I think that's a stupid rule (she says while stomping her feet).
Think about it: weather carries all kind of inherent drama. As I'm riding out the remnants of Hurricane Isaac, I secretly think of all the cool stories that can come from a storm like this:
A body washes up in the flood, but autopsies show the murder was committed last year.
An evacuee goes missing, but leaves clues on her way north.
A bag of money is found in a soggy attic/bedroom wall (can you picture someone hanging hundred dollar bills out to dry, deciding what to do?)
From these examples, you can tell I'm a mystery writer. With all respect to the real-life misery disasters can bring, as a writer, I love the potential drama: hurricanes, blizzards, tornadoes--why not use them to start a story? And why not open with that dark and stormy night? Seems like the perfect way to tell us there's a mystery coming...
How about you, fellow writers? Ever used the weather to bring some drama to the page?
