This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Should I be cringing when I write my answer to this? After all, I’ve had my debut women’s fiction book published and am currently collating ideas for the sequel. Surely, I should be announcing proudly how successful of authors such as Jojo Moyes, Helen Fielding, Sophie Kinsella, inspired me to stop procrastinating and start doing. I’m sorry, dear reader, but it was actually JK Rowling’s Harry Potter books.
I was travelling back from Florida with my husband at the time and he’d got a book to read; god forbid he should sit and talk to me and keep me company. So, on a visit to Walmart, I decided to purchase The Philosophers Stone. The look, and snigger, I had from my husband slightly embarrassed me, but my retort soon put pay to that. ‘I’ll probably get more entertainment with this book then I’ve ever had with you’.
In hindsight, being married had turned me into someone who had lost her way. I became very serious and grown up. I was married and being married meant owning a house, paying bills and washing the car on a Sunday.
Entering JK Rowling’s world enabled me to be free from the boring world I was in. I’ve always loved magical stories and the whole Harry Potter series gave me permission to let go and be a child again and to relax and enjoy life. In fact, Voldemort, Hagrid and Ron were compared to characters in my book. The resemblance was just uncanny.
Being Sarah Chilton by Ruth Briddon is out now.