Autumn (or fall) is one of my favourite things ever, and I love the season as well as the aesthetic. I’ve been giving you story setting tips for different seasons and now it’s time to talk about how to write about autumn.
Related reading: Writing about summer – Quick tips for describing places – Turn your vibes into a plot
You can get writing tips from this post whether you’re writing a story that takes place only in autumn or even if it’s just one of the seasons in your story. In either case, you’ll get inspiration for how to really show the season in your story, some ideas for conflicts and plot and tips for describing your autumnal setting.
When does autumn begin?
If you’ve always lived in one place and you don’t have foreign friends, you might not have thought this is an issue at all. But the truth is, people around the world have different conceptions about when one season starts and another begins.
If your story takes place somewhere you’re not from, you might want to find out when autumn begins for them. The beginning of schools often marks the beginning of the season, but it could also be the change in weather that does it. For me, autumn begins at the end of August while some people don’t consider it to begin until some time in October.
It’s up to you if this matters to you and to your story. If you’re writing about a different country, you might want to keep it in mind for accuracy’s sake.
What kind of a fall story should you write?
Any kind of novel could take place in autumn but I think there are two very distinct types of stories that tend to take place in the season: Cozy autumn stories and gritty autumn stories.
Cozy autumn stories aren’t necessarily fluffy because they could be sad and introspective as well, but they’ve just got more of the autumn aesthetic and you get to experience all the best parts of the season. Some people gravitate towards sadder stories but they still might not want to cut back on the vibes, so keep this in mind regarding the tone of your story.
The grittier autumn stories tend to be crime novels where a hardened detective has to find a murderer in the rain that somehow has lasted for the past four weeks. Many horror novels also take place in the autumn – the leafless trees make a great backdrop for awful things.
Of course, these aren’t the only types of stories that can take place in autumn, just two very notable types with distinct aesthetics.
Because a new beginning is a great way to start a book, there are loads of books geared towards yonger audiences that start with the beginning of a new school year. If you’re writing a story about school, consider starting it in August/September!
How to describe autumn in your writing
While autumn might be different around the world, many associate it with beautiful foliage and crisp weather. The weather will likely get cooler, though at first it might be sweater weather in the morning and then too warm again in the afternoon, and it will indeed feel crisp if it’s cool and dry at the same time.
Then there are the rains, which will usually feel much colder than summer rains and can leave you shivering to your core. Autumn can also come with stronger winds, but we’ll talk more about weather later. It’s usually darker, and people have different ways of combating this darkness, or perhaps they just succumb to it.
When it’s getting even colder as it gets closer to winter, isn’t it nice to bundle up inside more layers of clothing? When writing a really cozy autumn scene for your story, remember to include things like what the nice cup of tea smelled like, what the fireplace sounded like and how nice it was to get inside from the cold weather. On the flipside, perhaps condensation gathers on the window panes and wind whistles in the poorly constructed attic.
And remember that rain is more than just water coming from the sky. What does it feel like when your clothes are soaked? How do the empty streets look like when the neon lights reflect from the filthy puddles? Don’t forget any of thee important details.
Writing about nature in autumn
Although the days will be shorter, I always feel like there’s a special golden light in autumn days, especially when the leaves are orange and yellow and the sun shines from behind the branches. If you can imagine it, can you write it? What about the crunch of the dry leaves under your shoes, which later on turns into the slush of slimy, grey leaves in the November rains? Don’t forget those when writing seasons in your story setting.
Some places can get awfully dry in autumn while others are unpleasantly moist and foggy, and some places will get rainy and cloudy and remain that way almost all the way to spring. Again, this is something for you to know as a writer and you don’t need to disclose all of it to your readers and definitely not all at once. Many places get an overabundance of apples in autumn, but your story’s location might have another fruits or something else harvested by the buckets.
Towards the end of autumn, nature keeps changing and trees drop their leaves. It can suddenly look a lot more grey and depressing (though personally I *love* November) so remember to show your character’s attitude towards their surroundings. It’ll help you show the story setting as well as reveal character.
More sensory details for autumn
When your writing includes what things look, sound, smell, feel and taste like, you’re truly showing and not telling. Let your readers feel what it’s like to live in your story world. Here are some more ideas for sensory details for your fall story:
- wind howling in the windows
- the sound of raking leaves
- the taste and crunch of apples straight from the tree
- having too many apples rotting on the ground
- your socks getting wet inside your shoes when you’re caught in the rain
- the feel of a warm sweater (and sweating under too many layers)
- holding a cup of hot tea in your hands to warm them up
- hearing the birds fly above you on their way to the south
Writing about weather in autumn
I recently watched an episode of Call the Midwife where an autumnal storm brings complications via broken phone lines and strong winds, and then a surprise behind a collapsed wall. None of those things could have happened if the weather had been just lovely.
Although you don’t want to write a weather report for every day of your story, weather can do many things for you. As we already discussed, it can bring new conflict to your story, but it can also bring symbolism. You probably don’t want to be too heavy-handed with the dark and stormy nights, but walking in the rain after getting devastating news, for example, can still bring a nice touch, especially if it’s mirrorred somewhere else in the story.
If your story takes place somewhere that you’re not that familiar with, do some research to make sure you’ve got a general idea of what the weather is like in autumn. You don’t want to have your characters wear shorts in October if that would be extremely unusual for that location, unless your story takes place in the future and climate change has already messed everything up completely.
If you’re writing historical fiction, finding out what the weather was like in that time can give you some inspiration for your story, and if there’s been something unusual like a big heatwave or a snowstorm, you can use that in your story. Just don’t overthink it – I can pretty much guarantee no one is going to care to fact check the weather in your story and see if the temperatures were correct for that year!
When you’re writing about the weather in any season, don’t forget to mention what it actually feels like. I know we already talked about sensory details but I just want to remind you. Don’t just say it was rainy, let your readers hear the rain falling on the roof and feel your protagonist shiver under their wet clothes.
How to get in the mood for writing about autumn
I’ve personally got a few songs that always remind me of autumn, like Martha’s Foolish Ginger by Tori Amos, even if they don’t strictly speaking have anything to do with autumn. You might have a few songs like that if you give it a thought, or perhaps ones that remind you of starting the fall semester, that could bring you to the correct mood. Anything that feels dark and stormy might also do the trick, and as always, there are plenty of suitable playlists on Spotify and Youtube.
Because the Harry Potter movies and books always start in autumn when Harry goes back to school, they do have a very autumnal feel in the beginning and they are great for winter as well. (Just try not to give J.K. Rowling any more money, thanks. Pirate the movies and borrow the books from your friends.) Same thing with several episodes of Gilmore Girls.
If you want to write something dark, maybe watch a Nordic crime drama instead. Take a cold shower in the dark and imagine what it’s like to live in Sweden in November.
Pumpkin spice is not really a thing where I’m from as that kind of flavours are more Christmasy than anything else, but if pumpkin spice or apples and cinnamon remind you of cool October days, then try making yourself something similar or just sniffing the spice jars to bring you to the mood.
When you look for “fall aesthetic” on Pinterest, you’re going to get hit with so many amazing pictures that it’ll be nearly impossible not to feel like autumn. I’m writing this in July and I’ve already got a craving for September just making the graphics for this post.
What your characters can do in autumn
Halloween is not (yet…) celebrated globally, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have other seasonal celebrations in autumn. Do some research on what people celebrate in the country where your story takes place, and if it’s a fictional world, you can still draw inspiration from real-life traditions. Here’s an article about different autumn traditions around the world.
Whether harvest happens in the end of summer or in autumn is, once again, relative, but it can still be an important part of your story if you’re writing a fantasy story or something that takes place in a rural community. You could even have a character who’s reluctant to participate in traditions that are unfamiliar to her.
Just like birds can fly south in autumn, you could have characters that spend winter in a different place. Perhaps they’ve been working somewhere during the summer and they go back home in the fall. Students would usually do it the other way round and they can go back to their colleges and universities after spending the summer at home.
If your characters have children, they might be relieved that schools start again and there’s no need to procure snacks and entertainment all day long. Younger characters might in turn feel the opposite way.
Conflict ideas for autumn
Conflict is an essential part of stories. When you’re writing a story that takes place in autumn, here are some ideas for how the season can bring complications to your characters.
- An autumn storm causes disruptions or perhaps even completely destroys something.
- Everyone goes back to school, leaving someone else behind.
- Winter is drawing closer but the family doesn’t have nearly enough food in store.
- Seasonal depression kicks your character’s butt.
- A character is scared of the dark and worries about the spirit world being too close.
- Someone is slacking in his participation in the harvesting and someone else needs to pick up the slack.
Autumn story ideas
If you’re looking for inspiration for your fall stories, here are some plot ideas that you can borrow as you wish.
- A man returns to his wife after working in other people’s fields all summer, but in the meantime she’s made a decision that’ll alter their future permanently.
- Kate tells her family she’s going to watch the migrating birds. She’s never seen again.
- Determined to have the best Halloween ever, Seth is prepared to do anything – even if it involves grave robbery.
- The seaside town usually goes quiet during fall, but now there’s been a series of crimes that only Agnes can solve with the help of her knitting circle.
- Khrystyna got a scholarship to the school of her dreams, but the dreary halls of the school and the cold lecture halls make her miss the warm embrace of her grandmother’s home where she grew up
Books that take place in autumn
Here are a few books I found that take place in autumn at least partially. Do let me know your recommendations so I can add them to the list.
- The Secret History
- Hallowe’en Party
- First Frost
- We Have Always Lived in the Castle
- Where Ravens Roost
- Photographs of October
Protagonist Crafts is a blog about writing fiction, written by a published author and creative writing teacher. You can find more writing tips and inspiration in the blog and you can get the best author tools at Writer Lifestyle on Etsy.
