Where’s Winter?
Summer seems to be the default season in stories. Sure, lots of writers and readers live in climates without huge seasonal changes, but many (most?) of us are intimately familiar with winter, with its cold biting winds, blowing snow, and icy roads. Don’t our characters deserve to experience winter as well? (Shh, don’t tell mine I said that…)
How many novels can you think of–other than those with Christmas/Thanksgiving themes or anthologies/series specifically focused on seasons (ie: one story for each)–that take place in winter?
Can you think of any reasons why authors avoid wintry books, or do you think I’m overstating the case? (I might be!)
If it’s true, I’ve got some ideas why.
1. In a story that takes place in a city, or with characters who spend much of their time indoors, the weather may not play that large a role in the story. Then, the default seems to be set to summer.
2. Winter interferes with our lives more than summer does. If the story is set in the cold season, we readers expect the conditions to matter to the plot. Otherwise, why set it then?
3. Readers are looking for a getaway, and in our culture that seems to mean sandy beaches, golden sun, and tanned bodies. Who wants to ‘get away’ to forty below?
What do you think? Should there be more winter novels out there?
