This Week's Practice Exercise~

Everone Talks About the Weather

Prepared by: Rheal Nadeau
Reposted, revised, on: Sunday, December 16, 2007

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Exercise: In no more than 300 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.
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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.