IT'S ALL ABOUT - AUTUMN WRITING PROMPTS

by Melissa Stoller


​​October exhibits so many signs of autumn, at least in New York where I live! Take the opportunity to use the bounty of this season and include some fall details in your stories. Here are some writing prompts to inspire ideas:

1) Halloween decorations are sprouting in my neighborhood. Whether or not you celebrate the holiday, perhaps you can glean inspiration from witches, ghosts, goblins, and more. Do any memories from Halloweens past bubble to the surface? Choose one memory and expand into the first line of a story or a plot point.

​2) Take a walk in your neighborhood and pay close attention to nature. Will inspiration strike from leaves changing colors? Perhaps a local farm stand with pumpkins and gourds will lead to an idea. Note any colors and patterns particular to autumn that can inform your writing.

3) Taste some fall treats such as pumpkin pie or latte, cinnamon buns, or apple cobbler. Or perhaps enjoy pumpkin or apple picking and bake your own treats. As you savor these fall favorites, jot down images that relate to your five senses. Maybe some of those details will find their way into your next manuscript.  
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I hope these fall writing prompts help spark your imagination and lead to story ideas. Let me know in the comments.
 

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BIO:
 
Melissa Stoller is the author of the chapter book series The Enchanted Snow Globe Collection - Return to Coney Island and the picture books Scarlet’s Magic Paintbrush; Ready, Set, GOrilla!; and Sadie’s Shabbat Stories. Planting Friendship: Peace, Salaam, Shalom (co-written with Callie Metler and Shirin Rahman, illustrated by Kate Talbot), releases from Clear Fork Publishing on October 19, 2021. Melissa is a Blogger and Course Assistant for the Children’s Book Academy, a Regional Ambassador for The Chapter Book Challenge, a volunteer with SCBWI/MetroNY, and a founding member of The Book Meshuggenahs. In other chapters of her life, Melissa has worked as a lawyer, legal writing instructor, freelance writer and editor, and early childhood educator. She lives in New York City with her family, and enjoys theatre, museums, and long beach walks.


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