What Do You Think About...Wednesday With Melissa Cunningham

Today's "What Do You Think About...Wednesday" question is being answered by one of my favorite friends, Author Melissa Cunningham. She is answering the question, What do you think about moods and how they affect your writing?

My dear friend, Sheila, called me today and asked for an emergency 'step-in' for her blog. I was happy to help, especially after she gave me the topic. “Can you write about your opinions on 'mood?”

Well, I'm female, so I more than qualify to have opinions and moods!

I'm mainly supposed to focus on how my moods affect my writing. I figure I'm like most other people, since we are all part of the human race, so hopefully what I say will ring true for you to some degree.

First of all, I have huge mood swings. I don't know if it's because I'm female (which would be what my husband would say) or because I have a personality disorder (which he might say also), but depending on how I feel, my writings soars or sinks.

I find it very difficult to be creative when I'm under stress about things unrelated to writing. If one of my kids is struggling, if I haven't planned my Sunday school lesson, or if I haven't worked out, I can't write, or at least write well. I try, but my brain won't focus. My mind wanders and find I'm getting more done of facebook than my current manuscript.

The remedy is this . . . . Get done what you need done before you sit down at the computer. Work out. We should all be doing that anyway considering how much our tushes are in the computer chair. I find that it clears my head better than anything.

There are times when I like to listen to music as I write. Mostly new age or classical. I've tried to write to rock and roll, but let's face it. I end up singing the words, then typing them down and we all know that none of my characters are going to say, “So, so what! I am a rock star!” Okay, well maybe they would, but you get what I'm saying.

So get your snacks ready, shut your door, and let the juices flow. If you're not mentally there—prepared and psyched, your work will show it. We all have moods. Make sure you're in the right one to write.

You can visit Melissa at her blog here. Thanks for being my guest today!!

Short Bio: I'm a mom with five kids. My husband and I own a plumbing business. I started writing about three and a half years ago, and haven't looked back since. I love it! It fulfills me. I wish I

would have started sooner, but better late than never. I'm in a fabulous critique group which I credit most of my success. A good critique group is priceless. Hopefully I can sell my books before I die. I'd like to enjoy the fame before I'm six feet under.