Laura Rich is a great example to her students of what a little hard work and determination can achieve.

The IT and media lecturer has fulfilled her ambition of writing a fictional novel.

And with the book now in print she’s keen to spread the word.

Self-published, she said: “I am hoping to build an audience to reach more people and hopefully for them to read it, like it and enjoy the story.”

For her, it feels like even more of an achievement, as having dyslexia, she said it takes her that much longer to write at length.

Starting to write when she was a student at the college herself, she said: “It has taken me a long time. I stopped working on it for a while but then went back to it.”

For her, she said, it is challenging but despite everything she enjoys writing and so remained determined to see it through.

She said: “I was at university when I was diagnosed with dyslexia.  When I found out I was so emotional, I had always thought I wasn’t very clever. It actually felt like a weight off my shoulders.”

Finding different ways to work has helped her to overcome any struggles.

Returning to Redcar and Cleveland College as an adult to study to become a teacher, a work placement at the college got her to where she is today.

Now she can use her own experiences to better reach out to students in their studies and show them just what is possible.

She describes her novel, Cantria: New Realm, as a magical fantasy based around a brother and sister who find their way to a medieval kingdom.

While she admits there are a few grammatical errors in there, for her, to see it available on sites such as Amazon and in print, feels like something to be proud of.

Working on a re-edit, to give it a final polish, Laura has already started work on the second book in the trilogy.

Brimming with new and exciting ideas, she said: “I have always enjoyed making up short stories and so this was a chance to share one of them.”

Laura’s book, Cantria: New Realm, is available to buy and download on most of the usual digital book selling platforms. You can also follow her on Facebook and Instagram by searching for Laura Rich Author.