When Alexander Brito isn’t helping to shape the next generation of football players or creative writers, he’s writing.
Brito, 32, an English teacher at Barbara Goleman Senior High School and the offensive line coach for its football team, recently published his debut novel, “Creatures of Habit” with Current Words Publishing.
“Creatures of Habit” is the story of Yovanni Guerra, told through journal entries and linear story telling. Brito did what many authors do, he wrote what he knows. Guerra, his lead character, is a teacher and a father, like Brito. Unlike Brito, the character is trying to outlive and forget his past, which keeps pulling him back to trouble. Will he survive and become the man he aspires to be?
“This book brewed over time … there were certain things from my past that I was like, ‘This would be interesting to explore,’” Brito said.
Brito wanted to write about human behavior in a novel that delved into how people can sometimes return to destructive ways, despite experiencing growth and change.
“The cycle of, ‘I want change,’ I change for a little bit and revert to old behaviors,” Brito said.
Guerra, the main character whose name means war in English, gets married and has a son, but is in deep conflict with himself and old loyalties to friends while trying to follow a positive path.
Some of Brito’s students ask him to autograph their copies of his novel, and he says he asks for assurances that their parents are OK with them reading the story.
It took Brito two years to write “Creatures of Habit.”
Brito grew up in Hialeah and Miami Lakes. He graduated from Barbara Goleman Senior High School and has been writing since he was young. That habit continued at the University of Miami, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Sports Administration.
“I’ve always had a proclivity for writing … my senior year [in college] I took a creative writing class,” Brito said. He credits UM professor Judy Hood for encouraging him.
“She got me really interested in it and before I knew it, I was writing in my spare time,” Brito said. “I tried writing with any time that I got.”
It’s something that Brito still does now as a teacher: while his students are in writing sessions, he’ll write then, too. He received some professional encouragement: Spill Words Magazine published one of his short stories. Brito knew it would be hard to write a novel and had to put in a lot of time and effort into the project.
Current Words Publishing provides professional guidance for authors who want to edit and publish their books. Brito even created the cover photo of a Miami Beach apartment building at night on Ocean Drive.
“It was a major goal for me,” Brito said about publishing a novel. “It’s definitely a feeling of pride, a sense of accomplishment. But the truth is I’ll write no matter what.”
Brito has no plans to continue Guerra’s story but envisions future books with other characters.
“It’s a passion of mine and it’s something I plan to continue doing,” Brito said.
Getting his first novel published taught him many lessons that he has been able to apply while teaching, such as how to flesh out characters and create a plot.
“Until you’ve gone out there and done the thing, you don’t really know,” Brito said.
This school year he taught English to freshmen and seniors. He teaches creative writing to all grades. On the football field, he is the team’s offensive line coach. The team finished the 2025 season 8-5.
Brito lives in Miami Lakes with his fiancé Alexa Alvarez and their son.
“Creatures of Habit,” a 361-page paperback, is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Audible and at Book & Books.
To keep up with Brito, visit his website at alexandercbrito.com.