Susan and John Ruff, Fantasy Authors

Yesterday morning, I went for a walk in the fog. While the San Diego County coastal region often gets a “marine layer” of low morning clouds, a heavy ground fog is not as common. As I often do while I am walking, I thought about writing. With all those heavy white clouds obscuring my vision, it was natural for me to focus on the subject of fog.

So that is what led to the topic of today’s post: a fog blog.

My personal feelings about fog have always been mixed. While fog can be very pretty and even add a mysterious beauty to a place, I often find it annoying.

Fog can cause trouble for sightseers and drivers. Some of my most harrowing experiences behind the wheel involved navigating in the fog at night. I had to slow my car to a crawl and hope that nothing jumped out at me. Even during my morning walk yesterday, I had to be extra cautious of cars that might not notice me from a distance.

While not as dangerous, fog during a sightseeing trip can be frustrating. During our visit to the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland, for example, fog obscured the view. Instead of seeing the spectacular cliffs, we got to see the Fog of Moher.

As an author, on the other hand, I really appreciate fog. A foggy scene instantly creates a mysterious or frightening atmosphere. I wonder how many murder mysteries or spy novels include at least one scene set in a thick fog?

Fog also has a place in fantasy stories. Tolkien used it to good effect in the Barrow Downs near the beginning of the Fellowship of the Ring. Not only did the fog add a dangerous and creepy feel to the area, it also served to get the hapless Hobbits completely lost.

Magical fog plays a large role in John and my most recent novel the Grand Door, the third book of the Doorway to Magic trilogy. I don’t want to give any spoilers for the story, but I can say that the fog was intended to highlight the troubled nature of magic in Exios.

And speaking of heavy clouds being annoying to sightseers…. Here is a picture I took on a cruise ship in the far north at 12:00 a.m. on June 21 a few years ago. We had gone on deck to see the midnight sun and got…well…the midnight clouds. But, at least, it wasn’t fog!

Talk to you in November,

-Susan 10/4/2024