How Do You Write When Your Life’s Falling Apart?

Photo by Matthew Henry on Unsplash

I’m going to be blunt here: my life is in shreds.

I am experiencing a ton of hardship that the majority of people don’t have to endure. My only goal right now? Getting through. I don’t know what I’m “getting through” for, but my highest ambition right now is survival. Being a dreamer and perfectionist and having to prioritize survival over the pursuit of your dreams sucks. When you’re a writer and you’re living life in black and white, you’re either pulling a Hemingway and writing “hard and clear about what hurts” or hitting a dead end. I’m hitting a dead-end.

Maybe you’re reading this because you’re in the same boat. I think of every writer who has created beautiful words from the ashes of everything good they have lost, whose tear soaked pages have dominated The New York Times’ Bestseller list, and I become frustrated that my tears aren’t transforming into ink. I overthink everything I write. I get inspired to write and start a fresh page only to find myself completely uninspired again. It’s obnoxious because the things I’m experiencing should be a total gold mine when it comes to writing material.

So…how do you write when life is dark & difficult?

I wish I had one magical answer, and most of all I wish I could snap my fingers and make all of your…