A novel's whole pattern is rarely apparent at the outset of writing, or even at the end; that is when the writer finds out what a novel is about, and the job becomes one of understanding and deepening or sharpening what is already written. That is finding the theme.
“The hardest part of it was really being away from my family - I have two small children. Last year I took over 20 business trips, so being away from them was hard.”