Ten things to know about me, Dawn Dixon author of What the PA knew (WTPAK) and Lawyer

My name is Dawn. I was born at dawn but I do not function at that time of the day. My writing took place mid-morning or in the evening when relaxed and more inspired . Find your best part of the day and stick to it.

If time allows, get a pet. I am a dog person. Dogs require a lot more attention than other pets as they are not as independent. My pet Labrador wakes me up and forces me to take her for walks which in turn frees my mind and allows me to be a creative thinker whilst on those walks. I would walk with a Dictaphone in case I had an inspired thought whilst out walking and dictate it so I did not forget.

My star sign is Cancerian and, adopting the six needs in Chapter 9 of my book, my dominant need is contribution. This centres on the nurture of others. WTPAK was written with this in mind and is in the form of a novel to make it easier to read and advise I hope. Find a comfortable medium to express your thoughts.

I am unable to type. WTPAK was dictated by me to my PA, who typed it up. It is therefore written the way I speak and not the way I write as a lawyer. I have had comments that this makes the book easier to read and follow and not so much of a lecture - so be natural. It is not by chance that my PA typed up my book about … a PA.

As I get older I require motivation and went on a writing course first, to see how I could be helped in achieving my goal of writing a book. I initially thought I would write a self-help book or a text book for the legal profession only. On jotting down my ideas, it became clear that what I had to say, transcended law and covered any industry. Attending a course meant I had to prepare road maps, drafts, prepare a certain number of chapters per week just to keep up with the group. If you feel you need help in any thing, then seek it out and don't be afraid to ask. Without assistance I may have written the book over time but never published it.

The way my business closed (partner fraud) was a shock but you can turn what is a negative situation into a positive. I hope to inspire anyone who comes out of an illness, breakdown of a relationship, whether personal or professional. There can, if you look hard enough, be a silver lining somewhere. The book was written whilst in the fog of anxiety and possibly depression and intended to be cathartic but it was published when all of that became history. You can wallow in self-pity for a while but, the key is not to stay there too long.

When things happen don't get mad or as Ivana Trump said "get even" I think you should take a breath, make a list of what you need to do and get on with it. You can be practical without being over emotional and no-one can make a decision on their life when they are about to blow their top!

Don't listen to the failure voice in your head, you need to have signs in your home that you can see every day, on your mirror, on your phone and to borrower the phrase from Barack Obama "yes you can". I believed I could write a novel as my brain told me so as I saw it all the time.

As a lawyer, we write all the time for clients. Legal writing is different to writing a novel. To ensure I hit the right audience I asked a group of friends to read the book and to give me constructive criticism. I took on board the criticism and amended the novel. Don't think you are above criticism.

Humour is key to all. A day spent not laughing is a wasted day.