An
interesting thing happened to me this morning. In only a few minutes I went
from being sad about some news I was given to ecstatic because of some praise I
received from my boss. During this change my inclination to write certain
scenes in a certain way shifted entirely, too.
The
curious little bug that I am, this lead me to question my methods. I began
analyzing my personal habits and why it is that my inclination shifted. I wanted
to know what the connection was between that shift and my writing style. I am a
non-linear writer, you see. Most things I write do not fall into a straight
line. My writings do not seamlessly blend to form the greater whole. Instead,
they are more stitched together like a patchwork quilt.
This
morning got me thinking: why is this the manner in which I write? Can the
answer behind my writing style benefit others in some way? After some critical thinking
and analyzing, I came up with this:
When
writing, one of the most important tools I use is my moods. I take advantage of
my emotional state and bond it to a scene that matches. When sad, I pull a sad
scene from my stack of cards and write that. When happy-rosy, I search for a
fun or comedic scene and go to town. When over-stimulated thanks to coffee or
Coca-Cola (which I am overly addicted to, just so you know,) I reach for a
fight scene and type as fast and furiously as my fingers will allow.
As
well, I do not push myself into a scene I cannot relate to simply to ensure
everything goes in proper order. If sad, I do not try and force myself to write
a happy scene. When happy, I do not force the sad. And so it goes. Writing
something I cannot put myself into feels like wasting time, effort and energy.
Using
my moods as strengths helps with creativity, avoiding burn-out, and even end-product.
Beta boy can tell what kind of mood I was in when I wrote a particular piece
just by the tone and quality of the writing. For example: my sense of humor is extremely
blunt. Beta boy says that if my comedy doesn’t “punch him in the face” then I
obviously wasn’t in the proper mood to write jokes. He also says that if I’m in
the wrong mood to write a certain scene that the scene comes out as seeming forced
or rushed.
That
being said, I challenge all of you to sit down and really think about what kind
of mood you are in. Use that mood as the basis for what you write in that
moment. See if the feel of the writing is better, the same or worse. Do your
words flow well, or are you so overwhelmed by your current moment that you feel
stumped? Are you more satisfied both with the act of writing itself and/ or
with your end-product? Have you learned anything about yourself by analyzing
your emotions and how they affect your writing?
As
always, I’d love to hear feedback on the subject. I’m always curious about the
experiences others have during their writing journey. Thanks in advance to
anyone who takes the time to comment and, as well, thanks in advance to anyone
who takes the time to read my words.
Until
Next Time,
