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I don’t know if anybody else has found this, but over the past few years I’ve realised that my novel writing has taken on a distinct annual pattern. As soon as the clocks go back at the end of October, our caravan park closes soon afterwards for the winter and the nights become longer. I then get the urge to start writing a new book. I will have my SAD lamp on my desk beside me in case the days are particularly overcast.

During the latter part of October, also November, December, January and February I will beaver away at my book in-between walking or cycling outside for brief periods during the day. During March and April I will edit and polish the manuscript and ask for ARC readers. By May it is ready to be sent off to a handful of agents and entered into summer competitions. I will not send it to more than 5 agents, and if they have not replied by the end of September or have said no (as they have done so far), then fair enough.

In June, July, August, September and most of October we are back and forth to our caravan, and the weather is usually too good for sitting inside and writing stories. It’s very rare that I will write anything other than blogs during this time. Usually the results of competitions are back by the end of September/early October, and if my short story or novel has not won a prize or been snapped up by an agent then I will put it on for pre-order and then publish it on Kindle Direct Publishing, Draft2Digital, Ingram Spark, and also ACX. As each year goes past, each new book gains more pre-orders than the previous one.

My writing year has followed this pattern for a number of years now. Perhaps if we didn’t have the caravan I would write all year round, but at the moment I only feel like writing during the winter. Summertime is for being outside!

I’ve nearly finished a new novel, which is a diary, and it will soon be ready for editing and ARC readers (if anybody is interested?).

Does anybody else find that their writing follows an annual pattern?

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