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IWW Practice-W Exercise Archives
Exercise: Everyone talks about the weather . . .(v. 3)

These exercises were written by IWW members and administrators to provide structured practice opportunities for its members. You are welcome to use them for practice as well. Please mention that you found them at the Internet Writers Workshop (http://www.internetwritingwor kshop.org/).

Prepared by: Rheal Nadeau
Posted on: October 26, 2003
Reposted on: September 25, 2005
Reposted on: March 16, 2008
Revised and Reposted on December 11, 2016
Reposted on September 8, 2019
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Exercise: In no more than 400 words, write a scene in which weather
is described through a character's point of view (first or third
limited). Don't tell us directly what mood or situation the character is
in, but let the reader find out through the description.

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"Everyone talks about the weather but no one does anything about it."

Weather is a big part of our lives, always a backdrop and sometimes a
major influence or threat. We hope for favorable weather, curse bad
weather. We admire a sunset or a rainbow or the play of sunlight on
clouds; we fear blizzards or thunderstorms.

Include weather as part of the setting of a story or essay. Choose a
type of weather you have seen or experienced--anything from a lovely
cloud formation to a major storm. What was special about that scene? How
would you describe it?

Write a scene from the character's point of view showing how the weather
impacts his or her life. For example, a snowstorm will mean something
different to an avid skier from what it does to someone trying to get to
an important appointment. A happy person will see the beauty in the
colors of autumn leaves; a sad person might view the falling leaves as
melancholy omens of things ending or dying.

Show us your character's response to the weather. Let us see how it affects
the character's behavior or mood.

-------------------------

When critiquing, in addition to any standard comments on the
writing, tell us how well the weather descriptions worked for
you. Could you see/feel the weather being described? Did you think
the weather affected the plot and the character's behavior? If so,
give examples



Web site created by Rhéal Nadeau and the administrators of the Internet Writing Workshop.
Modified by Gayle Surrette.