Basic Trope: The story begins with a dark and stormy night.
- Straight:
- The first sentence says, "It was a dark and stormy night."
- The first scene of the movie takes place at night during a thunderstorm.
- Exaggerated:
- There are many dark and stormy nights in the tale, and the sentence, "It was a dark and stormy night," repeats for each one.
- It was a dark and stormy night of utter darkness, and a stormy lightning storm stormed.
- The story begins during a category 5 hurricane.
- Downplayed: It was night in a bright city during a light rain.
- Justified: It was a dark and stormy night in New York City, August 18, 2009.
- Inverted: It was a bright and calm day.
- Subverted:
- It was a dark and stormy night, with no storm, and the sun was up.
- It was a dark and stormy night, but the story happens somewhere else. It was afternoon with a blanket of snow.
- Double Subverted: It was a dark and stormy night, with no storm, and the sun was up, but then the sun set and the storm came.
- Parodied:
- "I opened the door. It was a dark and stormy knight."
- The in-universe characters notice the sudden dark and stormy weather and start cursing the author for whatever crap they will now have to go through.
- Zig Zagged: It was a clear night in Tokyo, and a stormy morning in Los Angeles.
- Averted:
- The book never describes the weather.
- The setting is indoors (with no windows), or in outer space, or anywhere that has no weather.
- Enforced:
- The author is entering the Lyttle Lytton Contest, and this is an appropriate opening.
- Just because it's a cliche opening line, it doesn't means it's a bad way to start.
- Lampshaded: It was a dark and stormy night, because these stories always begin with a dark and stormy night.
- Invoked:
- The monster waits for a dark and stormy night before attacking the village.
- In the first scene, a wizard uses Weather Manipulation to create a dark and stormy night.
- Exploited: The Mad Scientist needs some lightning, and the next storm is at night.
- Defied:
- "It was a dark and stormy night, so I waited until morning."
- "It was a dark and stormy night...no, I can't start my story off like this. Lemme try this again..."
- Discussed: Captain Obvious looks out the window. "I see a dark and stormy night!"
- Conversed: A reader opens a novel. "It was a dark and stormy night." The reader mutters, "Yet another Cliché Storm," and drops the novel.
- Played For Laughs: "It was a dark and stormy night. I'd forgotten my umbrella, and I came home drenched."
- Played For Drama: A character is in a bad mood, and the dark and stormy night only makes it worse.
- Played For Horror:
- "I remember the night the Shoreline Slasher killed my sister. It was a dark and stormy night, and I can imagine the thunder muffled her screams as he cut the skin off her face..."
- It's a dark and stormy night...and a tornado is coming. The characters have to find shelter before they get caught in the deadly winds.
It Was a Dark and Stormy Night, and a lone troper sat at his computer...
