Seasonal Writing

Bella Osborne

By Bella Osborne.

So here we are heading for March and it’s still cold and soggy and generally miserable outside. Am I utilising the impact this is having on my mood in my writing? Am I drawing on my surroundings to make my scenes in my novel more believable? Err, no, actually I’m writing about summer in Antigua!

You see I may well be an uber forward planner (actually I am, there are few to rival me) but what I hadn’t thought through when I plotted about book number two was what time of year I would be writing which scenes. The novel is set in the summer and I have written pretty much all of it during the winter. I guess the real question is – Does that matter?

I know that with book number one I felt the snow scene worked well because I had written it as the snow was tumbling down outside. I had written it as a ‘candy’ scene (I understand this is the correct term for a scene written out-of-order because you are compelled to write it). I think my scene in the rain was perfectly acceptable too, let’s face it living in the UK I have regular material and plenty of it to work with on that subject.

So I have merrily continued writing book number two with the rain lashing against my window, interspersed with trips out huddled in five scarves and an unattractive hat. Do you suit hats? I don’t, they hate me. I love hats, but as soon as I put one near my head any female allure drains from me and I look and feel as attractive as a bulldog in a bonnet. Anyway I digress.

I have been to Antigua, which helps, and I can remember sunshine, to be fair last year we did actually have a summer in the UK, our first since 1976 I believe. So I have been able to get myself in the right frame of mind by simply spending five minutes beforehand thinking about being warm, picturing the sun and all things summery – my little fan heater was a total boon with this. At one point I had to wear a t-shirt!

So in summary, I think you can write about anything, anywhere, anytime – George Michael wrote Last Christmas in the middle of the summer. However, I think if you can write in the moment it does add a little something to your writing, perhaps that touch of extra realism. If you are a better planner than me (huh) and you have managed to write your novel in the right season, I take my hat off to you (well I would if I didn’t look ridiculous in one).

Bella has just finished her first novel, Acting on Impulse, which earned her a runner-up place for the New Talent Award at the 2013 Festival of Romance. Every fortnight, Bella will be sharing her experiences and advice as a new author. She also has her own blog which you can visit by clicking here.

by

Bella Osborne

Bella’s first novel, It Started at Sunset Cottage was released by Harper Impulse. She was a runner-up for the New Talent Award at the 2013 Festival of Romance and a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association.