Don’t Do it, Save This Feeling. Use It On Your Fiction.

Life piles up stress like dirty laundry. It seems that no matter how hard I try to keep up, there’s always more thrown my way. The pressures have been mounting lately, and I feel like I will explode. But I’ve found a way to vent my frustrations: by channelling them into writing fiction. It’s my escape, my way of coping, and a way to regain some sense of control.

The first source of my stress is work. My boss expects me to do more work for the same pay because someone else on the team isn’t pulling their weight. It’s infuriating. I’m already stretched thin, and now I’m expected to pick up the slack for someone else’s incompetence. The unfairness of it all gnaws at me every day. But instead of lashing out or letting it consume me, I take these feelings to my writing desk. In my stories, I can create characters who stand up to their bosses, who demand fairness and get it. Or better yet, I can simply write that incompetent coworker out of existence. It’s cathartic to wield that kind of power, even if it’s just on paper.

Then there’s the daily commute. The roads are a nightmare, and the drivers are worse. People cut me off in traffic like it’s a sport, and every trip feels like a battle. The rage that builds up inside me is sometimes unbearable. But instead of letting road rage get the best of me, I pour those emotions into my fiction. I create worlds where the roads are clear, where the worst offenders face immediate and just consequences. My characters might chase down those reckless drivers or, better yet, create an alternate reality where traffic laws are enforced by teleporting all violators to a deserted island. It’s a small way to reclaim some sanity and laugh at the absurdity of it all.

The most personal and painful stress comes from home. My spouse and I have been trying to have a child, but it’s just not happening. The disappointment each month is a heavy weight on both our hearts. It’s a subject that’s hard to discuss, and sometimes I feel utterly powerless. But in my fiction, I can create a different outcome. I can write stories of miraculous conceptions, of characters who overcome impossible odds. Or, I can write about a world where children come into their lives unexpectedly and magically. It’s my way of processing the pain and finding hope, even if it’s just through the lives of my characters.

Writing fiction has become my sanctuary. It’s where I can let out the anger and frustration without hurting anyone. It’s where I can solve unsolvable problems in real life. Each story I write brings a little more peace, a little more understanding, and sometimes, a little more hope. In my fictional worlds, I have the power to eliminate the stresses and create the outcomes I wish for in reality. And for now, that’s enough to keep me going.

-M.

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