As we all know, seasons come and go. The explosion of color and growth of summer eventually dwindle into the shorter days and amber hues of autumn.

I have a tendency to anxiously await the start of any new season, it seems—literal and metaphorical.

Fall is almost here!
The temperature is dropping!
I get to wear a sweatshirt—at least until 10am (this is Southern California, after all)!

The same zeal comes for quiet winters and the anticipation of Christmas.
March rolls around and you can hardly rip me away from prepping the garden.
In June, we spend a lot of gas money getting to the beach.

The same goes for proverbial seasons of life. Before adopting our daughter, I desperately wanted a baby. Before buying our home, I desperately wanted a place to call our own. But we don’t always make it from Season A to Season B smoothly. Sometimes, seasons drag on. Sometimes, there isn’t a flawless transition from winter to spring. Sometimes, it feels like a season we would have never chosen has planted its feet firmly in our lives, long past our idea of an appropriate expiration date.

It’s tempting to get stuck in a feeling or place, something that defines you in the here and now. A diagnosis. A marital status. A burden that isn’t budging. But we know—whether on the calendar, or because of fresh perspective—that seasons always pass, in one way or another.

As writers, I think we’ve been given a gift—a way to slow down, lean in, and process the literal and metaphorical seasons, whether they’re welcomed or not. We have an opportunity and a skill set to notice, to remember them for what they were, for how they shaped us, for how they brought healing or delight.

Whether you’re embracing the actual season we’re in—fall, winter, spring, or summer—or you’re in a metaphorical season, heading back to work after years at home, enduring the fallout of a friendship, feeling the need for rest, or experiencing a new birth, within your soul or your physical family, I hope you find a set of prompts that meets you where you are. Take the time to dig deeper and discover what this season has in store for you.

Fall

How is my world changing right now?
How can I slow down and steer away from the rush of the world?
What am I harvesting? What did it take to get here?
Is there any part of me that I need to let die? A habit, a thought, something that doesn’t suit me anymore?
What does my perfect day in the mountains look, feel, sound, taste, and smell like?
How am I savoring this season?
What does the word longing mean to me?
Write a poem about something ending.

Winter

How does the darkness make me feel right now?
What does the quiet sound like?
What will I do with the long nights?
What would I do if I had 24 hours of solitude?
What does my perfect cozy night at home look, feel, sound, taste, and smell like?
What am I reflecting on in this season?
What does the word anticipate mean to me?
Write a poem about something magical.