One aspect of nature that’s always caught my attention are all the variations of natural light. How sunlight, and moonlight, illuminates the landscape often inspires settings for me. Writing about the natural light of a setting can add tension, foretell events, or soothe readers as they come to the end of your story. Below are some of the ways natural light inspires me.
Golden summer evening: Everyone has experienced how wonderfully relaxing a summer evening bathed in golden light is. It seems like the perfect setting for a low-key conclusion to a story, and that’s the setting for last chapter of my novel.
Bright sunrise: This kind of sunrise seems like a good setting for an upbeat ending to a story. It also makes a powerful contrast if most of you story has taken place at night, especially if the action has been harrowing for the characters.
Cloudy sunrise: If the day doesn’t start brightly, it seems to be a harbinger for a bad day. A cloudy sunrise could kick off a story, foretelling that things won’t go well for the main characters that day.
Bright, clear day: My mood almost always lifts when the humidity is so low that sky is clear of clouds and at its most brilliant blue. It seems like a day overflowing with possibilities. A great way to start an adventure. Or I can use the day was a counterpoint. My main character wants to get out into the gorgeous day and is trapped inside. Nature itself seems to be against her, like the other reasons which are forcing her to stay inside.
Weird light: Unusual weather circumstances can affect the light strangely. One spring morning when my kids were small, I woke up after my husband had already gone to work. The blinds were drawn in my bedroom, so my first view of the day was when I stepped out of my bedroom. Through the windows in my living room, I saw the morning sky was yellow. My first thought: TORNDADO! Immediately, I turned on the TV and found out that severe weather was passing. I can’t remember if the storms produced tornadoes but we didn’t experience anything more than normal thunderstorms.
Unusual weather like the yellow sky calls for dramatic action. My main character could be struggling toward a goal and a storm can be an obstacle or the symbol of obstacles he must over come. Or it could be the backdrop for the ultimate clash between to strong-willed characters.
How does natural lighting affect you? Do you see it as another element in your settings?
Great point! I love the way lighting affects the mood of a story- I know it affects my mood! I am far more productive and active on sunny mornings.
One of the reasons I like film noir is because the lighting adds so much to the mood of the movie.