I don’t know how you feel but, for me, writing and sunshine don’t mix. This may sound strange from someone who spends the worst months of winter in Spain but I’ll explain why writing in the sun doesn’t work for me.

I am firmly of the opinion that a writer needs a room without sunshine. Give me a plain room with a comfortable temperature and I’ll give you a thousand words or so. Give me sunshine and you get very little. I have tried!

Here is the laptop sunshade. I thought what a wondrous invention!… until I tried it out. For me, it works fine until there’s a breeze and it flaps about and any paper prompts fly away. On a beautiful day of blue skies, my eyes get sidetracked by the scenery and take me out of the story. I’m too willing to leave bookworld and join sunworld.

The sun seems to bring out the need for cool refreshments and it’s not always water. A sticky ice cream or a chunk of melon mucks up the keyboard even if it doesn’t stop the writing muse. Then there’s the temptation of an early wine o’ clock!

Don’t think I’m grumbling about this delightful weather. Like most people, I grab a slice of sunshine whenever I can. I’ve learnt to write early in the day and later in the evening and to write indoors.
Basking in sunshine is perfect for dreaming up scenes, tussling with book titles, thinking about those knotty problems that crop up in a plot. It is the ideal time to read, read, read.

I think that writers should be reading a variety of genres as much as possible. It’s wonderful ‘work’ on a sunny afternoon.
My 1000 words a day are fighting to be typed after a sunny day outdoors so let’s enjoy the summer!