I am sure you have experienced one of those days, weeks or months where nothing seems to go your way. It could be a bunch of little things that add up to a tough week. Or something monumental which affects everything else in your life. Either way, those stretches are not fun. Currently, Brian and I seem to be stuck in one of those rough stretches. Most of the bad luck is inconsequential in the grand scheme of life. We replaced the throttle in my jetta which was an unexpected expensive repair. Both of our jobs are in busy, wear you down stretches. My stepfather is very sick. Amidst this rough stretch, I started wondering if or how the rough times affect my fiction writing.
For me, writing fiction is an escape from the world. I get lost in the characters and world I create. So when the world sucks around me, I find myself eager to write, to immerse myself in a world I create and control.
On the other hand, I also find myself adding more conflicts to my stories and being more realistic with how my characters handle adversity. For instance, I'm working on novel revisions. In one section, my protagonist, Rachel had way too good of a reaction to bad news. So I promptly made some notes to change her reaction to match the news.
The good news about writing fiction is you get to create the ending. In my life, I'm not sure when the bad luck will turn. But, in my stories, I can create a happy ending. Maybe that's why I'm so eager to spend time writing when I'm not feeling the greatest, because I know I will always end the story with a good resolution.