#IWSG : Life events & writing

The Insecure Writers Support Group is a marvellous group set up by Alex Cavanagh. On the first Wednesday of every month, members post thoughts, fears or words of encouragement for fellow writers.

The link above takes you to details about the group and how to join. You’ll also find a list of bloggers signed up to the challenge – do check them out.

In my experience, life events can affect an author’s writing in two ways – first by having an impact on their ability to write, second by influencing their subject matter.

My father’s illness and subsequent death caused me to struggle with writing. Whereas previously, I’d just been able to sit down and batter the keyboard, after it I needed a prompt to guide my thoughts away from my emotions. The discipline of co-hosting a fiction website where I was obliged to contribute a minimum of two posts a month helped me to work through this difficult time, although the writing would’ve been darker and more laden with sadness if I’d not had prompts to guide me elsewere.

Prior to that, my diagnosis with breast cancer unlocked the writing tap. As a long-time reader who’d wondered whether she could do it, suddenly I had a subject close to home to write about. Initially, my writing was more akin to a journal, and I wrote my story in the style of a series of essays or magazine columns. Later, I was inspired to write a piece of fiction linking the story of characters diagnosed with breast cancer at the same time. Both WIPs are incomplete and lie waiting for me to decide whether they have any wider merit, but they undoubtedly provided me with a tool for processing my emotions.

© Debra Carey, 2018