Emotions and writing -- Boice 140-144

I'm starting to see the connection, now, between these mental-illness issues and writing.  Perhaps I didn't see the correlation with writing and depression in yesterday's reading because I didn't know it was followed with another malady, hypomania.  I think I get it now.

I really like Boice's explanation (in a list) on 141, where he talks about how strong emotions, mild emotions, positive emotions, and strong emotions impact our writing.  It reminds me of what we read earlier: that a mild state of happiness is quite ideal to writing and life.

I think I struggle with writing hypomania followed by some depression (although I didn't realize it was depression until just now): when I write a whole 20 page seminar paper in 2 nights, I feel pretty good; pretty magical; pretty indestructible.  And you know, my writing usually does turn out okay.  However, after the mania comes to fall into sadness and lack of desire to write again.

Sure, I get great writing done when I'm manic, but the lack of motivation after is sometimes kind of hard to crawl out of.  I think that lack of motivation is similar to the depression Boice describes.  I don't want to write.  I can't make myself work on another project.  I get distracted by other things.

So, Boice: I'm paying attention!  How do I avoid both of these?  BDS?  Break projects into pieces?  Start early?  Wait?  Begin before ready?  Outline?  Talk to people?  All these sound good to me :)