Prompt 5 - Weather

Weather brings consequences. For example, in Bridge to Terabithia, the April showers don’t only bring a gloomy sense to Leslie and Jess’s world but also the death of Jess’ grandmother before the story begins, who contracted pneumonia from working in the rain, and the flood that drowns Leslie. Weather doesn’t just affect moods—it can be a force entirely of its own, just as powerful as an important character and just as able to make changes.

Weather, like actions, has its own consequences. Rain brings flooding, snow creates ice, heat invokes drying. Many stories use weather as a way to bring about consequences that wouldn’t normally occur without the rain/snow/heat/wind/etc. Those consequences could cause an emotional (or physical) reaction to a character and thus change the story.

Along with consequences, weather also has emotional impact. The atmosphere of a setting can be changed by the weather outside and how it’s perceived by a character. A rainy day could be dreary, unless you’re reading about a family whose crops are in desperate need of water. Snow can be beautiful and seem pure, until a character gets into a car crash on a slippery road. The emotional impact can cause a change in character perspective—if the person in the car accident was a close friend to the main character, their entire dynamic could change and thus alter the course of the story. This kind of change can affect the story as well.

I've found that weather has the capability to deepen a setting. It can change a character through their mindset or by providing a new situation that comes with its own consequences.