"Writing our books was a dream come true – here’s how we did it"

In May, top-rated online writing school The Novelry launched a groundbreaking competition, The Next Big Story, to award £75,000 to an aspiring author. The prize aims to discover the next generation of bestselling authors by providing the resources and platform to launch a life-changing career – something that many women may dream of, but don't feel able to break into while juggling careers, caring responsibilities, and everyday life.

As Louise Dean, Founder of The Novelry and Booker Prize-listed author, says: “When it comes to writing fiction, the barriers to engagement seem so high. So many self-exclude and find it hard to get the nerve to even try their hand. We want to change that with an extraordinary prize that rewards the mischief of that moment and the impulse of creativity, when a first sentence goes down on a page and anything can happen next!”

We spoke to three published authors who wrote their books with no financial safety net – just passion, determination and very little spare time.

Finding the best time to write

For many writers, finding quiet moments to work is a daily puzzle. Ella Dove, 34, is Woman&Home magazine’s Features Editor, and wrote her children’s novel How to Roller-skate with One Leg in 2024, drawing on her own experiences as an amputee. For her, writing meant setting her alarm early. “I’d creep downstairs to make coffee, then come back to bed and spend the first hour of the day writing while my husband George and our dog Daphne snoozed beside me,” she says.

Hannah Doyle, 41, is the bestselling author of five novels, from 2017’s The Year of Saying Yes to The Spa Break, which was released on 22 May 2025. She found that mornings also suited her best – although with newborn twins, that was easier said than done. “I wrote Just My Type in snatched moments while the boys napped. Sometimes I’d be mid-scene when they woke – or they wouldn’t nap at all. It was a mission to keep the creative flow going,” she says.

Dr Gemma Newman, 43, wrote The Plant Power Doctor: a simple prescription for a healthier you while working as a GP and raising two children with her husband Richard. She chose different windows of time depending on the task. “I was most productive during the day, so I’d write the parts that flowed easily then. In the evenings, once the kids were in bed, I’d fact-check studies and add references.”

How we stayed motivated

Whether writing fiction or non-fiction, motivation is essential. Gemma credits her book deal with keeping her on track. “Life as a working mum is draining. If I didn’t have the contract in place, I probably would’ve chosen Netflix most evenings.”

Ella shares a clever trick that kept her excited to return to her manuscript each day: “I never stopped writing at the end of a chapter. I’d always write the first paragraph of the next one so I’d be straight into the flow when I came back.”

Deadlines helped Hannah stay focused. “They give me a sense of structure – otherwise it’s easy to procrastinate. It takes me around a year to write and polish a manuscript, and I’ve learned not to panic when the words don’t come easily every day.”

What did writing look like in real life?

Ella wrote How to Roller-skate with One Leg – a children’s novel inspired by her own experience as an amputee – propped up in bed, coffee in hand. “My bed was the comfiest spot. Sometimes it was hard to stop when I knew I had to get to work. Dragging myself away from my imagination and into the real world wasn’t easy.”

For Hannah, The Year of Saying Yes was written while heavily pregnant. “I was dropping oatcake crumbs on my massive bump while typing! The babies and the book arrived within months of each other. I breastfed two hungry boys while launching my career as an author – it was chaos!”

Gemma squeezed in writing between GP shifts and the school run. “I treated those writing sessions as restorative time for me – moments of calm within the demands of a chaotic household and a busy job.”

Can writing pay the bills?

Not always. “I took a financial hit opting to write novels instead of working in journalism,” admits Hannah. “Some months royalties are great, others are quiet. But I feel so lucky to write, do the school run and be present for my kids – and to have my husband Olly’s support. I couldn’t do this without him.”

Ella agrees. “I was honoured to be approached by a publisher, but it’s rare that an author gets a big enough advance to give up the day job. I wrote for love, not financial success.”

Advice for aspiring authors

“Make a plan and chapter structure – it helps your brain focus,” says Gemma. “I even saved unused content from my first book for my second, which made the process smoother.”

Ella’s advice? Don’t be afraid to write what matters to you. “There’s not enough disability representation in literature. I made my 13-year-old protagonist, Maya, an amputee like me. She has a fiery streak, a stubbornness, and she’s determined to prove people wrong. That’s why she learns to roller-skate!”

Hannah says the key is persistence. “Pitching my own ideas was nerve-wracking, but worth it. Now I’m writing my sixth romcom, and I’m bursting with ideas. I just love telling these stories.”

Writing a book might not always come with a six-figure prize, but for these authors, it’s the love of storytelling – and the determination to keep going – that made their dreams come true.