My Writing Mood Ring

By: Deirdre Verne

When I first started writing, I found I could only be creative when I was happy. Not mildly happy. I’m talking ecstatically happy -- running through a field of sunflowers in a wispy summer dress type of happy. For the words to come, I had to feel bubbly and light. It didn’t take me long to realize that this state of euphoria, although wonderful, is rare. Given this strict criteria, I calculated that it would take me a decade to crank out a three-line haiku.

In the name of progress, I’ve since learned to write through my moods, good and bad. I’ve also mastered the art of writing while sick or injured. This includes a stint recovering from back-surgery and then a broken ankle. After all that, I can say one thing for sure: no matter how badly I feel when I start writing, I most certainly feel better when I’ve finished for the night. In fact, if I ever want to feel like I’ve run through a field of sunflowers, all I need to do is create that feeling on paper. And if I’m not entirely thrilled with what I’ve written, I know there’s a library full of books to take me to my field of flowers, imagined into being by other writers just like me.

Deirdre Verne (Lower Westchester, NY) is a college professor who is currently the curriculum chair of the marketing program at Westchester Community College. Previously, she held senior marketing positions at Time, Inc. Her latest novel, Drawing Conclusions will be available through Midnight Ink in Febuary, 2015.