I’ve covered inspiration from winter and how you can use it for writing in one of my recent posts. Today, I continue with this mini-series with the spring.

Spring is great source of inspiration: full of colors, scents, emotions, and activity – all of which you can use for inspiration and as a way to show more about the setting. Spring will make all your senses busy if you let it – and if you realize that, you can use all of that for some detail/realism in your stories. Just think how different people might react to all that happens in the nature and see what of it could help your writing. K.M. Allan wrote a nice article about using all the senses for depth in writing and you can have a look at it at her blog.

Look into the nature

Spring is full of vibrancy. The life returning after winter, creating a palette of freshly-sprouted leaves and colorful blossoms can spark joy in many. Yet, spring will attack other senses as well: the scents of flowers carried to you by the wind, the chirping of birds, the warmth of mid-day sun while the morning are still cold…

All of this can be used to show more about a character: if they dislike winter, they’ll eagerly await the spring and the first warm days. Maybe they are romantics or natural lovers and it’s the vibrancy of fresh leaves and/or the color of flowers that’ll get their attention.

And, as everything, it can be used to show more about the setting. If you are in historical or fantasy setting, the land waking up from winter will lead to busy days when people are taking care of the fields, planting whatever produce they grow. In a modern setting, spring might be a source of discomfort to others, due to allergies.

And, not to forget, spring also brings its own dangers – snow melting in the hills can bring floods.

Spring and the culture/setting

Many cultures in past put some significance to this return of life. Many Easter-related traditions come from various myths from old times and many of them were more or less related to these aspects. In some cultures, hares and rabbits were a symbol of fertility as they are one of the first animals to breed – very early in the spring. Eggs can have a similar meaning. Looking into mythology can serve as a source of further inspiration when creating a custom culture.

The vibrancy and joyfulness of autumn is something natural cultures would definitely celebrate. Likewise, the aspect of fertility (whatever way it comes) might be important. In culture that appreciates and celebrates both, the spring might be seen as the best time for getting intimate – and the blooming trees and flowers will give it a special atmosphere (a topic that was used in some poems in the past – of which some were definitely 15+/18+ stuff).

Another aspect to consider is that things come in stages – for example, different birds migrate at different times. Trees and flowers bloom at different times based not only by species but by location as well – higher in the hills, late May might be the time the first blossoms appear. This can be used to point out the geography of a fictional world.

Using the abovementioned factors can be a way to make a scene feel more realistic. A character who spent a long time in captivity and is released just as the spring is in full bloom might be overwhelmed by all the sights and scents denied from them. A young couple enjoying each other’s company below a blossoming tree might find the scents a good mood-setter for their date. The brighter days can be a source of determination or inspiration – or a hint of the busy days to come for farmers. When it comes to details, spring has a lot of potential for writing.

Seasonal inspiration mini-series:
Winter – Spring – Summer – Autumn

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And that’s where I’ll wrap up this post. Summer’s next in line, coming soon. I’ll, of course, welcome your opinions and experiences. Do you have a favorite scene showing the beauty of spring? Have you written such a scene? Have you ventured into the nature to gather inspiration? Feel free to share it!