Writers Will Find Value By Continuing to Write Even When Life is Stressful

by Tammy Karasek @TickledPinkTam
I’ve read quite a few articles of late which told the readers to never write while you are in the midst of a rough time. One even mentioned which times in particular. Included in the list was death of a loved one or friend, loss of health, loss of a job, severed relationship—whether family or friend, financial issues and more. 
As a writer, I pondered the words shared in the articles at great length. Maybe I’d be the odd one in this thought, but I couldn’t help myself, and decided I would have to admit I disagreed with the statement, at least somewhat. 
I would be prone to take the stance it’s best not to write a piece during the deepest of despair with plans to have it published soon after it was written. But I believe if you were to write when you are at the lowest of lows, in that gut-wrenching time when tears came faster than a smile could be planted on a face and the answer, “I’m fine” would be said, truth would be in those words. Those words of how wrecked you were at that moment. 
I put this into practice. I promise I’m not giving you an idea I haven’t lived through. During a period of heartache, I went against those articles. I took an empty journal, and I went and sat somewhere different than my usual spot to write—outside a cute little tea and coffee shop. I had a clue I might not have dry eyes for long, and sat with my back toward the other table. 
I had no intention for anyone to read the words, and they are sloppy for sure. But I thought of a scene in a novel of mine in progress. There is a scene where the emotions need to be written deep enough the reader will feel them. I took away the she was sad, and described the heartache I lived through. That scene is a messy mixture of fiction for my story and truth of the deep hurt I was in. 
Will those few pages be in my book. Not all of them. But those where I was honest and I showed where it hurt, how it hurt, because I hurt—those I will use written for the book’s character. 
I found this to be a great exercise and also a way to work through some of those losses we have. If you’re a fiction writer, but don’t have a sad scene at the moment, make the book be one filled with different emotions to pull from later. Angry with a situation or person, but not ready to settle the issue? Write out a scene you wish would be the resolution to that issue. 
Are you a non-fiction writer? Do the same thing. If you are writing a book about loss of a relationship or death of someone, it more than likely will be several years before you are at a place where you could write how to live through, then move forward in your pain. But your notebook of feels will become a great resource to identify the depth of pain that someone may go through. You did, now here’s a couple ideas for them to try to begin their process to heal that worked for you. Maybe it can do the same for them. 
Like I said above, I might agree somewhat with the statement not to write when you’re still hurting, I believe that needs further explanation. For me, I would say don’t write while you’re still hurting with the plan to publish those words anywhere for a while. But writing while you are in the midst of something deep and hard, then saved for the correct time, will be worth the massive amount of tears you will shed as you write it out. 
What about you? Have you gone through a rough or sad time in your life then wrote what you felt as you worked through it? If so, have you thought about how useful those notebooks could be for you as you write sad, angry, or frightened scenes?
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Tammy Karasek uses humor and wit to bring joy and hope to every aspect in life. Her past, filled with bullying and criticism from family, drives her passion to encourage and inspire others and give them The Reason to smile. She’s gone from down and defeated to living a “Tickled Pink” life as she believes there’s always a giggle wanting to come out! A writer of Romance—with a splash of sass. She’s also The Launch Team Geek helping authors launch their books and also a Virtual Assistant for several best-selling authors. She is now under contract for her book on Launch Teams due to release Fall 2023. Her work was also published in a Divine Moments Compilation Book—Cool-inary Moments. She’s also the Social Media Manager for the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, Founding President and current Vice-President of ACFW Upstate SC, and Founding President of Word Weavers Upstate SC. She’s a writing team member for The Write Conversation Blog, Novel Academy, MBT Monday Devotions, The Write Editing and more. Connect with Tammy at HTTPS://WWW.TAMMYKARASEK.COM.
Featured Image: Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash