Add Water and Clouds, Get Stirred

Gloom has the power to stir the creative process. Rainy skies and thick clouds make a cozy envelope for the imagination. Add a cup of tea and some geographic isolation, and you've got the perfect set-up for writing a masterpiece. This recipe worked wonders for the Bronte sisters who grew up at Haworth, a parsonage on the bleak moors of Yorkshire, England.

Once their mother died, the Bronte children spent much of their time reading and doing household chores. Emily Bronte attended school only sporadically, but her family's reading culture provided her with a strong literary foundation. By combining her knowledge of the classics with rich childhood imaginings, Emily was able to create "Wuthering Heights", one of the greatest novels in the English language.

The story of Cathy and Heathcliff mixes fact and illusion so skillfully the reader needs an occasional pinch from the narrator to remind us which generation of Earnshaws we're watching. The ultimate effect of the book is to create a seamless tale that moves from past to present, ghost to flesh, and dream to reality without losing our interest.

Emily Bronte's book is a monument to the power of gloom. She uses it to blur the edges of her story, making it more intriguing. Next time the skies darken and the mist rises, milk that moment for its mystery. Then pour yourself into your writing.