Does your mood dictate your writing? Is there a certain emotion/mood your in that means you can't write - or can you only write in a certain mood/mind frame.
I suffer from bouts of depression and when these occur I'm unable to write. Film writer Lars von Trier also suffers from extreme stages of depression and he is the opposite - he said that he can only write when the depression occurs. My writing is usually quite dark and angsty so I assumed when I suffered from a particular bad spell it wouldn't be a problem - it is. I can't write at all. I can only write when I'm feeling happy because I have more confidence in myself. What about you - can you write no matter what your mood or is there a certain mood you can/can't write in?
I find certain music puts me in the mood to write certain scenes in my book and the mood I had before I started writing is then largely irrelevant.
I wouldn't normally comment in a place such as this on "brain health" - but...
I have practical experience in myself, relatives and friends of Depression, Parkisonism, MS, MND, Altzheimers and more... Oh yes, and good health (whatever that is).
We might add in Dyslexia, Autism, different learning styles and a whole host of other things.
The one thing they all have in common is that every individual person's brain is wired uniquely for that person. This is extremely important to recognise. It means that what works for any one person may, or may not, work for any other person.
Each person's brain is unique and entirely their own.
I suppose that this could be a bit scary...
Then again - it means that if "what works" for anyone else - be it one person or many - doesn't work for one's self - it doesn't matter at all... They are just different from me (and vice versa).
As for mood affecting the ability to write...
I've just had a rotten week - even woke up this morning feeling like I had needles in my eyes...
I still can't get the hang of recognising when I have hayfever rather than a cold... :-(
And, yes, it has affected my inclination to write - and that is really annoying...
Friday of last week(19th) I had stalled on my main project... Saturday I heard something that unplugged the problem... And I haven't managed to do anything significant about it all week - but - the solution and the main project are still there... When I feel less yeuk and more energetic they will still be there - and I will plod on with them...
Writing should, after all, be enjoyable... for many of us it's not very likely to be profitable! :-)
Meanwhile, back at anything to do with the brain... It is really worth making efforts to discover how one's own brain works (uniquely).
I suffered depression back in the 70s when the whole subject was virtually taboo and understanding had hardly moved out of the trees... The "One size fits all" solutions and chemical fixes (fortunately I missed the electrical ones) did not work for me... This was not my being difficult - the fixes may have suppressed (for a time) but they did not help me properly... I'm stroppy and difficut - so I ploughed on in my own way - and (eventually) found the answers that my brain needed.
Now I am completely nuts!!! :-)
"Mood" is only a variation on a continuum. If it plays see-saw or yo-yo it certainly doesn't help - and it really does make sense to seek assistance - things are much better now - but still look for answers for you as a unique individual not the "one size fits all".
Different things can work for different people -
Oil of Evening Primrose and vitamin B6 worked for my late wife.
Vitamin D (especially in the winter) works for me.
Then again - a good walk or a bike ride work for some - too much energy required for me!
One thing that I did learn (eventually) was to not fight being down - to not fret about what I "should be doing" and what I was "failing to do"... I found that relaxing and letting the tide of YEUK wash over me - and beyond - let it pass... Then I could get on with things again... This was/is good.
Oh - and one thing that is really good for me - to get to the seaside in a good storm and let the wind blow the cobwebs out of my head... A huge sea and roaring wind puts things in a different perspective for me. :-)
David
The only time I can really write is if I'm listening to music or I've had a dream that has given me ideas. If i didnt do these things i would have writers block since i cant seem to write without them.