No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader--Robert Frost--
Do you let your mood affect your writing? Or does your writing influence your mood?
In my case I think both situations are true. When I am in a good mood, I definitely create better scenes. I see the images in my mind, like a video playing only for me and I immediately record the scene before I forget it. My thoughts flow and the words follow. I concentrate on the story, put myself in the head of my characters, experience their emotions and really feel their pain or their joy. I often find myself crying while writing a painful situation, or laughing at a funny scene.
In my experience, the best creative work is never done when one is unhappy-- Albert Einstein—
If I am crying or laughing while editing, I know my scene is good. But if I have trouble getting my sentences to convey the emotion of the moment, I will have to rewrite the scene.
Reading your work at different moments will show a scene in a different light, hence the necessity to read, edit and revise after writing each chapter and after finishing the manuscript. Your readers are not going to read your book only when they are in a good mood. Most often than not, they read to unwind and relax. To get immersed in emotions stronger than their own, emotions that will help them forget their stress or their pain.
Can we provide our readers with emotions that will pull them out of their daily life?
We can and we should, but this is only possible if we completely forget ourselves, our problems and emotions to dig deeper into our characters’ emotions. If you want to keep writing when you are tired or depressed, be aware it may show in your writing.
I can start writing while not in the right mood. If my plot is well thought, soon my story will unfold and carry me away from myself and personal problems. In a way, I become my heroine; I concentrate on her goal and help her solve her problems.
The skill of writing is to create a context in which other people can think.--Edwin Schlossberg--
So, do you let your mood affect your writing? Or does your writing influence your mood?
4 comments:
No, I just sit and write. I feel nothing other than "I am writing and everyone must leave me the hell alone." Probably sort of like a manic going on
I have difficulty writing if I am very stressed about something. I write, but I reserve that time to write something that is somber or low key.
If I'm caught up in something else in my life and in the 'wrong' mood, I still find as soon as I sit down to write I forget everything but my story. It transports me into my own world more effectively than reading. Time also passes fast. Three hours can feel like five minutes!
Well said. Excellent blog, Mona.
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