Traumatic experiences and writing

[Route66Girl]

Hey everyone!

I was just wondering if any of you authors have experienced a change in your writing and anything associated with it after having been through something particularly traumatic.

For those of you who don't know what happened and are interested in where I'm getting this notion from, please read this thread:

What happened

I posted it a few weeks ago, and today has been the first time since that I've posted again at Lit. Finally ready to crawl back out of the woodwork, I guess.

I'm NOT posting this to pour out my soul, gain pity, etc. I normally abhor it when people feel the need to spill out their worst experiences to total strangers. So, please don't think that's what I'm looking for.

Ever since this happened, however, my writing's at a standstill. Sure, I've been working on the novel here and there, and it is coming out better. But it's slow going... almost torturous. And new inspiration... dead in the water.

And the timing couldn't be worse. I just got notice that a poem I submitted for publication has indeed been picked up. But the keyboard is quiet these days. Not much clickety-click at all.

It maddening to think that this thing might cost me in terms of my writing. That CAN'T happen.

So, if any of you have been through something rough that put a crimp in the flow your writing, and have any advice, please! i'd love to hear it. Anything!

 

[scarlet vixen]

I read the thread and found the story to be incredible; yet all too possible and real, having known some dealers. Did it occur to you that you *are* writing? That kind of account is quite gripping and perhaps saleable, either as bio or fictionalized a bit.

I haven't been violently attacked, just the usual upsets, like deaths in the family. There is no easy answer, as you know, to recovering enough poise and sanity. One spends time on one's own, or with friends (cyber or other); one talks it through as much as necessary. At some point the creative juices start to flow. In the mean time, recognize that your writerly ability is hardly gone, since you wrote the account within a day or so of the events; maybe try other types of writing you haven't before.

You have touched my heart and many others I'm sure. Material help is available but there's much you must do yourself.

 

[medjay]

I hate to admit it but I've found myself in quite a few life-threatening situations. I've been shot at but, luckily, never shot. Most of these incidents revolved around me being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I'm a little older now and don't run the streets as much so I hope those days are behind me.

My other traumas tend to be family related.

I find that these incidents actually help my writing and give me inspiration. Not only is it a way to vent but it allows me to step outside myself and see the said events from a more neutral perspective. For me this helps in the healing process, especially when family matters are concerned.

I wrote a play about a horrible family incident and found the experience of writing about it to be very theraputic. It's a way to get things off your chest.

As far as my personal mix-ups in violent situations, I like to think of the old saying, "And he lived to tell the tale . . ." Some of my near-fatal experiences have found their way into storylines whether I was concious of it or not.

Scarlet Vixen is right. Your account of the incident is proof of your ability to write, you just seen to be clouded by self-doubt.

My advice: Don't try to write anything just let it happen. Whatever comes to you. All of my personal experiences, both positive and negative, shape my writing; which is how it ought to be for all writers.

Look at Stephen King. Some of his best and most personal writing in the past ten years came almost immediately after he got hit by that car.

 

[secretdesire]

Wow. I don't even know what to say about what happened. I know you said you weren't looking for sympathy, etc, but it's a compelling story and I feel like I should have some comforting words of wisdom or something.

I would imagine what you're going through is something of a grief period (depression, apathy, etc). You're probably having a difficult time with writing because your life became so suddenly serious. It's kind of like after September 11th last year. People felt weird the first time they rented a movie or laughed or complained about normal everyday stuff. It's like everything suddenly carried more weight to it. And, of course, there was the fear, the feeling of vulnerability and the smack of mortality--all of which you're probably experiencing on some level because of what happened to you in March. And the fact that you already had a lot of stress about your job and living arrangement certainly adds to the problem.

The writing will come again. It'll flow when it's ready. Sure, you can keep working at it, but it may take a little while for the quality, the speed and the enjoyment that you're used to come back. It might help to deviate a bit from how and what you normally write. Maybe try some journal writing--freeform for a while. Bulletin board writing is good too because you're responding to something, almost like an essay question (doesn't require the idea, just a response to an idea).

Another thing that might help is to find a secondary creative outlet that you can turn to when you really can't seem to write. Sketch, paint, build something--find ways to keep your creativity flowing when words won't come the way you want them to. And when they do, just go with it. Don't be critical or judgemental of your own work right away. Let it go; let it breath. You can always rewrite later.

I wish you the best and hope you'll be back to writing and feeling like yourself again soon.

 

[Axeltheswede]

Traumatic experience

You are obviously a very tough, independent, centered woman. I hope you can look back on this incident and draw strength from it in the future. You know yourself. You know the personal character you have that will help you get past this.

I add my prayers for you to all those from people reading your story.

 

[TrinaT]

Route:

Just got done reading your post on the ordeal you've gone through. I have a lot of respect for you and the manner that you conducted yourself. I will also keep you in my prayers for your peace of mind and I'm truly happy for you that something good came from something so horrible. You are an extremely strong individual.

I live in a small town in the Green Swamp area of Central Florida. Not much close by but cattle ranches that the owners don't live on and citrus groves. In this particular area, bodies have occassionally been found in ditches, swampy areas, or in the groves, thankfully only on very rare occassions. I guess the killers figure that it would be a long time before the victim is found, especially because of the swamp and the gators (as well as other wildlife in the area). Sadly, some of the victims were found because of buzzards flying overhead.

My husband and sister-in-law both have shotguns and handguns for protection if necessary. Out here, you just don't walk up to someone's home late at night, or if you do, you do so very cautiously. Many times, we've had people pull into the driveway, because they are lost and can't find their way back to either a main road or the interstate. No street lights out here and pitch black when the moon and stars aren't out at night. People usually stay near their vehicles and wait for our response, obviously afraid to approach the house.

I've only personnally had one scary moment in the six years living here and nothing would make me leave to move back into a major town or city. I love the quiet and solitude, this is MY HOME.

My husband was next door at his sister's house (about 500 yards away) and a stranger came knocking at the door asking to use the phone (it was about 11:30 pm). I only openned the door enough to see who was there. I offer to call the sheriff's dept. for him, as he indicated that someone was after him and trying to kill him. He kept insisting that he didn't want the cops involved, he wanted to call a buddy to come and get him. He appearred to be either drunk or high on something, I'm not sure which. He never tried for the door handle.

At that same moment I was talking to this guy, my sister-in-law called and told me that my husband and her's were already on their way over (they had seen the car pull over on the road and someone heading down our long driveway). I had already closed and locked the door before I answered the phone. As soon as we hung up, I dialed 911. Hearing both the husbands yelling to the stranger to get off the property and head on down the road, I felt safer as I was giving the report to the 911 operator. I have two boys that were asleep in their rooms at the time.

Needless to say, the stranger was picked up by the sheriff and questioned about other incidences in the area. I was never contacted by the sheriff's office about this person again, so I'm not sure what the outcome was of the questioning. I know this doesn't compare to your horific experience, but it seems that this can happen to anyone, anywhere, anytime. It seems it's the norm for the world we now live in. And we now have a rather large dog on the property now to help ward off intruders.

I agree with the others, your writing desires will return on their own and will more than likely be enhanced from your experience. I know of an ex-coworker who has gone through many tramatic experiences in his life, although nothing as life threatening as yours, and he writes his poetry from those experiences, many of which are currently under contract for publication. Many times he just would write in his journal and review them months later and then write poems about those experiences. He said it was his way of dealing and going on with life, maybe helping others in the process with his poems. I'm not sure if this is what you would want to do, but just a thought to keep in the back of your mind.

I was very happy to read that you were not seriously injured and that life has turned around for you. I'll keep you in my prayers that life continues to look up for you.

Take care,

Trina T.