Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Oh, the Angst!



Sometimes--for me, anyway--emotions can get in the way of writing.  Ever try to bang out a couple thousand words of a fight scene but you're in a sparkly-unicorn-farts good mood?  Or attempt to write a chapter of happiness, only to discover that the funk you're in makes this next-to-impossible? 

This usually happens to me when the moods are extreme, but I have a feeling we've all been there.  

On the other hand, sometimes emotions take us to strange places as writers, even inspiring us.  I had the dubious pleasure recently of being so upset, so absolutely throw-down-and-kick-some-ass angry, that if anyone was around me at the time, I'm sure they would have spontaneous exploded, or would have gotten this kind of response: 


But in the middle of my rage, a line came to me out of the blue, and I'm sure if I hadn't been in such a terrible mood, I'd never have thought of it.  And no, I'm not going to share it with you...I'm not that generous.  But I'm saving it for when I get a chance to use it in some future work of mine.

Has this ever happened to you?  Do you write better when you feel the same as the scene you're writing?  Or can you turn it off and write whatever you need to, no matter what?  Tell me!

xoxo Sarah

4 comments:

  1. Good morning, Sarah,
    Very interesting post. I can become emotional over a scene I'm writing. Picture Kathleen Turner in Romancing the Stone. LOL But I guess I do turn off those rare blood boiling moments I have and write what the story needs despite how I feel. It's not an easy thing to do. Something I just have walk away until my mood changes. Thanks goodness it doesn't happen often. Have a great Wednesday. :)

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    1. Morning, Nancy! I hear you...it's not easy, but it is necessary to learn how to do. And emotions can certainly make scenes a little easier or harder to write. :-)

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  2. No, I usually don't have issues with writing due to emotional stuff, but I tend to stay pretty even most of the time.
    Lines do come at me at odd times, though, and I have to have things to write them down on.

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    1. Notebooks all over the place--or scraps of paper, or napkins, etc.--definitely seem popular for us writers.

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