When I
switched blog sites, I lost the archives with old posts. During a fleeting
moment of boredom, I started looking through some old blogs and found this one.
My feelings haven’t changed, so here goes nothing, although there are a few
minor changes. This was posted by me back in 2010, during the monsoon season.
(Sometimes it pays off to keep hard copies of things.) Interestingly, it’s
thundering outside as I write this, and just starting to rain.
Opening a
story with, “It was a dark and stormy
night,” has become kind of a joke to some. Many say it’s too much of a
cliché to use in a story. Okay, so how about, “It was a dark and stormy day?” That doesn’t seem to have quite the
same punch, and it may not be as scary as what’s hiding in the dark and the
storm.
I live in Northern
Arizona and we had a monsoon storm of good proportions today. It started around
six o’clock this morning, and although the sun is out for the moment, it looks
like there’s more to come. The rain came down by the bucketful. (I can
exaggerate like that because that’s what I do for a living.) However, it did
rain pretty hard for quite some time. The lightning and thunder were awesome to
see and hear.
At one point
there was lightning all around us, which meant there were constant strikes and
the thunder was continuous. It sounded like it rolled from one end of the sky
to the other. The storm was directly overhead for a while, and there was an
ear-splitting crack before the thunder boomed. Our electricity went off for
several hours, which rarely happens in our neighborhood.
Sounds like
the setting for a story to me, but it should have happened after dark. And it
did, not too long ago. This is our monsoon season.
If the
electricity hadn’t gone out I would have put a movie in the DVD player. It
would have been a mystery that began on a dark and stormy night – what else? It
would have been appropriate to what we were experiencing firsthand. What could
be more mysterious and suspenseful than a dark night, loud thunder, and a
sudden scream? Well, probably a lot of things, but I would have enjoyed it. Hmm. Maybe add the sound of forceful
winds blowing.
Somehow a
bright and sunny day just doesn’t say mystery to me. Mind you, I’m talking about
the plus side of the stormy night in a mystery, not the plus side of a
beautiful day. I’ll leave that for a different post. Menacing things can
certainly happen during the daylight hours.
I mean,
really, think about it. If there’s a sudden knock at your back door when you’re
not expecting anyone, is it going to be more suspenseful during the day? Or at
night, during a storm, when the back porch light has burned out? And you live
in the country far from your neighbors – or you live in a nice neighborhood,
but your neighbors are gone on vacation. The scenarios are endless during nasty
weather.
Maybe your
vehicle has broken down on a lonely road and a black car pulls up behind you
with the lights out. And just maybe he nudges your car with his front bumper.
Uh oh. You see someone exit the car in your rear view mirror. He’s wearing a
hoody and you can’t see his face – and he walks funny. Is he a bad guy, or is
he a bad driver with a sprained ankle who happens to be wearing a hooded
sweatshirt because he’s cold and really wants to help you?
Watch some
vintage mysteries. Many of them start out with a storm and pouring rain. It
adds to the suspense. Oh, yes, it really does.
Anyway, after
sitting through the storm today, dark and stormy nights were really on my mind.
Just thought I’d mention it. By the way, many readers love a good storm to read
by. Or, ...by which to read.
Until next
time, wishing you bright and sunny days with no strangers showing up at your back
door unannounced.
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The unexpected can make a book more exciting, so a storm during the day could make a reader curious to read more.
ReplyDeleteRealistically, if there were a storm during the day it would be darker instead of bright and sunshiny. Good point, Morgan. Thank you for stopping in!
DeleteI agree, Marja. There's nothing more effective than a dark and stormy night, the threat of a tornado in the middle of the day or a blizzard in the dead of winter to set the tone and to create suspense in a mystery!
ReplyDeleteGood points, Pat. Isn't it interesting how so many weather conditions can add so much to a book? Thank you for commenting!
DeleteCould not agree more. As a reader one always wonders what lurks in your dark & stormy nights. Now we know they really do exist.
ReplyDeleteLOL Was there ever any doubt, Jake? I agree with you. As a reader I can't help but wonder what's lurking. Thank you so much for commenting!
DeleteI love dark and stormy nights!
ReplyDeleteI had a feeling you might. : ) Love the use of weather in some of your books. Thank you for commenting today!
DeleteAnd think about all the old black and white movies that relied on dark and stormy nights with the windows open so the wind would blow the curtains and blow out the candles.
ReplyDeleteVery good, Trish. I've also noticed movies that start with the storm and a train coming down the tracks. Thank you for commenting today!
DeleteLooks as if we all agree. Letting the weather set up an atmosphere helps build up that creepy feeling which foreshadows an unfortunate event. A murder, an attack, a stalker sighting--those feel more mundane in broad daylight. Such a scenario could be used for shock effect.
ReplyDeleteYou're so right, Joyce. I've read stories where things happened on a bright and sunny day, and they can be scary. However, to me they'd be more frightening with nighttime sights and sounds. So often shock effect is what mysteries need. Thank you so much for commenting!
ReplyDeleteI love dark and stormy nights. When lived in Puget Sound, had a lot of them. As always, Marja, another enjoyable blog. Almost missed this one, haven't been of FB much. Glad I got on tonight.
ReplyDeleteMadeline
Thank you, Madeline. We've been close to monsoon storms for the past few days, but only one reared its head. There's something exciting about a thunder storm. Thank you for stopping in today!
DeleteThe dark always makes things scarier. When we had flooding several years ago, I could handle the rising water until the sun went down. Then I was terrified because I couldn't see how fast the water was rising nor how close it was to the house. I think it's losing the sense of good sight, i.e., shutting off one of our senses that we depend upon that makes it so frightening.
ReplyDeleteI can understand your fear in that case, Lesley. I wouldn't have liked being in your shoes. You're right about losing a sense. I had a temporary vision problem and it really had an impact on me. Thank you so much for commenting!
DeleteWhen it's dark and storming here, my first thought is to pick up a good mystery and a cup of hot tea. Some of my favorite mysteries are the ones where the author went out of there way to set a dark scene. It gives me the "willies" as my kids would say.
ReplyDeleteWe're in the middle of the monsoon season here. Very little rain, but lots of thunder and lightning so far. It's a great setting for a mystery. Thank you so much for stopping in!
ReplyDelete