You might be wondering what a haboob is. I first learned about the word when my daughter Facetimed me from Arizona to show the bizarre weather in her city.
To her left, lightning pulsed in purple and pink clouds faster than a rock band's drummer beats the skin. To her right, a wall of sand. She had front row seats--hiding inside her apartment.
A haboob only takes place when a thunderstorm collapses. Cold wind falls to the ground, scoops up desert sand, then, like a battering ram, bowls forward tossing sand into the air thousands of feet high. The length of the haboob can be miles long, and it will continue until it runs out of energy.
How can writers use haboob as an ingredient in writing?
1. Like a story twist, a haboob appears unexpectedly, powerfully, dramatically. Every genre has a place of honor for the story twist. It is the zest. The points in the story (because there should be more than one) readers will remember long after the book is closed. The twist is the tablecloth snatched away, leaving the dishes and observers surprised. Amazed.
As your character's journey drifts forward, something unexpected must happen. Think of our lives. They are hardly prescriptive. From weddings to family reunions, something crazy happens. Later, when the event is remembered, what part of the story is told? The haboob.
2. Secondary characters need a haboob. Think Tiny Tim from A Christmas Carol. He is not the main character. He took the stage for a short time yet his role was powerful, dramatic, and memorable without stealing the story.
3. The story climax needs a haboob. Like a firework finale, readers will gasp, cheer, laugh, weep--all out emotionally participate when the climax is vibrant, powerful, and dramatic. This scene will propel readers to the last pages and spur them to tell their friends about the book.
A haboob is not always negative. A haboob can create laughter. Spark a warm memory.
Your story will be haboobly enhanced
When adding story twist haboobs,
Secondary character haboobs,
and a dynamic story climax haboob.
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