HOLLY BRUNNBAUER “Someone has to win – why can’t it be you?”
Kelly’s Writerly Q&A August 2025 Author Interview is with Holly Brunnbauer, a multi-award-winning emerging fiction author from rural Victoria. She first caught the writing bug via blogging and later transitioned into copywriting. Holly's now a sought-after virtual assistant for published and aspiring authors. What Did I Miss? is her debut novel, a fun and refreshing new romantic comedy, I’m certain is going to sell like hotcakes!
Kelly: Hi Holly, thanks for taking the time to answer some writerly questions. Congratulations on the publication of your debut novel, What Did I Miss? I’ve had the pleasure of reading an advance copy and devoured it, but for those who know nothing, how would you describe it?
Holly: What Did I Miss? is a fresh and feisty rom-com about Makayla, who married young and is now newly divorced. As she stares down the barrel of turning thirty, she’s ready to tick off her list of all the things she missed out on in her twenties – starting with a one-night stand.
So, she meets a random guy at a bar, but as fate would have it, not so random. He reappears in her life, and suddenly Makayla’s fighting feelings she didn’t sign up for.
Even if she wanted to date him (which she doesn’t), she can’t because her aunty is bribing her to stay single until her birthday in order to inherit something that Makayla doesn’t necessarily want, but her ex-husband desperately does. And there’s nothing she’d love more than to get back at him for the awful thing he did that ended their marriage.
The question is, can Makayla stay single until her birthday and experience all the things she thought she missed out on, or will she start a new decade with more regrets?
Kelly: It is such a page-turner! What inspired you to write this story?
Holly: What Did I Miss? was inspired by a friend who was in a similar situation to my main character: young, divorced from her high-school dud and navigating the adult dating world for the first time. I was fascinated by how many fundamental experiences we all go through during our twenties that she’d missed out on. I mean, if you haven’t had a sweaty romp with a Scottish backpacker in a hostel, have you truly lived?
The opening chapter poured out of me after I’d encouraged my friend to join a dating app. What are writing friends for if not to help you craft your profile and use your trauma for a good story?
After that, I dropped the following question into a group chat with my married friends: If you found yourself suddenly single, what new experiences would you want to try?
Responses came in thick and fast – ‘wait a sec, let me get a pen’. The flurry in the group chat further proved this was an interesting topic to write about. And so, when I finally had the space and time to dive into this story, I did.
Kelly: I love how you tested your story idea on friends and got them to help you come up with your list! How long did it take you to write What Did I Miss?
Holly: This might be easier to answer with a list – I tend to like them!
Plan & plot = 1 month
1st draft = 3 months
2nd draft = 3 months
3rd draft = 1 month
After that, I sent it to my dream agent. Spoiler alert: She said yes.
Kelly: You really are a woman with a plan! What does your typical day of writing look like?
Holly: I have a day job and two energetic kids, which doesn’t allow for much time to write during the days or evenings. Therefore, the most logical thing for me to do is to get up early. Which means I write on weekdays from 4am – 7am.
I’m a huge fan of writing sprints where I tap at my keyboard for 40 mins and then break for 20. Stepping away from the laptop is just as vital. Breaks = Breakthroughs.
Kelly: The juggle is real. Let’s go back to when being an author was still a dream, can you tell me about the yes that got you the most excited?
Holly: Before landing an agent and a book deal, I was shortlisted for Publishable with the Queensland Writers Centre. That moment was a turning point – I never expected that my cheeky little rom-com would be chosen. It gave me hope that maybe, just maybe, this story could be published one day.
Kelly: There’s nothing like celebrating publication, but I believe it’s even more important to talk about what came before. Can you share a rejection story?
Holly: I had entered the opening chapters of a different manuscript into a U.S. competition and came 2nd – which I was thrilled about. More so that one judge – a New York publisher – had requested to read more chapters.
I polished them up, sent them off, and crossed my fingers.
Cue silence.
Cue spiral.
Cue one whole year passing.
I finally plucked up the courage to follow up with the publisher and emailed her.
She apologised and said she hadn’t even read it – it slipped through the cracks, apparently. Ouch!
Anyway, her initial interest in the story had faded, but luckily, I wasn’t sitting around waiting for her validation. In the meantime, I’d finished What Did I Miss?
Although the rejection sucked at the time, in hindsight, it all worked out for the best.
Kelly: I’m so glad you weren’t sitting around waiting. What Did I Miss? was shortlisted in three manuscript comps, and you’ve won a handful of awards for older works; what’s your top tip for writers who’ve never even been longlisted in a writing comp?
Holly: You’ve got to be in it to win it. Polish up your manuscript, put your big girl pants on and enter the competitions. Someone has to win – why can’t it be you?
Kelly: Cheers to that! As a virtual assistant for busy authors, what’s your top tip on marketing?
Holly: Marketing isn’t about acting like a sleazy car salesperson, it’s about storytelling. Luckily, that’s a skill all writers possess.
When creating content, don’t just say, ‘Buy my book’ or ‘Follow me’. Instead, tell a story. An entertaining one, preferably.
Maybe there’s a quirky origin behind the idea. Or perhaps that villainous character is loosely based on an old workplace bully, and writing them was your sweet form of payback? Eeep! I’ve said too much.
Anyway, the point is readers connect with emotion, not sales pitches. So let them into your world, make them care, and the clicks, follows, and purchases will come naturally.
Kelly: This is great advice. What are you currently reading and loving?
Holly: I’m currently in my non-fiction era. Memoirs specifically.
I’ve just finished Five Seasons in Seoul by Christine Newell. It’s about an Australian musical theatre performer who spends a year in Seoul trying to escape her problems, only to discover they’ve followed her. It’s a cultural-rich, immersive read. All the stars!
Kelly: Sounds inspiring! What can we expect from you next?
Holly: Well, that’s a cheeky question, isn’t it? And also, the answer is I don’t know. I have finished another novel – a whimsical rom-com – and will “go on sub” with it shortly. Just because you get published once doesn’t mean there’s any guarantee the door will stay open. Wish me luck!
Kelly: Good luck! Thanks so much for your time. It has been such a joy to chat with you.
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