| If you're trying to create a romantic dinner, you | | | | also great for evoking a feeling or mood. Smell is the |
| might use candles, scented oils, and a beautiful place | | | | one sense most strongly tied to memories. You can |
| setting. These things all help create a mood for the | | | | use this to your advantage by using candles, incense, |
| evening. What about when you want to write? How | | | | room fresheners, or other scents to set a tone. If |
| do you get yourself into the mood to write a tense | | | | you're writing about the outdoors, for example, pick |
| scene between two characters, or when you want | | | | up a pine-scented candle to help you feel the setting. |
| to evoke a calm, introspective mood in your reader? | | | | Many writers use pictures to help them visualize a |
| One way is to use tricks to help create the mood | | | | setting or character. Browse through magazines, |
| within you first. | | | | postcards, historical records, and any other photos to |
| While some writers are able to "get into the flow" | | | | help you describe your people and places. Just be |
| easily when they write, others may find that using a | | | | sure to limit the time looking, as it's easy to become |
| few tricks can help speed the process. You don't | | | | distracted and procrastinate on the writing part. |
| have to lock yourself away or take a week-long | | | | Mood is Not a Prerequisite |
| nature retreat to get in the mood to write. | | | | While it can be fun to play with various |
| Use Your Senses | | | | mood-enhancing tricks, the bottom line is the writing. |
| When writing an angry, tense scene between two | | | | Too often, "not having the right mood" can be a |
| characters, I helped generate the feelings in myself | | | | reason to procrastinate. These tools are ways to |
| by cranking some Metallica music while I wrote. It | | | | expand your writing experience-they are not |
| helped set the pace and instantly helped evoke the | | | | requirements! In his excellent book, On Writing, |
| tension that the scene needed. It's also a scene that | | | | author Stephen King discusses how he started writing |
| required little editing afterwards (thanks, guys!). | | | | at a small desk placed in the hallway. |
| Music is a great mood-altering tool. If you need to be | | | | The most important aspect about writing is writing! |
| "up" to write a high-energy piece, choose some of | | | | You don't have to have to be in the perfect mood, |
| your favorite tunes that always put you in a good | | | | have the perfect setting, or know exactly what you |
| mood. Alternatively, something somber may be just | | | | will write when you sit down. First, sit. Then consider |
| the ticket to write a sad or introspective section. | | | | adding a few special touches for variety. |
| Use your other senses in a similar way. Smells are | | | | |