The story moves to a satisfying conclusion only by making choices that lead to discovery and caring. I assume the reader seeks to find ways to be a decent, kind person within the story.

Forces of Nature is not all sweetness and light. Bad things can happen, sometimes as a result of the reader's choice, sometimes outside of his or her control.

All actions have consequences, either good or bad. At the beginning of the story, choosing to explore randomly without searching specifically for an elderly woman's medicine can cause her death. Being kind to the woman opens up later new avenues of discussion when the reader talks to her. The reader can choose to harm, if not kill, the old woman. Choosing this action will have unpleasant consequences. Nevertheless, the option is there and so are the consequences.

There are three time periods in Snow Night: late afternoon, night, and morning. Different events occur and the environment changes across these three time periods. Things happen in different locations at different times and can be missed the reader. Exploration is the key at every time period. A location will be different in the morning than it was in the evening.

Forces of Nature is subtitled, A Continuing Fable. A fable is a short literary composition conveying a universal cautionary or moral truth. The moral is usually summed up at the end of the story, which generally tells of conflict among animals that are given the attributes of human beings. The fable differs from the parable, also a short narrative designed to convey a moral truth, in that the fable is concerned with the impossible and improbable, whereas the parable always deals with possible events. Both fables and parables are forms of allegory. In Forces of Nature, events have the feel of what could be but not what is. This is a story meant to both entertain and deliver insights about our relationships to each other and to nature around us.

The development of character is important in any story. Every character pursues his or her own goals within the story. All character-driven events in the story occur for a reason. Part of the mystery of Forces of Nature is to glimpse the backstory, the full context of the story. Who are these people and what is their purpose?

The SUDS software used to create the story provides a framework for branching conversations. This powerful feature is used extensively in Forces of Nature to provide depth and insight into story events. Conversations are most often time dependent. If time passes and certain conversations are not initiated, new information and avenues of action can be overlooked.

I hope to make Forces of Nature an exciting adventure for young and old readers. There is nothing aimless or insignificant in the story. One challenge after another propels the reader forward.