Comments on: Using the Seasons to Fix a Blah Setting

By: A Season for Writing | The Sarcastic Muse

A Season for Writing | The Sarcastic Muse — Thu, 20 Mar 2014 13:29:36 +0000

[…] ran across a post on Writers On The Storm titled Using the Seasons to Fix a Blah Setting that really got me thinking (yep, you’ve been warned). When we consider the seasons of our […]

By: ellaquinnauthor

ellaquinnauthor — Sat, 15 Mar 2014 15:12:56 +0000

I love taking advantage of the seasons. Tweeted and reblogged.

By: Saturday Summation – 15 March 2014 | It'll All Work Out

Saturday Summation – 15 March 2014 | It'll All Work Out — Sat, 15 Mar 2014 12:00:28 +0000

[…] author Orly Konig Lopez gives a slight twist to this week’s theme on setting by talking about how to make seasons work for your writing. I enjoyed her examples of this and how this is different than using weather, per se. I think this […]

By: Dorian Graves

Dorian Graves — Thu, 13 Mar 2014 15:47:05 +0000

With the main series I'm writing, I have to progress into certain seasons for the plot. The first book starts at the opening of Autumn, right after one of the protagonist's birthday, and the next one has to have Halloween (well, Samhain, but Halloween happens too) in the plot. The third book will probably start in Winter, likely around the holidays.
In general, though, I like to write what the weather around me is. Of two short stories I've written recently, one is set during a rainstorm, likely in Autumn or Spring (since it was pouring where I was), and the one I'm currently working on is sunnier, since the clouds seem to have moved on.
With this said, I have had issues where I mean to write, but the inspiration slips away because the weather has changed. I mean, most people are happy when the sun finally shows up in Spring, but I have cursed it more than once when writing a piece set in tumultuous Autumn weather!

By: Orly Konig-Lopez

Orly Konig-Lopez — Thu, 13 Mar 2014 11:33:14 +0000

In reply to Jenny Hansen. Thanks Jenny! Try it ... you might like it. :-)

By: Orly Konig-Lopez

Orly Konig-Lopez — Thu, 13 Mar 2014 11:32:28 +0000

In reply to writersinthestorm. I love setting. Almost as much as I love my characters. But changing the season to mess with my characters? That was a surprise. :-)

By: Orly Konig-Lopez

Orly Konig-Lopez — Thu, 13 Mar 2014 11:27:24 +0000

In reply to ProfeJMarie (Janet Rundquist). Janet, setting is huge for me. I LOVE settings. But I agree with you that weather itself can easily turn cliche. Thanks for reading! :-)

By: Jenny Hansen

Jenny Hansen — Thu, 13 Mar 2014 05:44:10 +0000

This is so fun, Orly! I'll confess that I always put this kind of thing in last as I need it to fit the story. I wonder what would happen if I put it in first. This is really cool food for thought!

By: writersinthestorm

writersinthestorm — Thu, 13 Mar 2014 03:24:41 +0000

Great idea, Orly. Setting is often like a character in my books (how can it not be in SF?), but seasons and weather. Yeh, been thinking about weather for the next book. It's looking a lot like winter.
-Fae

By: ProfeJMarie (Janet Rundquist)

ProfeJMarie (Janet Rundquist) — Thu, 13 Mar 2014 01:17:31 +0000

I have never been one to really focus on setting in general, though I know it is potentially a great device in storytelling. However, I like this post because I feel like I can work with seasons (vs weather, which I think can get overused in metaphorical ways). Excellent suggestions for how to use them.