A month-by-month guide by Brian Malloy, author of The Year of Ice, published June 2002.

June	Giddy excitement, love for the world and all its peoples.
July	Giddy excitement, head swelling from reviews and interviews, me, me, me.
August	Drowning in self-pity, humiliated at sparse readings and by New York Times review.
September	Angry loner, hate people so much, revenge soon.
October	Detox.
November	Relapse.
December	Detox.
January	Book clubs, giddy excitement, love for all people.
February	Occurs to me for the first time since June to ask other people how their lives are going.
March	Sick of book and all things to do with book.
April	Love book, beg its forgiveness.
May	Nostalgia for June.

Reproduced with permission of the author.