Suddenly Swaledale has a wintry feel and the dark evenings are perfect for writing without distractions. For me there is an annual cycle of plotting, writing, and editing because I try to finish a novel for publication in the middle of the year. It starts at the end of the summer holidays when my visiting family return home – then I begin to plan the themes that form the skeleton of my new novel. It takes several months of research – as well as hours of just thinking! Once the story ‘has legs’ I begin to write, adding flesh to the bones as I go along. Naturally work stops for Christmas, so serious word counting only begins again in January. I like to write every day, even if only a few hundred words reach the page. My desk is on the first floor, overlooking the fields that surround the house. Once Spring is in the air and the lambs begin to arrive I am easily distracted by their antics. Fortunately, my book is usually progressing well by that stage but there is still editing to be done before the looming publication deadline. But now it is time to plan for the holiday and wish everyone a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year