Tell Me Your ways... with Holly Brunnbauer
Putting the com in rom com!
Holly Brunnbauer is an award-winning emerging fictional author whose signature style includes a strong commercial voice, and quirky cast. Holly is represented by Sarah McKenzie Literary Management. Her debut novel will be released by HarperCollins Australia in August 2025. Holly first caught the writing bug via blogging and later transitioned into copywriting. She also works as a virtual assistant for busy authors.
Are you a plotter or a pantser? Why do you find this the best way for you to write?
I’m a recovering perfectionist (aka – a Virgo) which means I’m inherently a plotter. Whilst the opening scene usually comes to me like a psychic flash, I need to know where my story is heading before I invest a year (or more) of my life working on it.
Having a solid structure means I spend less time retrofitting later on, which I hate because it feels like I’m trying to squeeze an elephant into a leotard. I’d rather solve plot holes in a spreadsheet than a manuscript.
I also enjoy plotting because then I don’t waste time staring at a blank screen asking ‘what’s next?’ I get in there, do my thing and then reward myself with chocolate. That’s what I like to call balance.
What does your drafting process look like? Do you write scenes in order?
Before I even tackle the first draft, I plan & plot for a month. Most of that time is spent getting to know my characters. Like, I want to EVERYTHING: their love language, how much money is in their bank account, their signature perfume etc. I even create a moodboard of their wardrobe and favourite things. Visuals help. More importantly, I need to know who the character is at the start and who they are at the end. What do they learn that helps them become a (hopefully) better version of themself.
When it comes to the first draft, I write fast and dirty. For my debut novel (out next year with HarperCollins—yay!) it took me three months to write and the next manuscript took two. I write in chronological order and I don’t stop to edit a single thing. Red squiggly lines are everywhere. The perfectionist gremlin who squats inside my brain hates me.
Even though I plot my story, before I write a scene, I’ll spend 30 minutes planning it in greater detail. Kind of a this happens, then this happens brain dump. Then I set a timer for 40 minutes to write. I do not let my fingers stop—not even for a second—until my alarm goes off. I repeat my 40 min sprints until I’ve achieved my word count goal for the day.
Please walk us through a little of what your revision process looks like?
I take a month off after each draft to get some distance. Breaks = breakthroughs.
Then I’ll do an entire read through and make notes in a separate document of all the things I want to change. I also sift through beta reader feedback. Yes, I let people read my scrappy first draft. Whilst the feeling of it is equivalent to your dress blowing up on live television, the benefits of catching unforeseen issues early on far outweighs the embarrassment.
Once I have combed through the entire manuscript, I’ll tackle the edits from start to finish, and repeat the process for a third (and usually final) draft. My second and third drafts are squeaky clean.
How do you know when your story is done?
When I get the urge to throw my laptop out the window.
How many beta readers do you typically have for a project? Does anyone read all the versions?
I usually have two beta readers per draft. During my first draft, they receive my chapter straight after I finish it. What did I tell ya? I love real time feedback.
None of my beta readers reread the manuscript, but I might send some a new scene if their feedback influenced the creation of it. Just to check if it’s resolved the issue.
How did you get your agent?
I wrote my dream agent’s name in my journal every day for a year and manifested a yes—true story!
I also met her at the CYA conference which hosts 15-minute feedback sessions with agents and publishers. It’s not a pitching event but deals have been known to happen. Unlike a pitch, at this particular event, agents/publishers receive your first chapter, synopsis and author bio before you meet. In a way, that’s better than pitching because you don’t have to “sell” them your book. Your writing does all the talking.
At the end of our session (I’m talking the last 30 seconds), she invited me to send her the full manuscript. Eureka! I only had a first draft at that stage so I held off for six months to make it the best goddamn manuscript it could be. During that time, it got shortlisted for a national award. A month after I sent it to the agent, I got a YES and bawled my eyes out.
What did your path to publication look like?
Long story short, I signed with my agent, she sent it out to the big (scary) five and three weeks later we got an email from HarperCollins saying they were interested. I still haven’t recovered.
Twenty minutes after I was officially offered a book deal, my manuscript was shortlisted for another award and then the next day another. As they say, good things come in threes.
What are you currently working on now?
Another rom-com full of heart, humour and hijinks.
Here’s the tag line: Will Goldie’s ocean-sized secret sink the whole ship?
It’s not under contract, so I’ll have to go through the whole submission process again. How fun.
Do you have a favorite book on the craft of writing?
Hmm … just one?
On a practical level, the one I refer to the most is 1000 Character Reactions From Head to Toe by Valarie Howard.
But I can’t go past Stephen King’s On Writing: A memoir of the craft. C’mon, the man could turn cereal box text into a bestseller.
Anything else you’d like to share? Where can we find you?
Want to know more about the ups and downs of being published for the first time? Check out the Debut Author Series on my blog. That’s where I share all my spiraling thoughts. Enjoy my trauma.
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What a fun interview. Off to follow Holly's blog!
This was fun! Thanks for chatting with me.