My journey started back in 2020, the pandemic had hit, I, like everyone else was confided to my house, only allowed out to do shopping and to walk the dog. 

I was going insane! After two weeks I had enough of Netflix, I had ordered way too much crap off Amazon and I was board. I needed mental stimulation, so I started looking for online courses. I didn’t really care what I studied I just needed something to keep me occupied. 

I started with a short counselling course and then moved on to cognitive behaviour therapy, with so much time on my hands it didn’t take me long to finish them. 

Then I came across a writing course on Fairy Tales and Myths. I was hooked right from the start. Learning the true origin behind classic Fairy Tales would have anyone intrigued. One of the writing tasks I had to do, asked for me to put a modern spin on a classic fairy tale, This threw me through a loop! 

I finally got my head round the task after much stressing, I asked a friend and my partner to read it and give me their opinion. “They both loved it!” (Their words not mine.) My confidence in my writing abilities jumped a tiny notch.

It was my friend who would later tag me in a free writing workshop run by Claire Walsh-Jones the following year. Although nervous and not very confident about my writing abilities, I joined the online event and took part in every task. 

Hearing the great feedback from the other people at the workshop that weekend, as well as from Claire herself I felt inspired to want to improve my writing skills further. Claire had offered a course at the end of weekend workshop, it seemed like I was given a sign, this was time to go back to what I truly loved and Claire was the one to help me. 

I signed up for that course that very evening “So you want to be a writer” was to be the first of the courses I would go on to do with Claire. I also joined “The Write Life Membership” she had running. Through the encouragement of Claire my confidence in my writing abilities have grown, I now regularly step out of my comfort zone and have published my first book, all thanks to the guidance of this woman I am proud to call my friend and mentor. 

If you would like to know more about Claire’s membership or her courses. Contact Claire via the link below.