And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt. ~Sylvia Plath

Writing During Hard Times

We, humans, are survivors and thrivers. That’s what we do. And if you’re a writer, hard times can make for fertile ground. How?
Writing can work as either a vacation from the worries of everyday life or can be a therapy session, free of charge. As stated in an article I read on the subject (can’t find the reference):

Escapism can be a welcome diversion or release from the daily grind. Writing something humorous or hopeful may be the antidote you need.

Therapy can help you express your stress and worry through your writing. Journaling or blogging about your experiences either in private or in public can help you deal with things (and maybe help others as well).

Like writing, good music can also be a game-changer. Combined the two, (your own list, iTunes, or Pandora – no matter) and you have fertile ground on steroids. Music, my go-to when I can’t get in the flow, fills the space with inspiration.

Writing a novel and feeling stuck? This might be time for a short story. If for no other reason, then writing short stories can be fun. You feel a sense of accomplishment every time you finish one. Short stories also make us better writers. We learn to leave out a lot of the fluff and get to what’s really important to tell the story.

Or maybe you have something important to explore. Try writing a blog post. There are numerous guest blogs looking for great copy.
 
Writing is such a great skill to have. Use it to your advantage. Eventually, all our experiences, both good and bad, make us stronger people and better writers.

Enjoy the process!