How to Write the Cold: Quick Tips for Writers
The way we feel cold is universal, but the way we contextualise it is not. Cold has a variety of connotations for readers, so it’s important to decide how to use it, and what mood you want to convey in your scene.
While cold is often associated with negative aspects in writing, if there’s anything the winter season teaches us, is that it can be a positive thing as well. Rather than just using the word cold, in your next writing project, try to contextualise it. Describe the weather, the light on the snow, the comfort of warmth after an icy swim, or the fear and loneliness of the dark on a cold night.
Here are our quick tips on how to write the cold:
In nature
- Clean mountain air
- Glittering ice crystals
- Unique wildlife, like snow hares or polar bears
- Snow muffled sounds
- Steam rising from hot springs
- Icy water in rivers and lakes
- Overcast and rainy
- Bright sun on fresh snow
- Icebergs, glaciers, and ice floes
- Storms and blizzards
- Branches moving and creaking
- Frozen ponds
- Morning frost on grass
- Snowdrops pushing through snowdrifts
- Crisp and clear night skies
- Wolves howling in the dark
- Bare branches scraping against windows
- Eerie shadows
Foods and objects
- The scent of cinnamon and nutmeg
- Heavy winter coats and scarves
- Rich, hot meals with lots of gravy
- Tea or coffee left out too long
- Ice-cream, sorbets, or ice-lollies
- Metal that is cold to the touch (like pots and pans or door handles)
- Cold beverages straight out of the fridge
- An icy bath
- Freezer trucks or walk-in refrigerators
- Dry ice
- Crisp, fresh sheets on cold nights
- Ice sculptures
- A tap with a drip that freezes in place
- Frozen celebratory drinks (like daiquiris)
- A single cube of ice floating in a whisky glass
- A cold pack for an injury
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Character moods
- Isolated
- Lonely
- Aloof
- Sad
- Comfortable
- Snuggly
- Focused
- Panicked
- Indifferent
- A lack of affection
- Calm and calculated
- Disengaged
- Serene
- Depressed
- Awestruck
- Anxious
- Reverent
- Melancholy
- Nostalgic
- Impatient
- Frustrated
- Reflective
Character body language
- Hunched shoulders
- Crossed arms
- Shivering
- Snuggling into something warm
- Rub hands together for warmth
- Tight or strained expression
- Biting dry lips
- Furrowing brow
- Glaring against brightness
- Tense and rigid stance
- Stand close to others
- Slow, deliberate steps
- Move quickly to somewhere warm
- Sitting relaxed in a warm space
Actions and events
- Start a fire or build a shelter
- Winter hikes
- Outdoor activities like skating, skiing, or sledding
- Traffic jams or snowed in cars
- Frozen lakes cracking underfoot
- Dodging icicles falling from rooftops
- Going ice-fishing
- Long sea voyages
- Frostbite
- Suffering from a cold, the flu, or pneumonia
- Brainfreeze
- Snuggling under a warm duvet
- Sipping from a steaming hot drink for comfort
- Cold-water swimming
- Walking to work in the rain
- Christmas in the Northern Hemisphere
- Chrismas in July in the Southern Hemisphere
- Reading a good book by the fire while it snows outside
Positive aspects
While cold is often associated with negative emotions, using it as a juxtaposition can often help to accentuate the positive feelings you want to convey.
If it’s cold outside, a character enjoying a hot chocolate under their duvet will give a much more positive impression than if they were simply staying in bed.
The beauty of the natural world in winter, like snow, ice, and winter foliage can also be used to create a scene of happiness and wonder.
Negative aspects
Cold is often used to describe characters who are emotionally detached, calculating, or generally unfeeling. It’s become an easy way to clue your readers in to how they’re meant to feel about your character.
There are also more creative ways to use the cold, however, like describing the disappointment of forgetting about a hot drink you put down somewhere and only remembering when it’s already gone cold, or the feeling of shock after you first step out of a warm shower.
Helpful synonyms
- chilly
- frigid
- icy
- wintry
- frosty
- cool
- nippy
- freezing
- glacial
- brisk
- chilled
- cool
- polar
- bitter
- snowy
- raw
- refrigerated
- arctic
- rimy
- draughty
Conclusion
Incorporating descriptions of the cold into your writing can create a vivid and immersive atmosphere for your story. Whether you’re trying to convey a sense of wonder and awe or a sense of fear and danger, these tips can help you bring your readers into your world. Create a layered and nuanced story that will captivate your audience by knowing how to write the cold.