Craft Notes: “The Storm”
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Before I moved to Kansas City, I was terrified of tornados. Coming from Boston, I was used to blizzards or hurricanes, but there was something about a lone tornado carving a path of destruction that felt more lethal. As I spent more time here, I got used to the monthly tornado alarm tests, and experienced my first tornado watch. I learned that, while powerful and destructive, tornados—like all threats from the natural world—demand respect, not fear.
During a severe weather warning in 2018, I learned that storm spotters (who are different from storm chasers) play an important role in tracking tornados, and I came across a website where storm spotters record livestream footage of tornados. I knew that I wanted to research it further and write a story about it.
Here are the steps I took to write, The Storm:
Initial Premise
I initially had an idea to write a story about a couple in a dysfunctional relationship, symbolized by the storm. I thought it would be more interesting to develop it with supernatural elements:
What if the woman could control the weather?
What if the man had a hero complex, but she was more powerful than him?
How would their abilities affect their relationship?
I started brainstorming ways to create tension between the couple, what trauma they experienced that made them co-dependent on each other, and what kind of external crisis they were facing that could play against their relationship problems, and their inner, individual struggles.
Initial Research
I started by researching storm chasers. I learned there’s a difference between a storm chaser (a dare-devil enthusiast) and a storm spotter, a trained official who records storms for public safety. I read testimonials on Reddit from both storm spotters and storm chasers, learned about training methods for storm spotters, and researched weather patterns.
Draft, Structure, Draft
My ideas start to take shape when I “hear” them as stories. I heard the line, “In the morning, she smells the storm,” and I knew I wanted to switch perspectives between the woman and the man, and conclude with the same phrase, “in the morning.”
I started loosely drafting to get a sense of the characters and their history, while recording a rough outline. There were too many plot holes, so I looked at other stories about dysfunctional relationships to study how they were structured and took some notes.
I read pieces from Raymond Carver’s What We Talk About When We Talk About Love, noting to write simply and directly about dysfunction to avoid melodrama. I also watched Blue Valentine to assess the conflict between the couple. There was no specific protagonist vs. antagonist, but the main characters’ unresolved trauma leads to bad choices, increasing the tension through mistrust and resentment.
When I considered the dynamic between the couple in The Storm, I realized what I had in mind was similar to Hans Christian Anderson’s original version of The Little Mermaid, where the mermaid sacrifices herself for the prince. With a familiar structure that I could use as a model, I could start drafting the characters and setting that would add a twist to the classic tale.
I went back to drafting, often listening to the Drive soundtrack for inspiration.
Final Research and Complete Draft
There were still a few plot holes, especially towards the end of the story. I went back to my research and reviewed my notes on tornados and storm chasers. I tried to see what emotional connection I could extrapolate from facts and protocol to finish the piece. When I saw a list specific risks that storm chasers have to watch out for (hydroplaning, down powerlines, running out of gas), it helped me figure out how he was in danger, and how she saves him.
Because I had done so much work on the structure and outline as I was writing, I felt confident in the plot. When I was revising, I focused more on line edits for clarity and polished the prose before publishing.
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