do you pay much attention the weather when you write a story? if so how much and what for? thanks for sharing
I use it for mood sometimes, or for plot other times. For example there's a story arc I have, where some survivors of a plane crash in a desert need to try and signal for rescue. To add tension and a sense of time constraints, I introduced an oncoming sandstorm they can see in the distance, heading towards them.
In some works I have the weather be completely random which allows for a useful plot constraint when I need one and in other works I attach the weather proportionally to a single character's emotional or mental state so as to add more tension. For me it all depends on what I need more of, plot or tension.
I always like describing the weather (or just the sky) in my stories, regardless of the climate. Whether it is a gloomy, rainy day or bright and sunny, the weather and climate always plays a part in setting the mood or telling the reader something about the setting. One story I tried to write when I was younger was set in a tropical island/ocean setting, so there could be fair days or bad storms. My current story is definitely in a more mild climate, with the western half of the country being more verdant and temperate, with the climate getting warmer and dryer the further east you go until you hit the desert. It's going to be a while before I take my story to the desert, but I am looking forward to writing about it! The weather in the current setting is pretty static, sunny and warm/hot, but I can use that variation in heat during the day to make things more intense (such as the glare of the sun adding further confusion in an already tense scene). And of course, I love skies that are bright blue with some puffy clouds, so I give my character(s) any chance I can get to describe what's going on up there. I think it is tied partially to my love of flying scenes in fantasy stories...
I use the weather as a plot device sometimes, but seldom in a way that truly impacts the motion of the plot. And more frequently, I’ll use the weather as a way to highlight something about my characters. If I have two characters, say husband and wife, who are fighting, I’ll make it cold, not to reflect their state of mind or anything. It’s more like a reflection of their refusal to be close, if that makes sense. I’ll describe another couple, maybe huddled up together to warm each other as they walk or whatever. Then, my couple’s refusal to warm each other says something about the state of their relationship, right? I very much like doing things like that.
I did something like that once. I had a couple of characters having a really vicious argument, and it was an absolutely beautiful day. I think during one of the pauses for breath during their heated debate there was even a bit of birdsong.
I don't like to use weather as a part of the plot, really. I think it's used excessively as a way to create an environment or setting for what's happening. I mean, obviously there would still be description of it if it was notable, but in any literature or media when something dramatic is happening and it's raining super hard or something like that... Such a cliche way to make it more dramatic. -.-
Main WIP takes place on a Tropical island, so the weather is usually "Sunny and hotter than a forest fire" hot or "Holy shit the ocean is falling from the skies" rainy. Usually it either serves to keep the characters indoors or keep them looking for shade/spending lots of time near water. Personally, I like to feel the rain slap my skin, so heavy downpours are fun outside times for me.
In my finished novel, there's a lightning storm that is both literal and metaphorical. I don't know why, but I'm quite fond of it. I have recycled it from two previous failed stories and if this one doesn't go anywhere, there's the perfect spot for it in my WIP.
I don't use weather to add 'atmosphere' but it often impacts on the plot itself, just as it does in real life. Because of a blizzard certain things happen. Because of a thunderstorm and river in spate certain things happen. Because of lack of rain, certain things happen.
do you mean to say the novel would end on a weather forecast note? ie the last words would of a story would be a description of the weather?
Yes, I use weather as part of my setting. As I write relatively accurate historical fiction about places I have never been, if I use it, I google up the climate for the area, so I know by the month the temperature highs and lows and precipitation, so I stay physically accurate. Weather can often set the mood. So for example, when my Roman ship arrived in a port in northern China in late October, it was a chilly, foggy, rainy day, the last ship to tie up due to abysmal visibility, now barely able to see the length of the ship in the mist, looking overside at the dark water lapping between the ship and the dock. Stevedores huddling around fires, nothing to do, no more ships coming in, the strange sights, sounds and smells of a new land, muted by the weather. The end of a nine-month voyage from Egypt. Set the mood for that chapter.
I'm a horror writer, so it's naturally all dark and stormy nights around these parts! In all seriousness, weather can be an excellent plot device. Don't want your character to leave a location but can't think of a logical reason why they wouldn't? There's a bad storm outside! Character depressed and heartbroken over their ex who just dumped them? It's a beautiful day! Go outside, you'll feel better! In my most recent piece, temperature (not exactly weather, but close enough!) becomes a major plot point the further you go. It even urges the protagonist into action when he would rather not, which leads to the end of the story itself. Weather is a very powerful, yet underutilized tool in writing.
It's summer where my characters currently are, but that's because they're near the equator at the moment. A return home will mean a return to winter.