Weather In Writing: 3 How-to Tips
by Angela Ackerman
Are you afraid of using the weather in your writing?
If so, you aren’t alone. After all, if we aren’t careful, weather description
can be a minefield of clichés. The sunny,
hot afternoon at the beach. The gloomy rainstorm at a funeral. There is
also the danger that comes with using weather to mirror a character’s inner emotional
landscape. Mishandling this technique can quickly create melodrama. Agents and
editors also say that starting with the weather may kill your chances of having
your story read past the first page. Why? Because done poorly, it can sound
like a weather report. It may also delay the introduction of your hero, and
readers are not always patient. They like to meet your characters and see what
they are up against as soon as possible.
Wow, weather sounds like a recipe for disaster! It’s
no wonder that some writers are so nervous about using anything weather-esque,
they avoid it entirely.
But here’s the thing…avoiding weather entirely can be a fatal mistake!
Weather is rich. Powerful. It is infused with
symbolism and meaning. And most of all, weather is important to us as people, affecting us in little
ways. To illustrate this, I’m going to put you in the character’s shoes.
Think
about walking down a street. It’s late afternoon, crystal bright, and a hot
breeze blows against you. School’s out and kids run willy-nilly down the
sidewalk, laughter ringing the air as they race to the corner store for a grape
slush. Your sandals click against the pavement as you turn down between two
brick buildings. The side door to an Italian restaurant is just past a rusty dumpster,
and your fiancée’s shift is about to end. You smile, feeling light. You can’t
wait to see him.
Now, let’s change the scene.
It’s
sunset, and the weather has soured. Dark clouds pack the sky, creating a
churning knot of cement above you. The sidewalk is deserted, and the wind is
edged in cold, slapping your dress against your legs as you walk. You wish
you’d worn pants, wish you’d brought a sweater. In the alley, garbage swirls
against the greasy pavement and the restaurant’s dumpster has been swallowed by
thick shadow. The side door is only a few steps away. You can’t quite see it,
but all you have to do is cross the distance and knock. You hesitate, eyeing
the darkness.
The
same setting, the same event. Yet, the mood and tone
shifted, all because of the weather I put in the backdrop. What was safe and
bright and clean became dark and alien.
Were you able to imagine yourself in the moment? Did
your emotions change depending on how I described this scenario? I hope so,
because this is the power of weather--changing how people feel about their
surroundings.
Weather is a tool to evoke mood, guiding the
character toward the emotions we want them to feel (and by extension, the
reader as well). By tuning into specific weather conditions, a character may
feel safe, or off balance. Weather can work for or against the character and be
used to foreshadow, hinting that something is about to change (often for the
worse).
Because we have all experienced different types of
weather ourselves, when we read about it within a scene, it reminds us of our
own past, and the emotions we felt at the time. So, not only does weather add a
large element of mood to the setting, it also encourages readers to identify
with the character’s experience on a personal level.
So how do we write weather into our story in a clear way, and
stay away from the pitfalls? Here are three ways.
Use
Fresh, Sensory Images. In each passage, I utilized
several senses to describe the effects of the weather. Here’s just a few: A hot breeze. Laughter ringing the air. Garbage
swirling over the greasy pavement. A wind edged in cold, slapping against the
legs. By describing weather by sound, touch and sight, I was able to make
the scene feel more real.
Avoid
Direct Emotion-to-Weather Clichés. There are some pairings
we should avoid, like showing a crying character in a rainstorm or quaking with
anger as thunder and lightning rages. There are many different types of weather
elements, so think past the usual ones. (Need brainstorming help? Try the
Weather Thesaurus HERE.) Avoid mirroring and instead show the character’s
reaction to the weather as I did above. This is a stronger way to indicate one’s
emotions without being too direct.
Choose
Each Setting With Care. Setting and Weather should work
together, either through contrast or comparison. In the first scene, we have
beautiful weather and an alley as a final destination. These two are
contrasts—one desirable, one not, but I chose to show enthusiasm and
anticipation for the meeting to win out. In the second, the weather becomes a
storm. Now we have two undesirable elements, and as such, they work together to
build unease.
Weather can have a positive or negative effect on
setting and change the character’s reaction to it, so don’t be afraid to use
it! Just remember that with something this powerful, a light touch is all that
is needed.
Your Turn: Do you use weather in
your stories? How do you go about it?
Angela Ackerman
is one half of The Bookshelf
Muse blogging duo, and co-author of The
Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression. Listing the body language, visceral reactions
and thoughts associated with seventy-five different emotions, this
brainstorming guide is a valuable tool for showing, not telling, emotion.
Angela also writes on the darker side of Middle Grade and Young Adult, and is
represented by Jill Corcoran of The Herman Agency.
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