Writing Through The Drama

It’s really hard for me to try to write when I’m feeling extremes of emotion.   The emotion can be either end of the scale.  If I’m feeling extremely happy or excited, I’m all jittery inside, or I just can’t make myself sit down at the computer.  If I’m extremely upset or angry, then it’s hard to put it aside and find my rhythm.

I think that’s because writing, as with any creative endeavor, requires you to enter what is almost a different state of consciousness.  As I write, I feel myself sinking into the characters and the situations in which they find themselves.  If I’m in a good, stable, peaceful frame of mind it is much simpler (although never simple) to push through the closet of coats and break out into Narnia.  If I’m in an extreme state of emotion, well, it ain’t pretty.

I’m finding that if I want to be a productive and consistent writer (and I do), then I can’t let my emotions influence whether or not I write.  If I sit around waiting for that perfect zen writing mindset to hit me, I’ll be old and gray before I finish my second book.

Oh, wait.  I am old and gray.  Well, you know what I mean.

So, if I want to write, I have to write regardless of how I feel. I have to write regardless of the drama going on in my life. It doesn’t matter if I’m angry or happy or sad or excited or irritated.  I have to save the drama for my mama, sit down, and do the work.

The added benefit is that if I can get started, nine times out of ten the act of writing itself will help to settle me and bring me back to the center. So I guess the key is to go towards creativity when I’m feeling stressed instead of going towards things like, you know, food.  Or chocolate.

And the best part is that if I’m writing, I can create a scene where the heroine eats chocolate AND gets busy with a hunky hero.

Win!