Member-only story
Can You Write Your Way Out of a Bad Mood?
A little experiment in personal perseverance — Day 2
Question! Have you ever written yourself out of a bad mood? I don’t mean just scribbling a few lines while a bit grumpy. I’m talking about a mood that causes your face to contort. I have, and it’s very therapeutic.
I’ve always been a writer. I learned a long time ago how to write myself out of a shitty mood. It started nearly 40 years ago when I banged out my first chapter book on an old 1950s typewriter.
I was dating this guy and thought he was the one. He was quite a bit older than I was, but at the time, I thought I was cool. I also thought his female best friend wanted more than just to hang out with her “buddy”. I very much disliked that woman.
I didn’t cause a scene. I never voiced my opinion. I simply made her one of the bad guys in my story and let some very nasty things happen to her…character.
Another time I wrote myself out of a dark place was in 1995. (Okay, this one’s a little deep, so read at your own risk.)
In July of 1995, I was a mess. I was a 27-year-old waitress, working 50 hours a week, drinking heavily pretty much every night, and coming to terms with a pretty nasty cocaine habit. I was tired…of everything, and I didn’t want to do it anymore.
