Everyday Canvas

Writing: Where the Writer's Mood is Concerned

Prompt: We often make the mistake that we have to be "in the right mood to write". Do you simply sit down and write? Or do you procrastinate until you are in the right mood? Do you need to have a topic when you start writing or do you let your mind take you wherever?


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Yes, I sit down and write, but not everything or anything, even if it is a must and it has a deadline. By that I mean, let’s say there’s an unfinished story that needs to be finished. If I force myself, I’ll write it, but that specific assignment will either end up going to dogs or I’ll just not write it. Case in point, I have a half-finished novel, whose storyline I sort of have designed many years ago, which means I know where the plot will go. Yet, when I sit down to it, I feel like gagging. After that novel, I finished a few other novels, but that one just festers. That is why my advice usually is to finish the novel without any regard to editing or fine points.

On the other hand, when I sit down to write, free-flowing or writing anything that comes to me--a poem, an article, or even a list or a story outline--is the way to go. I love to write and can write just about any time, as long as it is whatever strikes my fancy at the moment, and also, I can write for hours and enjoy myself immensely.

The topic? That, too, depends. Sometimes, I only write whatever. At other times, with eyes closed, picking three random words from different pages of a book--any book, but a dictionary is the best--is the right inspiration for my writing. I have a few notebooks filled with this type of exercises. I also write from photos, mostly from a folder in my computer that is titled Photos to Write From, into which I add photos that evoke some kind of a sentiment at first sight. In addition, I take a sentence from any place and continue writing from it. Afterwards, I erase the borrowed sentence, for interesting effects. The few prompts books in my possession are rarely referred to, although reading them is enjoyable.

I write in my laptop or with pen into a notebook; either will do. Typing at the computer is my preferred method, but the screen has a way of bothering my eyes if I stare at it too long. When nothing is available to write with, while in a car or wherever, I look for story ideas and watch people in action. Although those things are almost always forgotten, possibly some part of what I write later is influenced by such observations.

Although the writing process is my favorite thing ever, I am not that good or I'm rather easily bored with editing and revising, which up-and-coming writers do need to pay attention to. I am not a good one to follow with this.

All writers have their own styles of approaching writing, and every one of those styles are perfectly all right as long as they work for the writers. Each one of us is a different person and there is no correct way or set rule to writing.