Writing about extreme heat, by Elizabeth Kay
So last month I wrote about extreme cold, when the temperature in Finland was -34.5⁰. Last week I went to the Gambia, where it was over 40⁰. I am sitting here in Surrey writing this covered with insect bites, and really feeling the cold even though it isn’t cold at all. It’s just the contrast. Contrast is so important when you’re writing. When you shift from one setting to another you have to think about all the senses that make it come alive, and how things differ from your previous location. Visually: bright or dull? Busy or quiet? Sound: Voices? Traffic? Birdsong? Music? Silence? Smell: Foliage, flowers, cooking, wet dogs, drains? Taste: bland or exotic? Sweet or savoury? Familiar or unfamiliar? And finally, touch. That’s when you really notice the heat. Can you walk across a tiled floor by a swimming pool without burning your feet? Does picking up a glass of cold beer/Coke/Wonjo juice feel like heaven? Are you just as hot as night? What do you wear, and how well do you sleep?...