Harriet George is the author of Going Home. In addition to writing, they enjoy spending time on their other passions and interests. You can sign up to get updates about their writing here.

Why did I write a book? 

Writing a book has been a whole new life experience for me. I haven’t written so much as a report or a letter in fifteen years. Neither have I used Microsoft word or a similar programme in that time.  At first I felt I had lost the use of my fingers and the ability to think. 

Reading is a luxury which  I had and then lost. Life just got in the way. Writing was a dream buried under a job, a pile of dirty crockery and a mountain of washing… 

I always loved crime fiction and for some reason about two years ago I decided I would like to write my own crime story. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time but couldn’t  pluck up the courage to give it ago.

Eventually I made up my mind to just do it…..After all what was it going to cost me? The little precious free time I had, my dignity, my sanity, my self respect. Embarrassment might leave me having to walk around with a paper bag over my head for the rest of my life?

Fear that the book might in part reflect me, my thoughts, my personality, my feelings. And being judged by people who don’t know me.

The truth is I have absolutely loved the time spent writing my novel. The theme might be too simple, the writing style might not be  chic or current.   But none of that really matters in the big scheme of things. Be it good bad or ugly I have done it!!!

The protagonist is not me, perhaps she is someone I might quite like to be, I really don’t know. But then we all have our own hero’s and heroines, she just happens to be my own personal heroine.

The events in the book are not real, sometimes life feels unreal.

 Believe me putting  your ideas up for the world to see is scary…An average and very ordinary person from a working class background, without the benefit of  higher education or formal writing training attempting to write a novel is, to most people’s minds probably foolish.

The fear of failure is real, the fear of ridicule is real. Was it  Forest Gump who said: Embrace new experiences, don't be afraid to fail, and take life as it comes with an open mind and optimism.

I decided to embrace a new
experience with an open mind and optimism.