These are all great points.

When writing this piece, I neglected to even consider the fact that different subjects and forms of writing beckon different levels of emotion from the writer.

Well said!

I think it depends on the type of writing you are doing (ie fiction, poetry, essays, etc…). Emotions, whether they emit positivity or negativity inside you, provide an energy source which can help spur creativity during a writer’s block.

For instance, my best poetry always comes from a dark place–writing during a time when you are plagued by negative thoughts/ideas is the best way to purge them from your mind and out onto paper/a computer screen, like getting a burden off your chest so to speak. It is much more difficult to write something like poetry that is positive/optimistic because it is very easy to fall into a trap of writing sentimentality–which more times than not is boring, cheesy, cliche or all three.

On the other hand, for something like fiction, you have to deal with a constant tug of war between your feelings and the feelings of the characters. Sometimes when working on a story I will be in a good mood when I sit down, but then will feel absolutely horrible while writing because of what my character is going through. It is not necessarily from my mood at the time which dictates what the character goes through (because that tends to be premeditated) but rather how into the moment/story/character you are. If it is truth to you, even within fiction, than it will not sound false or contrived.

Each character you create, in essence, is a part of you. The more time you spend with the character individually–in realizing his or her history, wants, needs, dreams and fears–the more real he or she will become. As your characters materialize in your mind, their actions (and thus the story) will often run its course without much interference from you, the writer. If you put your story and your characters needs above your own, you find yourself putting aside your own feelings and replacing them with the character’s (temporarily at least).

Okay, I’ll stop rambling. I’m not sure if that gave you any insight, but there it is.