I am starting my blog tour for Ghost of Death on the blogs of Stephanie Faris and C Lee McKenzie.
Check out my fun post: Name a Drink.
And my musical post: 10 Songs
A few months ago, I shared a post about winter with tips for writers who are writing (or want to write a story set in winter. Now it’s time for SPRING!
Here are 10 things to keep in mind for a story set in the
spring:
1. Nature
Everyone knows spring as the
season where the earth reawakens and flowers bloom. Gardeners flock outdoors
with bags of soil and packets of seeds. Describing the fresh green grass, the
new buds on trees, and the flowers bursting from rich soil would set the
atmosphere for spring beautifully. You could also write about a character who
is a gardener.
·
Flowers- Easter lily, pansy, daffodil, tulip,
lilac, peony.
2. Warming
Temperatures
In the spring, the snow
melts and the sun starts to grow stronger, warmer. Your characters will be able
to open their windows, take the thick blankets off their beds, and turn off
their furnaces. Whenever your hero/heroine is outside, take the opportunity to
describe the blue skies, the cool breeze, and yellow sunlight.
1. Clothes
Now that winter is over, you
can let your characters wear shorter sleeves, brighter colors (purple, blue,
yellow) and fancy church clothes. Mentioning what your characters are wearing
is a nice touch that you could do with just a sentence or two. Describe your
heroine in a pretty dress with a light cardigan, or your hero in tan slacks and
a white shirt.
2. April
Showers
April brings an abundance of
rain showers to many states in the United States. Writing about a rain shower
could add a romantic element to a romance story.
Imagine: kissing in the
rain, cuddling in bed to the pitter-patter of rain on the roof.
1. Picnics
Spring wouldn’t be spring
without picnics: family picnics, church picnics, and intimate picnics between
your hero and heroine, which make lovely scenes for romances! They could pack a
basket with cheese, grapes, finger sandwiches, cold chicken, hummus and
veggies, wine or sparkling water.
2. Outdoor
Fun
With no snow and warmer
temps, people enjoy spending more time outdoors. Let your characters take walks
together, go on bike rides, or visit the park. All of these are wonderful
activities for two characters who are falling in love.
1. Holidays
There are many lovely
holidays in the spring like Easter, St. Patrick’s Day, Mardi Gras, and Mother’s
Day. You could write about one or two that would make the most sense to your
plot and story.
·
Easter- church, dying eggs with kids and
orchestrating egg hunts.
·
St. Patrick’s Day: Irish pubs, beer, Irish
food (cabbage, corned beef, potatoes)
·
Mardi Gras- New Orleans, parades, beads and
masks
·
Mother’s Day- Mothers, gifts/cards/flowers
\1. Daylight
Savings
In the spring, we turn our
clocks one hour ahead. (Spring forward, fall back.) As a result, we have longer
days and more sunlight, but we also lose an hour of sleep that first night and
struggle to get our inner clocks in sync with the time change. You could show
how your MC is affected by the time change by sleeping in and being late to
work. Readers would be able to identify with that.
2. Spring
Cleaning
We all know spring is the
time to clear out the dust, go through the clutter that accumulated during the
winter, and fix the house for the warmer seasons. You could let a single
mother/woman go through her closet/desk/kitchen while obsessing over her latest
breakup or problem.
1. Food/Drinks
Springtime is perfect for
fruits and vegetables and lighter meals. If your characters eat out together or
have a quiet dinner at home you could have them enjoy these:
·
Food- strawberries, peaches, asparagus, light
tomato and basil salad, pasta primavera, and herb chicken.
·
Drinks- iced mint tea, strawberry lemonade, fruit
smoothies, and sangria.
QUESTIONS: When you think of spring, what comes to mind?
What do you like most about spring? What do you like least?
On Wednesday, I'll be posting my A to Z Reflection post with my Insecure Writer's Support Group post.
