They’re Not Singing in the Rain

So this week we’re talking about weather in our books. I had to sit back and really think about this one because weather is more of a backdrop for my stories than anything. One book took place in Wyoming in the middle of winter. The rest took place in the south in the middle of summer. Meh, talk about nasty.

I’ve been feverishly working on a story and wrote an amazing 10k words yesterday. Before I had a chance to read Mikki and Jillian’s posts, I hadn’t given much thought to the weather other than hot. Then all of a sudden I had a vision of my heroine showing up at the hero’s place drenched from a sudden downpour.

 

I see it so clearly I know it’s going in the book. It’ll be their first kiss and right now I’m trying to decide if they’ll actually kiss in the rain because we all know how sexy and romantic that is. Then I started to wonder why it’s so attractive.

Maybe because the couple is completely oblivious to the rain soaking their clothes. They’re not thinking acid rain or ‘Aw man, this is silk!’. They’re thinking only of each other. It’s a consuming kiss that blocks out the rest of the world.

Maybe kissing the rain is appealing because it’s so elemental. Humans are passionate creatures. Placing a couple in the middle of a rainstorm, overcome by their love/desire for each other only enhances the feeling of how wonderful it is to be human.

Then there’s the idea that rain is just sexy. It’s water after all and as long as it isn’t storming so hard the drops pelt you like needles rather than gently tap against you, it can be very appealing. Think about it. In the midst of a passionate, mind-blowing kiss, your body is alive. Endorphines are pumping, your skin feels full of nerves, and as you’re kissing gentle raindrops drip all over you. Man…this is so going in my book.

If you think about it, some of the best kisses in movie history take place in the rain, or in the water. What was that movie? From Here to Eternity. I haven’t watched it, but I sure have seen the beach scene. It was mocked in Airplane! because it was so iconic. Then there was the upside-down-in-the-rain kiss from Spiderman. Yowsa, that was sexy. Or that kiss in The Notebook. I’m sure there are others, but those instantly come to mind.

So yeah, weather does play a great part in books and should. It can help set the scene. It can bring characters together. It can also enhance a scene, giving it more oomph. I only know one thing: There’s no singing in the rain here, only kissing.