Blame it on the Weatherman

OK, so I already missed about a week... good job, right? Well, to my defence, first I had my mother's fiftieth birthday (Happy B'day Mommy!), then there were family issues, and then I took a mini-vacation to visit the fiance (he lives in a different state). So I didn't really go on the computer at all. I probably should have waited to start this project until I was home so I wouldn't have any break, but I was really into getting started, so I jumped the gun and took a week va-ca. At least while I was visiting Remy he told me about a world he built for a game he created. Hearing what he came up with really got my juices going.

Anyway, onward to day two of world building. Here's hoping I do better with today's exercise than I did with the first one. Again, the blue italicised print is an excerpt from the guide written by Stephanie Cottrell Bryant. 30 Days of World Building


Day 2: The Physical Planet
One of the best courses I took in college was on Physical Geography (especially read Chapter 10), which generally taught me why the Earth is the way it is, and how things like mountains and lakes and deserts are made. The website I link here isn't from the course I took, but it's chock full of good information.

Most climates are formed by the interaction of land, water, air, and coriolis effect (the coriolis effect has a lot to do with why a particular coastline has cold water, while another part of the same sea has warm water). The coriolis effect is essentially what happens when the earth turns on its orbit, and the water and air on this rock turn at a slightly different rate than the rocks.

If the planet were covered only with water, you'd basically have interconnecting circular oceanic currents at the tropics, subtropics, and polar regions, and each current would be moving warmer water and air to cooler places, or cooler water (and air) to warmer places (certain places where these currents intersect have little interchange of movement, and are called the doldrums). But when you add land masses, those currents run into land (where most people live) and bring cold air or warm air with them, and their attendant humidity.

Seasons are caused by the earth's tilt. It's possible to create a world without a tilt, but the climate would vary less seasonally. This, by the way, is one way to create a world in which there's a chronic winter state, or it's always summer, etc. You can still have weather, but the weather isn't dictated by the season, so you're more likely to have year-round weather that tends to be stormy or cold, or calm, etc.

When you add land, you get orographic lifting, which cools air, often causing any moisture to condense into rain or snow or even fog.

The Exercise

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 exercise for today is to jot down ten plot devices that relate to weather, and what you think they do to the story (for example: a snow-in can turn the mood very claustrophobic... or very intimate).


OK, another tricky one. I do have a story bumping around in my brain which is sort of a cross-fanfiction; placing the basic concept of Nickelodeon's Avatar: The Last Air Bender in the D&D world. For that story weather plays a very key role. However, for the one I'm building the world for currently - my massive hybrid story - I didn't really take weather into consideration. Well, as the exercise write-up says, it doesn't have to be weather plot devices that are actually going to occur. I can't wait to see how long it takes me to finish this....

1. Well, there's the cliche of the main adventuring couple trying to find shelter during a rain/thunder storm. This would be a good time to have the couple further develop their romantic interest in each other. Either by one taking care of the other (sick because of rain/injured during battle/etc.), or the alone time bringing them emotionally close, or - depending on when this will occur and how much has been developed already - a good time for a true love confession.

2. Blizzard while the duo is in the mountains. This could be another cliche venue for romantic development due to the adventurers being forced to stop until better weather. It could also be a good way to increase suspense in a battle. Either the duo is battling a strong foe, or is being chased by the villain's henchmen. The blizzard will hinder vision. The duo won't know where the foe is - but perhaps the foe, used to the weather, has adapted and uses the blizzard similarly to one using a smoke screen. Likewise, the duo can use the cover of the snow to help them get away from the tracking henchmen. The impaired vision could also get them lost with a threat of hypothermia. It is also an opportunity for either of them to discover an unknown power that can save them, or for the duo to possibly collaborate for the first time in order to survive. I came up with about four different scenarios with Blizzard... so am I up to 6 now?

3. I'd rather come up with more than ten examples than to cheat, so I'll just say all of that blizzard stuff was just one... Anyway, in the opposite end of the spectrum, there is the sweltering heat and blistering sun while in the desert. This could be very similar to the blizzard when it comes to survival. The couple could get lost in the similar landscape and mirages. They may need to work together for the first time in order to survive, or discover a previously untapped power. One of the characters could show leadership for the first time by taking care of the other one. This could be a good time for the weaker character to shine by finding an oasis or knowing how to open a cactus for water. This could also be an opportunity to have the heroes rescued or captured by desert people when the duo finally collapses.

4. The sun finally breaking through the clouds could be used to parallel one of the character's optimism after the duo again finds their way, or after they defeated a villain. It could be an uplifting moment where the optimistic character can finally convince the other that everything will finally go in their favor.

5. A star-filled, breezy evening. Used far too often in anime, but for a good reason. Perhaps the male character hasn't seen the female character in a romantic light yet. Just have her stand stoic on a ledge or balcony, looking at the massive curtain of stars, and the wind gently blowing through her hair. Never fails, it presents her as this angelic thing and the male lead is shocked when he finally realizes how gorgeous his companion is.

6. Impending flood during the adventurers' travel. They have been wandering through rain for what seems like days. They find shelter within a little village. The villagers have nothing else but their huts and farms, and yet they may not even have that for much longer. The rain the heroes just traversed through is flooding the nearby river. The heroes must prepare to act quickly, either to attempt to save the village, or to evacuate everyone. They might not have time to do both if their attempt to save the village fails.

7. Magic induced storm. Filled with colored lightning bolts, high winds, piercing rain, deafening thunder, maybe even tornado-like debris. The epic final battle between the heroes and the villain, the magic clashing from all sides creates enough atmospheric chaos that a storm breaks out. The ricocheted magic mixed in with the angry clouds, heightening the unnatural storm.

8. *waves white flag*

OK, that was so much harder than the first exercise! I couldn't think of ten different types of weather! I could think of multiple scenarios for one type of weather, but I just can't think of more than seven different types of weather. That is so bad, right? Like I said before, if this were my other story this would be easy. The heroine is sort of an avatar for Mother Nature and so the weather relates to her emotions. But I just couldn't think of anything for this current world building. After attempting for HOURS and still hitting that brick wall I finally gave up... Here's hoping tomorrow's exercise will be successful. This is going to be harder than I thought...

If you don't like this world, create your own. ;-)