are unnatural to me. Once I take that leap and let my authentic self drive the conversation, I end up with words that resonate deeply with me. I think those closest to me would agree, and that’s why they’re all so eager to see what I write next. They get to form a deep connection with me that we don’t always have time to form in person.

Something I say to myself when I have to broadcast my work on social media is that “no one will be more excited about your accomplishments than you are”. I take that to mean that if I mumble my way through a book pitch, the person listening to the pitch will have a limited connection to the work and likely won’t be excited about it. That doesn’t mean people will love your work because you’re boisterous, but you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope they say I was a loving friend, a good listener, a great storyteller, and someone they could rely on when they needed to. I hope my career in filmmaking has left my personal mark on global audiences, and I want my books in people’s hands across the globe. I’d like them to say they laughed at my jokes and resonated deeply with my stories.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://garrettsbroussard.com/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/garrettsbroussard
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garrettsbroussard
• Twitter: https://bsky.app/profile/garrettsbroussard.bsky.social
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557777294641&mibextid=ZbWKwL
• Other: https://garrettsbroussard.substack.com/
  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/47378683.Garrett_S_Broussard
  https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5594163/

Image Credits
Wedding photos from Erin Marton photography