The Weather

I was reading some rules about writing the other day, and one of them was that you should never begin a story with the weather. It got me thinking how stupid that rule is. I mean, let’s face it. The weather is central to our lives. It defines what we wear, what we do, where we go.

The weather is everything. Last week, there was bright sunshine, that led people to sunbathe outside in skimpy clothes, and to use electric fans in the house to cool down. The weather broke on Sunday, and when I looked around, it was amazing to see the difference between the scenery on a dark, dank, cloudy day, as opposed to on a bright, hot sunny day.

As a writer, you need to use any tools and methods at your disposal to create atmosphere and to set the scene. Obviously, I’m not saying ‘become a cliche’, but realistically, to say not to begin a story with the weather, when, (if you can find a different and inventive way to do so), it is such an invaluable tool, seems to me, to be pure idiocy.

Yes, you want to be individual, and original, but not to the detriment of your writing. At the end of the day, when you create characters, you make a commitment to them to do them justice. They have trusted you to tell your story, so, if using the weather at the beginning is something fitting for your story, hang convention! Do what is best for your story and your characters, and ignore your critics!!