From a Writing Challenge to a Published Novel — It’s Live on Amazon

In November 2025, something small happened that quietly changed everything.

I joined a writing challenge hosted by ProWritingAid.

Six years ago, when I first joined WA, my English wasn’t that good yet (proof is still here if you scroll back to my earliest blog posts, hehe.)

I relied heavily on ProWritingAid back then, the tool that helped me find my footing as a Dutch native speaker and gave me the confidence to write.

That challenge planted the first seed of what would eventually become a dystopian story.

Ten months later, that seed grew into a 210‑page dystopian novel.

AI wasn’t part of the plan at the beginning. But along the way, it became one of the most helpful creative partners I’ve ever worked with (brainstorming arcs, expanding worlds, refining characters, checking continuity, and helping me see angles I would’ve missed).

Somewhere between chapter 12 and chapter 20, I realized something important: I wasn’t “trying to write a book” anymore. I was writing a book.

And today… it’s published: The Valley – Book 1: The Dissident is live on Amazon.

Writing the Book: AI as My Creative Partner

When I started writing, I didn’t use AI to “generate a story.” I used AI as a creative partner; someone to brainstorm with, someone to challenge me, someone to help me see angles I hadn’t noticed.

AI also helped me catch small inconsistencies: the kind you only notice after months of writing.

Like SparQ’s bracelet.

In chapter 3, he wore a golden bracelet.
Twenty chapters later, I accidentally described it as silver.

I didn’t see it.

But AI did.

These tiny corrections helped keep the world coherent, and they made the story stronger.

WA Tools Also Played a Role

WA wasn’t just the place where my writing journey began; it also helped me finish the book.

I used Image Studio to create the first version of my book cover.

Then I refined it in Canva, adjusting the layout to match Amazon’s exact cover dimensions.

Part 2 is coming soon, where I’ll dive into formatting, layout, metadata, blurb creation, and everything needed to make a manuscript publish‑ready.