Why bother turning that frown upside down when you can turn it into dark, twisted writing instead? I've been in a bit of a foul mood over the last couple of days because of this and that and I finally decided to do something other that brood.
You know those characters or scenes which are tricky to write? The ones which are just such a stretch that writing them feels something like laying down in a pit and having molten metal poured over top of you? The ones you have to get so far out of your own comfort-zone to really nail down that it doesn't even feel like you wrote it anymore? Well, as it turns out, emotional extremes tap into something innate which draws us out of our heads temporarily. We become someone slightly different yet slightly the same. There's Amanda A and Amanda B. Amanda A can't zone in on mental disorders and fact checking because Amanda B is screaming about how this character is psychotic and desperate to have a raw, gritty breakdown. Run with what your B-side tells you to do.
We all have a little crazy in us and when we're emotional it's much easier to tap into that crazy. While writing doesn't help resolve my problems, it's certainly one of the healthier outlets out there and keeps me sane until I decide I'm ready to deal with them. Next time you're in a bad mood, why not give writing a try? You might surprise yourself.
As intimidating as the thought was; I had expected to read a short horror story! Well I can't say I haven't learned anything out of it.
ReplyDeletep.s. peanut butter