Brionni Nwosu

Brionni Nwosu is a writer, educator, and joyful creative based in the vibrant city of Nashville, where she lives with her husband and their three children. After more than a decade teaching students and mentoring teachers, she shifted her storytelling craft from a side passion to center stage. A 2021 We Need Diverse Books mentee under Rajani LaRocca, Nwosu writes bold, heartfelt fiction that explores connection, purpose, and what it means to live a life well.

Her debut novel is The Wondrous Lives and Loves of Nella Carter.

My Q&A with Nwosu:

How much work does your title do to take readers into the story?

I think The Wondrous Life and Loves of Nella Carter does a lot of work right away. It signals that the book is a sweeping, emotional story, centered on one woman’s very long journey. “Wondrous” captures the feeling of seeing the world through Nella’s eyes as she moves through different eras. And “loves” lets readers know this book is not just about time travel—it’s about the relationships that shape her and the people she carries with her.

What’s in a name?

Nella was always her name—that part came baked into the idea. But her full name, Nella May Carter, is deeply personal. “Carter” is my son’s name, and “May” comes from both my daughter and my grandmother, Bessie Mae. I liked the idea of anchoring this large, time-spanning story with names that come from my own family.

How surprised would your teenage reader self be by your novel?

My teenage self would be shocked—in the best way. She would think we would be a lawyer by now, but this is better. Instead of picking through contracts for tiny details, we get to make everything up. I think she’d be proud that I wrote the kind of story I would have loved but never thought I’d get to see. She would also laugh because I was the kid whose punishment one time was not reading books for a week, so writing a whole novel feels like something she would have dreamed about and be proud she did.

Do you find it harder to write beginnings or endings? Which do you change more?

Beginnings can be harder to land the right note, tone, and promise for the reader. I tend to overwrite until I get the tone right, and then I go back and cut a lot. Early in my writing career, I came across First Line Frenzy with Rebecca Hayman, and I know how important the first line is to hooking a reader. I like endings that mirror the opening, showing both the character's change and a neat summary of the overall story. For The Wondrous Life and Loves of Nella Carter, the prologue and ending of the book are nearly identical from the first draft. Honestly, I have more trouble with all the things in the middle, making sure the logic is correct and makes sense, than anything.

Do you see much of yourself in your characters?

I see pieces of myself in Nella—mostly her curiosity and her desire to understand people deeply. She pays attention to small gestures and quiet moments, and that’s how I move through the world, too. She keeps stepping into new worlds, new relationships, and new versions of herself, even when she’s afraid. But overall, Nella is her own person. She’s not a stand-in for me; she’s someone I learned from.

What non-literary inspirations have influenced your writing?

Music is a big one. I build playlists for every book, and certain songs help me capture a scene's emotional tone. Visuals matter too—images from art, photography, and film help me anchor the mood, and pictures of actors and stock images help me to imagine characters. For Nella’s book, I found myself drawn to historical paintings, old photographs of New Orleans and Paris, and even fashion references.

Visit Brionni Nwosu's website.

Writers Read: Brionni Nwosu.

The Page 69 Test: The Wondrous Life and Loves of Nella Carter.

My Book, The Movie: The Wondrous Life and Loves of Nella Carter.

--Marshal Zeringue