How do you find writing time? Author Lizzie Bruce talks about her latest rom-com and how she finds writing time.
Lizzie Bruce’s Book & Writing Process
Table of Contents
Q: What is the title of your book and what is it about?
A: 16 Simple Rules: An Opposites Attract Closed-door Rom-com
Publication date: March 11, 2025
Q: What genre is 16 Simple Rules?
A: Romantic Comedy
Q: What inspired you to write 16 Simple Rules, and how did you come up with the idea for it?
A: Often it’s a phrase or an idea that I hear. My brain latches onto it and expands it into a full story idea.
Q: What themes and tropes are included in 16 Simple Rules?
A: 16 Simple Rules includes the opposites attract and fake dating tropes. There’s also a side of Southern sass and one amazing Meemaw.
This sounds fun.
Q: What’s the one thing you want readers to take away from reading 16 Simple Rules?
A: My goal is to have readers feel the range of emotions coupled with a side of laughter.
That’s an admirable goal.
Q: Are you a plotter, pantser, or plantser? Share a bit of your writing process.
A: Plantser. Usually, I get snippets of scenes that are all out of order. I’ll sit down and create a broad outline with the beats of the story. Then, I’ll stitch together the snippets of scenes with the scenes that cover the beats, editing as I go because my characters typically reveal more of who they are as I write.
Interesting. I sometimes write out of order, too. It depends on how the story is flowing.
Q: How do you choose your character names?
A: I pull them out of a hat. Not really! Sometimes the scenes will come with character names. Sometimes, I’ll search for names that fit certain characteristics.
Yes! Don’t you love it when they come with their names? That’s half the work done for you.
Q: How do you use social media as an author?
A: I’m mainly on Instagram. I use stories as a diary of sorts, sharing all kinds of different things. I also enjoy connecting with readers and other authors.
I like the idea of an Instagram diary. And yes, this is a great place for connecting with readers and other authors.
Q: Why do you write?
A: I write because I have stories that I need to share. Hopefully, others enjoy them as much as I do!
I’m sure some people enjoy what you write. It’s a matter of finding your tribe.
Writing Advice from Lizzie Bruce
Q: What advice would you give to someone who’s just starting?
A: Be patient and write the book you want to read.
Beautifully said. Chances are, the book you want to read will also interest others.
Q: How do you find time to write?
A: I squeeze my fiction writing in the pockets of time throughout the day. Sometimes it’s a thirty-minute sprint after breakfast. Sometimes, it’s writing in the car on my phone as our son has soccer practice.
I like how you fit your writing time into the pockets of your life. Sometimes we think that if we don’t have hours to devote to writing, then it can’t be done.
Q: What are your tips for meeting deadlines?
A: Break it up into smaller chunks and create a plan with padding. Then, just do the work.
Great advice! The padding is where I fall. Lol. I must moment and then don’t leave myself enough wriggle room for when life goes off the rails as it always does.
Just for Fun
Q: What is your favorite book and why?
A: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. I love how seamless the authors wove historical details into the epistolary narrative. The setting is beautify, and the characters are quirky and loveable. It’s easy to read multiple times!
I’ve never read that book. I’m looking it up.
Q: If your keyboard could talk, what would it say about your writing habits?
A: She does more “research” on YouTube than typing words with my keys.
YouTube research is fun!🤣
Let’s Connect with Lizzie Bruce
Q: What are you working on next?
A: The next book in my Seeking Romance series.
I wish you all the best with that and your future endeavors.
About 16 Simple Rules
A proper plan leads to the perfect life. But those pesky butterflies wreck any guarantees with their promise of passion.
Cynthia Pritchard-Kennedy aims for perfection. She’s checked off every detail of Momma’s plan. But then Tom’s simple question reveals the missing piece—up pops a wall to mask her swirling confusion.
Second-guessing her organized strategy, Cynthia lights a match to the perfect plan. The next morning, her anxiety demands structure. So she turns to her friend, and polar opposite, for help. Together, Tom and Cynthia figure out a plan to navigate her new reality.
And in gratitude, she agrees to pose as his girlfriend at a week-long reunion—an event where Cynthia will face the choice to follow the plan or pursue her heart.
16 Simple Rules is the sensible second book in the Seeking Romance series. If you like organization with a side of anxiety, a dash of comical fake dating, and swoony tension as opposites attract, then you’ll love this tidy closed-door romance. Read 16 Simple Rules to disappear into a rule-following romcom today!
About Lizzie Bruce
Lizzie Bruce lives in a dreamy tropical place surrounded by beautiful beaches, fabulous friends, and magnificent mountains. When she’s not writing, she runs marathons and cooks five-star meals for her husband and 2.5 kids.
In Lizzie’s house, the laundry is always done, folded, and put away. If all this sounds idyllic, it should!
The above biographical details are completely imaginary. Lizzie Bruce is the official author of a series of relatable and slightly comedic romance novels. Her current specialty is closed-door romcoms.
In these swoony stories, there is a lot of chemistry but only a dash of spice. The characters will fall in love. You will kind of laugh, definitely feel the feels, and embrace the escape. When it’s done, you can share the book with your momma without blushing.
Connect with Lizzie Bruce on her Website | Author Central | Instagram
