Settings & worlds · Tip 37 of 82 · 4 min read
Weather Sets the Mood
Sunshine, storms and fog can whisper to your reader how a scene should feel.
Imagine a birthday party. Now imagine it in blazing sunshine. Now imagine it with thunder rumbling and rain dripping through the tent. Same party, totally different feeling! Weather is a secret tool that tells your reader how to feel.
Weather and feelings
Writers often match the weather to the mood of a scene. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Bright sunshine: happy, hopeful, exciting
- Thick fog: mysterious, confusing, a little creepy
- Heavy rain: sad, gloomy, or cosy if you're indoors
- Thunderstorm: scary, dramatic, something big is coming
- Fresh snow: quiet, magical, a brand new start
- Strong wind: wild, restless, things are about to change
Okay 😐
Maya walked to the old house. She was scared.
Wow! 🤩
Fog had swallowed the end of the lane. Maya could hear the old house's gate creaking somewhere ahead, but she couldn't see it until it was right in front of her.
In the second version, nobody says Maya is scared. The fog does the work for you, and the reader feels nervous too.
Let the weather change
When things get better or worse in your story, the weather can change with them. Clouds rolling in can warn that trouble is on its way. The sun breaking through can show that the worst is over.
By the time Arlo found his little brother, curled up asleep behind the shed, the rain had stopped. A single stripe of sunlight lay across the wet grass like a path leading home.
Or surprise your reader
Sometimes the opposite works brilliantly. A terrible day that happens in perfect sunshine can feel even worse, because the world doesn't seem to care.