Mental State/Mood and Writing

Hiya, Authors

I’m curious. How does your mental state or mood affect your writing? And does publishing here affect your mental health or mood?

Let me elaborate using my own experiences. I’ve done my most prolific writing here while stressed or grieving the most. It was between 2019-2021. Writing has been a cathartic thing. An escape for me. But it’s a fine line. I can also reach a stress point where I shut down and can’t write at all. It’s funny but Taylor Swift mentioned being worried her songwriting would suffer if she found happiness in all areas of her life. How does your mood or life circumstances affect your writing?

As to the other question, I’ve made an effort to NOT let stats or comp placements or what other authors are doing affect my love of publishing here. It’s only affected me the few times when negative energy was directed at me. How does it affect you? Do you feel down or not want to publish unless you are getting X number of likes, reads, whatever? Do stories’ successes around your story affect your love of writing your own story? Does any of that have lasting effects on your mood? If you get recognized in a comp, RR, EP, etc, are you satisfied and feel like you reached a milestone or do you then feel a pressure to keep receiving those things?

As writers, we are creative beings, and I think our emotions can run higher than others. I’ve always thought creative people can feel things more intensely and differently. It can be a good thing and a bad thing. I’m always trying to find more joy in my life, and I analyze, work on my own mental health often. I’m a work in progress, and it definitely affects my writing.

This is a very interesting question, Kimmi. I have had similar nibbling thoughts for a long time, but I really need to give it a good think before attempting a coherent answer.

I have depression and don't deal with it well, I admit. It absolutely has affected my writing negatively. This will be my least prolific year publishing by far.

I used to feel a way about my stories not getting great scores, because the effort put in didn't seem worth it at times. Now I am in-between when it comes to that.

So many ideas form in my head, but I just jot the premise in my notes and hardly get to drafting because it's a matter sometimes of, "Dawg, who gives a shit?" and other such negativity that pops up.

As a quick aside, it could explain why some of my stories published within the last year had more grim consequences in them. So can't say the Super Saiyan depression didn't do something for me.

I get that Carlton. ❤️ I wrote some dark stuff when my parents’ Alzheimer’s was really hitting me hard. It helped in a weird way.

Depression’s a bitch because of the negative voices. It doesn’t want you to feel better. Several professionals have told me to speak positives aloud. It’s hard to hear voices in your head when you are talking out loud. it’s hard but try to reach out to others during those times.

The world is in chaos, so I’m back to writing whimsical children’s stories. Ha! I’m trying to manifest some of that, I guess.

You’re a great writer and definitely write stuff that makes us feel!

Great questions! I need to be not stressed or depressed to write dirty stories, or any kind of stories. When things are going well in my life, when I'm feeling relatively happy, that's when I can be interested in sex and humor and creating my story worlds. If I'm feeling low, or not having sex in real life, then I sure as heck don't feel like writing about other people having sex. I suppose this ties into my stories being light-hearted and not having heavy themes or unpleasant endings.

As for stats, I try not to put a lot of stock into them, but it stings a little when I write what I think is a good story and it sits for months at 5 likes, 1 comment, and under 500 views. (Ooh, now I can pimp some of my stories!) I've had one Recommended Read, În Vânt (Into The Wind), out of nearly 50 stories published; it was a bit different from what I usually write, with more sensory descriptions and very little dialogue because the characters didn't speak English, and I guess my usual style just isn't quite what the editors are looking for. I was all excited when I published July 4th, 1926, The Musical and recorded a song for it, thinking maybe it would receive some recognition, but it didn't get much attention and I tried not to pout about it too much. I know that I have maybe a dozen loyal readers who really like my stuff, and I'm glad for that. I love going back and re-reading my own stories, and I'm happy that I can entertain Future Chet as well. Beyond that, who can say?

I think social media has programmed us all to equal our worth to likes, etc. It feels good to be popular. Of course, it does! But seeking validation in numbers can be a big thief of joy.

I try to think about it like this: if you have 1 comment, that person chose you above all others in that particular moment. Is their time and thought only worth something to you if 99 other people like you, too? Someone told me this and it really changed my perspective. Then I thought about if I was that 1 person and read the author complaining about no one liking their story. That made me think, too.

Okay, so here you go. I have been doing battle with OCD and social anxiety since forever. Aside from my father's gay cadre and a variety of cats, I basically lived as a self-accepting recluse growing up. I pretty much still do. During all that time, writing was my solace, a way to fight back against the black dogs, as my father used to call them. The stories I conjure, then and now, seldom have a connection to what's going on inside me at the time. It's the simple act of creation that is the antidote for me. It is one of the reasons I write everything longhand. It feels outside myself, more alive.

Anyway, one of my witch doctors suggested finding an on-line writer's group as a way of interacting and sharing. I'm pretty sure Lush is not what she had in mind, but I found it the most welcoming, least judgmental of those I tried. So here I am, seven years later, for better or worse.

Scoring and ranking bothers me far more than it should, but I'm clinically OCD, remember? I recognize it is in large part a popularity contest rather than strictly a measure of quality. Some people are very good at the social part and sometimes the writing part, too. I am immodest enough to think I have some talent as a story teller, but that's as far as it goes. I lack the sparkle. It's just not in my nature, though I have tried. So in the end, I accept what I get and wish I had done a better job of it. Perhaps it will happen next time, but I feel less and less motivation to see if it does. It certainly won't stop me from writing.

I'm going to go eat a pickle now.

I seem to be at my most creative when I’m either on vacation or particularly stressed. When I’m just plain busy with the rigmarole of routine daily life, I don’t seem to write as much or as well, though I still plug along in fits and starts. I guess that means that I’m at my best writing when I’m either having an escape from normal life, or seeking an escape.

As for the effect that writing has on me, while I feel like I probably shouldn’t be seeking validation in the likes and comments to my publications, there is no question that I do bask in that validation when it happens, and the “success” (by that metric) of my stories after publication certainly affects my mood. I just published a new one yesterday, and - ugh - here I am, checking on it more often than is probably healthy.

The other effect that writing has on my mood is before publication. Since it is basically a process of fleshing out my sexual fantasies, I find it highly stimulating. My self-enjoyment activity increases markedly when I’m actively writing.

Quote by joe71

The other effect that writing has on my mood is before publication. Since it is basically a process of fleshing out my sexual fantasies, I find it highly stimulating. My self-enjoyment activity increases markedly when I’m actively writing.

I’m sure none of us know what you mean by “self-enjoyment”, Joe, so would you please post pictures and a video.

Thank you for sharing, Kis! I’m glad Lush has been that kind of experience for you. I think admin/mods do a great job of policing here against hate/bullying, etc.

And keep writing! There has to be a reason therapists/counselors always tell people to journal their thoughts. It gets stuff out of us! Especially for those of us who live alone (or with cats 🐈), expressing ourselves in some way to people is important, in my opinion.

I write foremost for/from self-amusement. Above anything, writing is a form of play for me, and I truly enjoy the creative process. Everything else is secondary - the stats and comments, even the published story itself is a byproduct of that playfulness. If I've written something, I've successfully entertained myself for a couple of days (or more). And if I'm not feeling playful or creatively inspired, I don't write until I do. I feel zero pressure to produce work or accumulate accolades. I appreciate them when they come, but they aren't really the point for me.

Quote by KimmiBeGood

I’m sure none of us know what you mean by “self-enjoyment”, Joe, so would you please post pictures and a video.

Oh, they're right there on my profile page. You've been warned.

Quote by joe71

Oh, they're right there on my profile page. You've been warned.

Running 🏃‍♀️ to your profile page…

I write this, having not read what others have posted here, Kimmi, only your original post. 😊

My state of mind is not affected by what I write or how I feel. Maybe I am lucky, as generally I feel the same every day, happy, playful... and probably good at irritating to my wife.

Some might know this, but I used to run/own a company, which I sold at 54 and stepped completely away from at 57. From then on, I had nothing but my own time, and when the pandemic came along, I put my excess energy into actual writing. Before that, I helped erotic authors, including one who wrote here.

I never had an issue writing (my bar is fairly low when it comes to vocabulary), and as yet, I have never had writer's block, although I am sure that will happen one day.

Stats... I set my bar low on that, too. 🙄 I used to say I would stop writing if I didn't get 5 likes. I recently upped it to 10, but I'm not a great fan of judging your own story on how many likes you get. I like interaction, so that is receiving comments and writing on your own profile wall. 😊

As for comps, RR, EP... well, I did once come 10th in a comp, but these are all down to personal judgements. I have only once got irritated that my story did not make the top ten... As for RR, I might have written nearly 150 stories here, but I'm yet to get that pleasure. But that, too, is so random... It doesn't bother me. Which brings me back to owning a company, as paying people their wages every month and the stress involved in getting product out the door is far greater than worrying about your stories and what goes with it.

Really, I am only here to have a little fun. I know I am lucky, and I do sympathise with those who are affected by all those things you mention in your original post. 😘