When I was 10 years old I told myself that one day I would write a book! This belief of mine was something I would return to when things at home felt challenging. Years later I told myself that despite my love of creative writing I was simply not capable of writing any kind of book. Eventually in 2002 I joined a local Adult Education class for creative writing and absolutely loved it. In 2006 I was fortunate to be part of an Arts Council funded project at Northampton Museum & Art Gallery for just 15 writers. Our group had full access to museum stores and we each chose an item to write about. Ultimately there was a big exhibition and we all recorded our work for museum visitors. I was in my element and realised I had found my people! My writing has always included poetry and I have dabbled in fiction. However, in the last few years I have realised my true home is memoir. In 2019 I began to write short pieces inspired by the deep sense of connection and wonder I experience when immersed in nature. I shared these with my coach who asked if I had begun to write my book yet! For a while I resisted her suggestion but after a few months it landed on me - yes, this would become my book. As work with my coach nudged into my difficult childhood I was soon writing about the challenges I had experienced when growing up. Healing long repressed memories began to change my present day experience of life. The natural next step was for me to also write about these challenges and how I have been able to work through them. My boldest step was to write about my experience of vaginismus, a condition that for most of my life caused me to feel shame and isolation. As I tentatively found my voice to speak about my condition and its likely causes I found that other women with vaginismus would quietly share that they too were living with it. I am not as isolated as I first imagined. Stepping out of Silence is a transformational memoir and my hope is that it helps other women to step out of their own silences.