Channel Your Emotions Into Your Writing

By Joe Williams

Many writers are under the assumption that they’re head has to be perfectly clear to get into “writing mode.” They make excuses, such as “I’m too angry from having a bad day to write” or “There’s no way I can write now, I’m stressed out.”

Something to remember, however, is that many of the greatest writers in the history of the world didn’t have a clear mind, as many were depressed or mentally unstable.

That’s why you need to learn how to channel your emotional energy—whatever it may be at the current moment—into your writing, instead of allowing it to hold you back.

For example, let’s say someone really got under your skin—a co-worker, a random person, whoever. Use that real-life emotion to create a character who becomes disgruntled by experiencing an annoyance of some kind.

If you attempt to use your emotional energy, you’ll notice right away that your writing is better.

Everyone understands emotions and how they affect people. They also understand that reading something with no emotion is boring and they most likely won’t finish it.

This is especially true for fiction. Feelings have to be believable, even if the story is made up. And what better way to allow readers to believe and truly feel what they’re reading than to apply a real, genuine emotion to your story?

It’s unfortunate, but we all get sad sometimes. It can also be hard to write in this condition, but encourage yourself to put some words on paper anyhow. Use your sorrow in your writing.

Maybe a tear-filled story will be the best thing you’ve ever written.

The same thing applies to joyous feelings. Happy endings are classic, but you can’t have one without truly describing genuine happiness.

Describing real emotions—whether happy, sad or horrifying—will help the reader experience the emotions as they read. When readers actually feel and experience the intense emotions on the page—that’s when you know you’ve done something amazing.

You should never let anything—especially your emotions—stop you from doing what you enjoy or what you were meant to do—write.

Whatever is thrown at you in life, it can be used to help you become a stronger writer.

Your own mind is what made you a writer in the first place, so it’s also the only thing that can keep you from writing—if you let it.

About the Author: Joe Williams is rock-n-roll singer/songwriter. He creates original writing daily, and believes it’s important for writers to find their own style.