Young Writers Society

Has anyone ever noticed that in many books whenever something important happens, it starts raining?

Rain seems to be a constant for dramatic or important scenes in a story. Does anybody use this technique themselves?

On occasion. I think sometimes the rain technique can get overused, and that it should rain when nothing important is happening, sometimes. I like it when things happen in a story for effect and then the writer takes that effect - like the rain - and follows through all the logic of everything. Being wet, getting muddy, the car starts spluttering and you have to get out and pour beer over the hood and pray to the car's kami to work with the water spirits and get going again...

So I like it when those 'special effects' get carried through and thought out, because that can really add to a story.

I've never really noticed that before, but then again I don't think I have read many books where that happens. Like in Half-Blood Prince, the scene where Dumbledore dies, the night is crystal clear, not a rain-drop in sight.

But, I like to steer clear of as many cliches as possible (although some, of course, are inevitable), so, unless I had good reason for it, I would probably not make it start raining in an important scene. In fact, I have never imagined any of my scenes with rain...

I think it's the feeling rain gives people. Although it variates.

Some people relate rain to depression. I get happy when it rains, usually. I love the smell of rain, and it has good memories to it.

I'd like to see some ice storms during dramatic scenes...those things are violent.

I haven't read all of Jane Austen's work but saw a production of Persuasion, Pride and Prejudice, and Northanger Abbey and they all had these rain scenes.

I've used rain scenes myself but they're are not always important.

I like to put rain in stories simply because I love the rain and the fog...hehe....I don't try to use it constantly though. I like putting it in scenes that aren't depressing or foreboding. Maybe just a rainstorm as a couple is rushing into a warm restaurant or something cozy like that.

I think it's more common in movies, especially in regards to romantic (and sex) scenes.

Huh. I didn't really think about it before, but alot of important things that I write in do seem to occur during a rainstorm. I think I just like describing rainy and stormy days, though ^_^

Writersdomain wrote:Has anyone ever noticed that in many books whenever something important happens, it starts raining?

Rain seems to be a constant for dramatic or important scenes in a story. Does anybody use this technique themselves?

I once described rain in a story I wrote but ended up scrapping. It wasn't for dramatic effect. I just [s]like[/s] LOVE rain!

Called 'pathetic fallacy', isn't it? The use of weather and/or seasons to reflect inner conflict or a character's interior distress or joy.

I tend to avoid its conscious use. Though sometimes the two coincide - the painful lack of correspondence between outer and inner or more fun to work with often as not. ^_^






IMP

It is also used to create the idea of intimacy or closed spaces.



Fun stuff.

Ta,
Cal.

Every time I see this thread I start thinking of that Alanis Morissette song.

It's like rain
On your wedding day
Free ride
When you've already paid

In the current world I'm writing there is no rain.

I hate the rain. It always makes me sad but then I associate it with bad memories so I suppose it depends on your own experiences. I certainly use it in stories but it's best not to over-use it otherwise people will start to think 'It's raining, that means something bad's going to happen.'

I don't force myself to use the weather as a way to convey emotion, but I have imagined scenes before and then realized it was raining after I started writing it. It works really well in this one scene, because it adds to the tension as one character whines about it and the others tell her to deal.

I think as long as it's done well, it's all right to use the rain as you please.