I have been super lucky with my friends and family who are all very supportive of me being a writer — proud of it in fact! My step mum was my number one supporter right from the start. 11 years ago when I published my very first article said to me, “This is the start of your career.” It was exactly the kind of support I needed. I’d never thought of writing as a career — I wanted to do it but never believed I could. Her simple statement helped carry me through all the tough times and encouraged me to persevere until writing did become my career — one I’ve enjoyed for over a decade now! Those supportive people are absolute gems.