As I said last year, fall is my favorite season, and the weather where I live is at its best in September and October with bright sunny days, cool nights, and most of the the most annoying bugs dead. Here are some events that occur where I live that I can use for September as writing inspiration.
Labor Day: Labor Day always feels like the end of summer rather than the beginning of fall for me. So I would use a Labor Day picnic as a climax where all my plots are resolved, especially for a family drama.
Beginning of the School Year: Regardless of your age, starting school is always dramatic. Many, many stories have been written on the subject, so I will throw out an idea I hope hasn’t been used too often: follow several characters through twenty-four hours, from the time they wake up on the first day of school until they meet again at school on the second day. I think the characters would have to be high school or older to give them independence, and the opportunity for drama, during the twenty-four hours.
County Fair: The county fair is one of my favorite events. In the county where I grew up and the one I’m living in now, both have their fairs in September. I could use the fair as a setting for nostalgia as people take part in activities their grandparents would recognize. It would also be a great setting for a middle grade mystery. Perhaps several 4-H kids who are spending the night at the fair with their animals suspect a crime has been or will be committed. The fair in my home county does big business in harness racing, so I could also use it as a setting for a country noir story where a gang of thieves try to steal the gambling proceeds.
Football Season: A lot stories have been written about the drama associated with football, but as a former band member, I would like to see more stories about the marching band. I observed a lot from my seat in the stand with the band, and a climax to a mystery or thriller at a high school football game would be very exciting. I like the contrast between a large crowd enjoying an ordinary event while a few people take part in something extraordinary that the crowd has no clue is going on.
Fall Equinox: The only one of two days in the year when light and darkness last for equal amounts of time seems like a great setting for speculative fiction. The equinox could signal that special powers wielded by good and evil characters are evenly matched, and these characters battle it out before the growing darkness makes the evil characters too strong.
Are there any special events in September where you live? How would you se September as writing inspiration?
