WEATHER AND EARTHLY PHENOMENON THESAURUS

MIST OR FOG



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HELPFUL TIP:

Don’t be afraid to pair weather conditions with your setting choice to contrast or reinforce a character’s emotions. Hopelessness might be mirrored in the relentless drizzle of rain and the resulting heavy drag of one’s clothes; alternatively, this feeling can stand out in stark contrast to sunlight dancing over fresh snow. Can weather also provide symbolism, thereby enriching the reader’s experience? Think about your goal for the scene and the mood you are trying to create, and then layer your description with meaningful choices.
SIGHTS:
A haze that slides over the landscape
Curls of smoky air currents that obscure one's surroundings
A haze that hovers near the ground 
A patchy film that has different densities and makes distances difficult to determine
Seeing movement but being able to track it
Odd shadows caused by structures
Trees and landforms
Colors that appear muted or washed out
Nearby structures with blurry edges and indistinct shapes

SMELLS:
Mists will pick up the smells of the landscape it inhabits: brine and algae near water sources; earthy scents in a forest; stagnant water and rotting vegetation near a swamp; pollutants such as exhaust, garbage and oil from fast food chains in an unban area, etc.

TEXTURES AND SENSATIONS:
A cold, dewy sensation against the skin
Damp clothing
Damp air wetting one's hair and skin

SOUNDS:
This weather element creates no sound of its own but it does muffle the way sound travels. Also, in nature, animals would be less likely to make noise for fear of alerting invisible predators to their presence. All of this may create a sense of unnatural quiet in a misty environment.

REINFORCING A MOOD:
By their natures, mist and fog obscure and hide. They cause an atmosphere of mystery and uncertainty, and when danger is present (or is perceived to be), they can escalate a character's fear. Because characters rely more on sight than on any other sense, the visibility restrictions, combined with the unpleasant feeling of cold and damp, can easily play on their emotions. 

SYMBOLISM:
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COMMON CLICHÉS:
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WEATHER NOTES:
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SCENARIOS FOR ADDING CONFLICT OR TENSION:
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