Autumn and More: Perfect to Explore Mood, Motif, Setting, Story, Theme

The hours of daylight decrease, the varicolored leaves fall and skitter in the autumn wind. What we might otherwise see as downsides of a different time of year mark this hauntingly lovely season as worthwhile for writers.

There is much about autumn to inspire. The changeable light and variable weather, along with the approaching holiday season, make fall the perfect time to explore the essential craft elements of mood, motif, setting, story and theme. Here are ways to make the most of these indispensable artistic writing tools.

Mood

One definition of mood is the story’s emotional setting or atmosphere. When considering mood, ask yourself these questions:

• How might the reader feel while reading the piece?
• Does the mood of the prose complement a particular scene, the chapter and the overall story?

Motif

Motif could be described as a concept or an idea, usually repeating, that conveys the story’s theme in a subtle way. When using motif, ask yourself these questions:

• Do my motifs deepen the story and its theme with each repeated mention?
• Do the repeats vary sufficiently in wording and/or subtlety so as not to be obvious to convey something more about the story with each mention?
• Do the types of motifs complement the story’s theme? For example, if your story is about a struggling musician, you might mention timing, the sound of the wind or scaling a mountainside while on a hike.

Setting

Setting is a broader category of craft element than writers may realize. Setting includes the story’s time or era, its place, and the conditions wherein the action takes place and establish the story’s context. When using setting, ask yourself:

• Is my setting sufficiently developed?
• Does it include the timeframe, location(s) and broader landscape of the story?
• How does the setting mirror and/or contrast with the plot and/or character(s) for which it forms the backdrop?

Story

The definition of story is actually simpler and more straightforward than most writers realize. It could be described as what happens in the story overall. When working out your story, consider these questions:

• Are the events presented in an original way?
• Do the events reflect the writer’s knowledge of the plot without overshadowing the story?

Theme

Theme is what the story is really about, not what it seems to be about on a surface level. Theme is all-important and should be conveyed upfront, in the first paragraph, if possible. When working with theme, ask yourself:

• What is my story really about?
• Does the subject have both universal and individual appeal?
• Is the theme conveyed in an original way that shows what’s at stake?
• What are the consequences of the characters’ choices, and how do they impact the story?

People often find that when the seasons change, their mood changes, too. And the decreasing daylight hours of autumn usually mean a period of adjustment, maybe a dip in energy levels, changes in routine and some missteps in modifying our lives to match the time of year. Given this reality, it can take a couple of weeks to move through the continual light of summer to the growing darkness of fall. Yet, throughout the transition, writers can embrace the changes and even use them in their writing while adjusting their lives accordingly.

The changes in weather, and even the increase in darkness, can serve to inspire writers — and not just those who write dark stories. It’s the mood. It’s the magic. It’s change itself, to cooler climes and pristine skies, and the shushing sounds of falling leaves.

Happy writing and happy and safe holidays!

Adele Annesi is an award-winning author, editor and teacher. For questions on writing, email Adele Annesi.

A Different Sort of Writer’s Conference - What's Right for You?

What do you look for in a writer’s conference? Workshops, feedback, panel discussions, agent-editor talks? That’s what I usually look for. But not this year. As a writing instructor, I wanted the immersive experience and sense of community I found while studying for an MFA at Fairfield University here in Connecticut. I’m pleased to say I found it.

As a writer, an educator and an advocate of lifelong learning for diverse writers, I found myself longing for a summer writing experience that included three key components: pedagogy, craft and community. And I wanted a certain level of experience in those elements. What I found was the Postgraduate Writers’ Conference (PWC) at Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA).

When you’re looking for a writer’s conference, you often get a lot of advance hype that isn’t fully realized in the actual event. That wasn’t true here. Described as a “haven for serious, emerging practitioners seeking to connect, recharge, and lift their process and craft to new levels,” the PWC at VCFA was exactly that.

I have to admit I hadn’t heard of the conference before this year. One reason is that over the past eight years I’ve been involved in planning the Ridgefield Writer’s Conference. Since the Ridgefield conference ended its run last year, this year I was free to find an event that offered the same core elements. I started the search in May.

While looking through the Poets & Writers Magazine classifieds, I found a listing for the PWC at VCFA. While the August 9 through 14 timeframe worked with my summer teaching schedule, what drew me most was the conference model description of small workshops of five or six writers led by a faculty member. I recognized the format because it was the same as the MFA at Fairfield and the Ridgefield conference. But the PWC didn’t stop there.

Besides five days of workshops, each writer had an individual instructor consult. And there were faculty and participant readings, craft talks, generative writing sessions and social events. The PWC was so community-oriented, the fact that it was held remotely didn’t detract from the event. For me, it was a plus because it enabled me to attend the conference while working on projects here at home. The other benefit of a virtual event was that the writers and instructors came from across the country.

The one aspect of most writing events that wasn’t part of the VT conference were agent, editor and publisher panels. Honestly, I didn’t miss them. I already keep up with this aspect of the writing life and cover it in my own instruction so it was a breath of fresh air not to have to focus on the industry side of writing for a change.

Another affirming differentiator of the PWC was its focus on writers with graduate degrees. It was a significant benefit to be in workshop with experienced writers who respect each other and offer high-level critique. A further positive was that the conference instructors are both gifted writers and compelling teachers. And teach they did.

As I searched all those online and print conference listings this spring, I was hoping for a safe place where I could improve my writing and connect with other writers. The Postgraduate Writers’ Conference at Vermont College of Fine Arts offered exactly that. While this type of conference may not be right for everyone, whatever your needs, it’s important to know what you want before you sign up. Of course, research helps clarify what you’re looking for and what's out there. Just make sure you don’t settle for less. With all the venues available, you shouldn’t have to.

For more on the conference I attended, visit Postgraduate Writers’ Conference at Vermont College of Fine Arts.

For more on events and conferences for writers, visit:

AWP Directory of Writers' Conferences & Centers

NewPages Big List of Writing Conferences and Events

Poets & Writers Conferences and Residencies Database