5 minute read
Frontline to fiction
Swapping a life on the frontline for one behind the pages might seem daunting. TRACY BUCHANNAN highlights three authors who made this bold leap, trading their Key Worker day jobs to pursue their passion for storytelling.
From interrogation rooms to intriguing reads
Even with the demanding hours and intense responsibilities, Caroline Mitchell was deeply committed to her detective constable role at Essex Police. But her love for writing was just as strong, compelling her to craft tales on her laptop during her hour-long commutes.
In fact, writing became a form of therapy for her. “The hours were long and the job was challenging, but writing about characters who always had good outcomes in the end was therapeutic,” she reflects. “I handled some pretty dark stuff in my job, especially when I was in uniform. For example, one of the first jobs I went to when I was a probationer was a stabbing. I helped the paramedics on the scene and comforted the young man, stroking his hair as he slipped away and died. Writing was my way of dealing with incidents like that.”
Though Caroline managed to juggle her two passions for a while, when her first book was published and then her mum died suddenly, she struggled to cope. She knew she had to make a choice: writing or her police career. Facing unpredictable rest days, potential holiday cancellations, and a frozen pay rise, she ultimately decided to leave the police and dedicate herself to writing her bestselling crime and thriller books full-time.
But she will never truly leave that part of her life behind. “I miss working in the police,” she admits. “Had the hours been more family friendly, I may never have left. Policing is a thankless profession, and I will always have tremendous respect for those walking the thin blue line.”
Caroline advises anyone with a novel inside them to start writing alongside their careers, no matter how small the progress might seem. “Even if you write a hundred words a day, it’s progress,” says Caroline.
Learn more about Caroline and her books here.
From lesson plans to literary success
Turning 40 was a pivotal moment for former secondary school teacher Emma Robinson as it sparked the decision to write her first novel. “I’ve always wantedto write,” Emma says. “The year I turned 40, I decided to put up or shut up.”
She began by penning humorous novels, but her later works shifted to deeper, more poignant themes, helped along by the teenage students she once taught. “In my book Only For My Daughter,” she shares, “I wrote about the mothers of two teenage girls and a knife crime incident. Two of my former sixth formers read it and let me know I’d got their voice right!”
But balancing the demands of teaching and writing finally became too challenging. So this summer, once Emma started making more money from her books than from teaching, she knew it was finally the right time to take the leap into writing full-time. And that leap has been worth it, her most gratifying moment seeing a copy of her book in Barnes & Noble on Fifth Avenue in New York!
Emma encourages carving out non-negotiable writing time and making sacrifices. “I’ve barely watched TV in five years and always take my laptop on holiday,” she confesses.
Learn more about Emma and her books here.
From nursing homes to award-winning novels
As a deputy manager in a private nursing home, Helena Dixon’s job was gruelling. Working long shifts with little respite, she often cared for residents with end-stage dementia as well as those needing palliative care. But amid the challenges, she had a burning interest. “I loved nursing,” she states. “But I’ve always written and will always write. Nursing was a choice but writing is who I am.”
Her passion for writing led her to use two pen names: Helena Dixon for cozy crime and Nell Dixon for contemporary romance. Once her writing earnings increased and a modest pension provided a safety net, she transitioned from nursing to write full-time.
She now credits her nursing background to making her bestselling novels such award-winners. As she says: “My nursing career has seen me bring people into the world and I’ve been with them as they have left. I’ve had the privilege of supporting people through the worst and best times of their lives. This has greatly enriched my writing.”
Helena stresses the need for persistence. “I hope Key Workers can see it is possible to achieve their writing dream. Hard, but possible. If you have that fire inside you, then you should go for it.”
Learn more about Helena and her books here.
Useful Links
The Curtis Brown Creative Course is available here.
FutureLearn Writing Courses are available here.
