Nathan Bransford's ten commandments for the happy writer seem pretty reasonable. But what if happiness is counter-productive? Dennis Barron reports here on Joe Forgas's discovery that a “mildly negative mood may actually promote a more concrete, accommodative and ultimately more successful communication style."
Here is Joe Forgas's website -- he looks a bit cheesed off, which is probably just as well. You can read some of his papers in .pdf format, including this one providing evidence that “people in a negative mood may also be better at producing high-quality and effective persuasive messages.”
Tonight -- Thursday December 17th, 6.30 - 8.30 pm, at Cafe Royale -- we at InsideStorytime HAPPINESS will strive to reduce your communicative efficiency, by manipulating you into a cheerier mental state. Tonight's readers --
- Skip Horack, author of prize-winning story collection The Southern Cross
- Robin Ekiss, author of The Mansion of Happiness, acclaimed poet and Litcrawl Maven
- Mollena Williams, a.k.a Ms. SF Leather 2009
- Peg Alford Pursell, producer of Sausalito's flash fiction "Drive-by Shorts" radio show
- Townsend Walker, Cafe Royale regular, author of short stories and of some books on finance
As usual, let us know you heard about the event from this blog, and we'll waive the customary $3 - $5 cover charge.