We often make the mistake of thinking that we “have” to be in the “right” mood to write. The truth is, any mood can be used for writing. Any mood is a good writing mood. The trick is to simply enter whatever mood like a room and sit down and write from there. Try this brief experiment.

Set aside fifteen minutes. Identify a situation in your life about which you have a recognizable mood or emotion. For example:

• I’m angry at my partner
• I love the fall leaves
• I’m sad about mother’s health
• I’m proud of my son’s schoolwork
• I enjoy Laura’s humor
• My lover and I are getting along especially well

Writing longhand, “enter” a mood or emotion and write for ten minutes. At the  end of ten minutes, stop. Take five minutes and write about the shifts in your mood that the act of writing caused. Be an observer: I feel happier, sadder, angrier, less angry, hopeful, determined--whatever. Write a few notes on this process, a sort of field report on your experience.