When Holly Brunnbauer decided to write a novel, she had no idea where to start. But she knew she needed a clear, structured path to get to a finished, publishable book.
That’s what she found at the Australian Writers’ Centre. Starting with Creative Writing Stage 1, then moving through Novel Writing Essentials and finally Write Your Novel, Holly followed the full Australian Writers' Centre pathway – learning and shaping her manuscript step by step.
It wasn’t always smooth sailing. There were hard truths, big breakthroughs, and plenty of perseverance. But it all paid off when her debut romantic comedy What Did I Miss? was published by HarperCollins.
Holly's first step
Holly’s initial decision to write a book actually took her by surprise. “Out of the blue, I randomly woke up one New Year’s Day and decided I was going to write a book,” she recalls. “Did I have aspirations to be an author? No. Had I written anything longer than a shopping list? Well, sort of. I was professionally blogging at the time, but weirdly didn't view that as ‘writing’. It was more vomiting my life onto the page.”
But Holly’s initial confidence about writing a book was quickly humbled by the actual craft of storytelling.
“I was determined to write a book by the end of the year. I mean, how hard could that be? Famous last words …” she explains. “Characters need goals? Motivations? Since when? Also, what the heck goes in the middle of a story? Structure and character development were completely missing from my lexicon. But I ploughed ahead, believing I’d work it all out on my own, eventually.”
However, the reality proved more challenging than expected. “I started and stopped four stories, because as it turns out, writing a book ain’t that easy,” she admits.
Finding the right path
Enter the Australian Writers’ Centre, where Holly soon discovered the comprehensive training she needed.
“I googled writing courses, and the Australian Writers’ Centre popped up. Lo and behold, they had online options – perfect for this little introvert,” she says. “I enrolled in Creative Writing Stage 1 to learn some of the basics. I was blown away by how little I knew and was keen to learn more. Which I did. A lot.”
AWC’s full novel writing pathway – a suite of courses that also included a 10-week workshopping course Novel Writing Essentials and the longer manuscript program Write Your Novel – proved transformative.
In particular, Holly found the structured approach of the courses invaluable for building her skills progressively.
“Each course met me where I was skill-wise,” she says. “I liked how the information was scaffolded – I never felt overwhelmed. The most beneficial aspect was submitting and receiving feedback. Although it was initially terrifying, it got easier. Getting feedback continues to be a vital part of my writing process. Now, I’ll happily handover a messy first draft to my writing pals without curling into the fetal position.”
One particular breakthrough changed everything for her storytelling. “Learning story structure was also a game changer. I finally discovered what goes in the middle!”
Another unexpected bonus was discovering a writing community.
“I met a group of writers which I’m still in contact with four years later,” Holly says. “Every week, we take turns sending a ‘Monday Motivation’ email to kick off a conversation about our writing goals and achievements. Our genres may be different, but our values are all the same – we love to support one another. Every writer needs a hype group and I'm so grateful the AWC helped me find mine.”
Crafting her debut
Holly’s romantic comedy What Did I Miss? tells the story of Makayla, who is “newly divorced, almost thirty and ready to tick off her list of all the things she missed out in her twenties – starting with a one-night stand.”
The path to publication wasn’t originally part of Holly’s plan. “Unlike many people, being an author wasn't a lifelong dream of mine,” she says. “Therefore, being published wasn’t on my radar either. My goal was simply to start and finish a novel. Y’know, to prove to myself that I could. But then I caught the writing bug – watch out, it’s highly infectious.”
And once bitten, she wasn’t shy in taking a methodical and determined approach. “When I began writing What Did I Miss?, I wrote it with the intention, hope, and desperation that it would be my debut novel. And whaddaya know? It is.”
The moment she received her publishing news was overwhelming in the best way. “My agent called me to share the great news. After ‘congratulations’ rolled out of her mouth, my mind went completely blank. I was genuinely shocked.”
The timing was extraordinary, with Holly’s manuscript also shortlisted for two national awards – the Hawkeye Publishing Manuscript Development Prize and Adaptable with the Queensland Writers Centre – within 24 hours of getting her book deal.
“Yeah, I was feeling good and overwhelmed about it,” she says. “I ended up needing a three-hour nap to process it all.”
Holly’s simple advice
With one published book under her belt, Holly has found a writing routine that works well for her as a busy parent with a day job. “I write five days per week, 4 – 7 AM,” she reveals. “This time suits me perfectly. I’m not distracted by emails (only psychopaths send emails that early) and my darling (noisy/demanding/exhausting) children are tucked away in bed.”
Holly also enthusiastically recommends AWC’s novel writing pathway to anyone serious about writing.
“One day you might walk into a bookstore and see your novel on a shelf. Cool, hey? But in order to get there, you need to learn how to write,” she shares. “It’s not as easy as it seems. Believe me. If you're staring at your laptop and the words won’t come, or worse, they do, but they don’t look quite right, I suggest enrolling into a course at the Australian Writers’ Centre. I did and now I’m publishing my debut novel with HarperCollins!”
Her final advice is direct and encouraging. “If this is something you truly want, then it’s time to invest in your dream. My goal was to write a book. Without completing the courses, I would never have gotten there.”
You can follow Holly’s writing journey at hollybrunnbauer.com.au and on Instagram @hollybrunnbauer. She currently lives in a small, leafy town in regional Victoria, where the pace is slow and the local Facebook groups are mostly dedicated to tracking down runaway cows.
Courses taken at AWC:
