World-Building, Day Two

Somebody remind me to stop waiting till I’m wanting to go to bed to do this?

Thanks.

Right. Onward. Day Two.

What role do you anticipate weather playing in your story? Do you have a lot of travel that you want to complicate with bad storms? Are you going to snow in your mighty heroes? Will there be a mighty battle, determined by sudden flooding? You actually don’t need to know right now. Your exerise for today is to jot down ten plot devices that relate to weather, and what you think they do to the story.

Tonight, at least, I think I’ll focus on Flame’s world. In her last story, she had encounters with a lake monster, and then in a swamp. Next time…she’s going to the desert.

So there’ll be a sandstorm. People will get separated. Bad Things™ will happen. Characters who maybe are used to being looked after will have to take care of themselves. Maybe even rescue others.

I love the idea of using a cold desert, but I’d envisioned this as sun beating down, Flame buried in clothes and cooking in them–so that’s another. Lots of heat, making tempers short and making the characters weigh themselves down with water. And maybe a hidden spring for Flame to stumble on, just to annoy Ryahled.

Annoying Ryahled is great fun. ^__^

That’s two…hmm.

Well, I mean to walk Flame over most of her world at some point, so I’ll go for a typhoon when Flame thought she’d just find herself a shipwreck to get rich off. She was expecting some swimming with hottie beach-living natives, and instead she’s stuck in a leaky hut with Ryahled getting dripped on and hoping the dang place stays standing–and that it’s far enough above the high-water line.

I’m going to use the fog desert at some point, so…weather: fog. It will bring the group closer together because it will be spooky. Maybe it will even be haunted, who knows? Maybe I’ll just make it look that way.

Rain…I’m going to go with flooding. I’m going to flood some catacombs…or maybe ancient sewers Flame shouldn’t really be in? Hmm, liking this…with lots of squabbling about whose fault it is they are in the blasted sewers (or catacombs.)

Thunderstorm in the woods. Maybe even a funnel cloud. A forest is a haven to Flame–chasing her through one with something she can’t begin to fight would be interesting.

Snowstorms are always fun. Especially if it should snow them in and make them stop somewhere, but Flame is too stubborn/annoyed to do it. Often Flame is the practical, quick-thinking one. Showing her to be sometimes a fool is a good thing.

That’s seven…drought. I could use…ooh, yes! High plains, strange animals, a long-lasting drought and an accidental fire. Can I throw in some llamas for fun? I’ll have to see.

Hail. Not only does hail hurt like heck, but it rips leaves off trees. It could reveal something that hadn’t been seen in years–something that gives Flame the clue she needs to find something really cool get herself in a lot of trouble.

A windy, wild night when the stars dance and magic moves. Inhibitions and sense fall by the wayside, and who knows what Flame will wake to when dawn comes?

Bwahahahaa…

There. Ten. Whoever timed these at fifteen minutes thinks faster than  I do, or focuses better, or something. 🙄