Now that the leaves are slowly beginning to change color and the nights are getting cooler and darker, I’m feeling the itch I’ve felt for the last four years now: the need to make words. I always feel the need to write, but it is a thousand percent stronger when autumn rolls in.
True story–I always wanted to write a book but never had the guts to do it. One year my work load was a little lighter than usual in the fall and the evenings normally spent writing recommendation letters were miraculously free. So of course I decided to write a full length novel instead of binge watching TV like normal people. I signed up for NaNoWriMo, labored for that month, and won. And now every fall, those same feelings of needing to be creative when there’s a chill in the air come back to me with a vengeance. I love it.
Here are a few of my favorite fall/writing things:
- Flavored coffee: I wasn’t a coffee drinker before I started writing. Like, at all. And somehow it’s become a necessity. I associate Panera’s hazelnut coffee with fall and writing, but I also enjoy a pumpkin spice latte every once in a while.
- Scented candles: I love candles in any season but especially in the fall and especially fall scents. Pumpkin, apple, cinnamon, nutmeg, leaves, etc. I made my annual pilgrimage to buy my stockpile last weekend and I also replenished my wall air freshener thingy replacements in fall flavors for my office. It must smell correct to put me in the creative mood.
- Pumpkin Spice Rooibos: I found this at Trader Joe’s after one of my CP’s was raving about it. We drank buckets of it on November retreats and I can’t even smell it without feeling like I need to write.
- Wrist warmers: I tried these last year for the first time and after writing 75 recommendation letters following immediately by a 78K word book, they were lifesavers at relieving the wrist pain.
- Retreats: I’ve been on two fantastic retreats in the last few years with my lovely writer friends where we were almost completely off the grid. Beautiful scenery, cool air, fuzzy boots and big sweaters, a roaring fire, fellowship and lots and lots of words.
- NaNoWriMo: I love NaNo more than I can say. It was the experience that taught me I can do anything I put my mind to and I’m gearing up for my fourth year. I even sponsor the NaNo club at my school. I’m gleefully plotting in October for a book I already love, so bring it on!
Fall is also my birthday season but I am MUCH more excited about writing than getting another year older.
I know I’m not the only writer who gets jazzed by fall – what other fall things make you want to create?
christinajune.com 
The smell of campfire gets me in the mood to be creative in the fall. My dad is a blacksmith who demonstrates at historical reenactments. The biggest, grandest events he goes to are in the fall (this weekend and the next, in fact). They smell wonderfully of campfire, various foods cooked over a fire, and leather. Since I’m usually anticipating NaNoWriMo and working on an outline or other planning-type things, I’ve learned that those smells make me feel like writing now. Though I didn’t really realize it until I read this post.
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