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Writers: Help me understand, please.

For some time now I have had this inner conflict and I don't understand it and I don't know whether I am thinking straight or not. So, I can only write when I am overwhelmed with emotions. Sadness, to be specific. I feel like I write best when I am melancholic and this is going to sound weird, but just listen to me, I feel like if I want to be a good writer, I have to stick to my sadness. Has anyone been through this before? What is it that is wrong with me?
Am I overthinking? idek I am becoming happier in life but the writing is becoming worse too. Is it just me overthinking?
Sadness is a strong emotion and as humans we use emotions, be it sadness, love, anger or otherwise, to drive us to do something. It sounds like you've been using this emotion as a drive or tool to get you to write.

However, emotions are rather fickle and can be extremely unreliable as we can't often control them without allowing them to control and eventually consume us (as has been the case with you).

If you want to help yourself, you need to stop relying and falling back on this negative emotion to fuel your writing. You need to discipline yourself and develop your skill which I assume has been left neglected. The problem you're facing is that your writing might actually be unrefined because you haven't methodically gone about improving it. Even if these strong emotions conjure up brilliant and imaginative ideas, it might be that your execution is actually quite poor because you haven't developed the skill.

Ergo, you assume your writing is better because it appears as so but the reality could be that it's not and that you're being misled by your emotions and ideas.
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Anonymous #1
OP
Original post by Quick-use
Sadness is a strong emotion and as humans we use emotions, be it sadness, love, anger or otherwise, to drive us to do something. It sounds like you've been using this emotion as a drive or tool to get you to write.

However, emotions are rather fickle and can be extremely unreliable as we can't often control them without allowing them to control and eventually consume us (as has been the case with you).

If you want to help yourself, you need to stop relying and falling back on this negative emotion to fuel your writing. You need to discipline yourself and develop your skill which I assume has been left neglected. The problem you're facing is that your writing might actually be unrefined because you haven't methodically gone about improving it. Even if these strong emotions conjure up brilliant and imaginative ideas, it might be that your execution is actually quite poor because you haven't developed the skill.

Ergo, you assume your writing is better because it appears as so but the reality could be that it's not and that you're being misled by your emotions and ideas.

You might be right, but I feel like I have been feeding myself this nonsense about sadness inspiring good writing for so long that it seems frightening to change my mindset. I wouldn't say my writing is good, just that it feels authentic and meaningful when it is written during a period of intense emotions. Writing is easier when I am emotional. Comes easily. I definitely do need to practice writing. I just feel so hopeless :frown: I was talking to another young aspiring writer and they were able to relate with me in regards to using emotions.

How does one develop literary skills? For so long now I was just writing what I wanted to. What I thought of. Spontaneously.
Original post by Anonymous
You might be right, but I feel like I have been feeding myself this nonsense about sadness inspiring good writing for so long that it seems frightening to change my mindset. I wouldn't say my writing is good, just that it feels authentic and meaningful when it is written during a period of intense emotions. Writing is easier when I am emotional. Comes easily.

How does one develop literary skills? For so long now I was just writing what I wanted to. What I thought of. Spontaneously.

You lack discipline because you keep falling back on this habit. It won't help you improve in the long run.

If you want to improve, you have to be strict with yourself and you have to learn to write under regular moods and not just ones of sadness. You have to unlearn some bad habits and replace them with better ones.
Reply 4
Avatar for Surnia
Surnia
20
Original post by Anonymous
You might be right, but I feel like I have been feeding myself this nonsense about sadness inspiring good writing for so long that it seems frightening to change my mindset. I wouldn't say my writing is good, just that it feels authentic and meaningful when it is written during a period of intense emotions. Writing is easier when I am emotional. Comes easily. I definitely do need to practice writing. I just feel so hopeless :frown: I was talking to another young aspiring writer and they were able to relate with me in regards to using emotions.

How does one develop literary skills? For so long now I was just writing what I wanted to. What I thought of. Spontaneously.

What exactly are you writing? And what genre do you want to write in future; poetry, short stories, novel? How do you want it to be published?

There's a big difference between putting your thoughts down on paper and it being meaningful to you, and writing something something marketable with a broader appeal. Don't just aspire to be a writer, because it takes a lot to do that and it's not just emotion that will make you so. Research, experience, organisation and, yes, discipline are needed.

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