Imagine standing in a forest where the air smells of frost and flowers at the same time. Leaves crunch underfoot, yet blossoms bloom above you. Somewhere between winter and spring, a figure steps forward—neither human nor entirely other—eyes shifting in color like the turning year.
This is the Season Keeper.
They hold the balance of time in their hands: the melt of snow, the fall of leaves, the heat of summer, the length of a single day. And your character? They’ve come to bargain.
Why would someone make such a deal?
The reasons can be as personal or as world-shattering as you like:
- To bring an early spring to save a dying harvest.
- To freeze time and hold onto a fleeting moment.
- To banish winter storms from a mountain pass and save a traveling caravan.
- To delay autumn so a lover’s illness will not grow worse in the cold.
But every deal has a cost.
What would the Season Keeper want in return?
- A promise to carry a fragment of their magic—and its burdens.
- A year of your character’s memories.
- A task that seems harmless… until the next season arrives.
- A shift in the balance of the seasons somewhere else in the world.
Writing Prompt:
Write a scene where your character strikes a bargain with the being who controls the seasons. Focus on:
- The sensory details—how do the seasons blend, clash, or shift during the negotiation?
- The emotional stakes—what is your character willing to give up?
- The ripple effect—how does this deal change not just the world, but your character’s relationship to it?
Bonus Twist:
Halfway through the deal, the seasons begin to rebel. Maybe summer storms crash into winter, or flowers bloom during a snowstorm. Your character realizes the Season Keeper is not as in control as they appeared… and now they’re caught in the middle of a war between the seasons themselves.
Happy Writing ^_^
Sara's Writing Sanctuary 