Authors, Writers, Publishers, and Book Readers

Does a tragic event help or hurt your writing?

Recently, one of my closest friends commited suicide. I'm not usually good with keeping up on my writing or finishing it for that matter, but a while after he passed, I made myself swear that I'd start and finish a book about his life in his honor. I know sometimes after something like this happens, you find it hard to get on track, but I was wondering how it would effect all of your writing. Thanks.

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Permalink Reply by Garry Edward Lewis on May 8, 2011 at 2:59pm

I remember as a kid me and my brother and sisters would play outside all day, run, ride our bikes, fly kites, stay out with our friends till the street lights came on and mom would yell, time to come in take your bath get ready for bed you have school tomorrow. Or time to come in and do your homework and take a bath. Now you hardly see kids playing in their yards anymore. They're on their playstations, Xboxes, computers, laptops, or cell phones texting their friends. The Howdy Doody show, Gunsmoke,The Walt Disney show, Johnny Carson, FLintstones, Leave it to Beaver, Father knows Best, seemed to be the popular shows on TV we'd watch in my day. But most the time I'd be outside playing with my friends dreading school the next morning. Loving summer Vacation. And the days seemed to drag by. Now a day is like a second, a week is like a day, a month is like a week, time is just simply flying by now. Makes you wonder where we're heading too so fast. Is the end near?

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Permalink Reply by Garry Edward Lewis on May 8, 2011 at 6:29pm

I truly believe the end is near, so if you have any fences to mend, now is the time. As you may not get the chance tomorrow. Sorry for getting off topic, but the days are flying by so quickly anymore, something is most certainly over the horizon that's for sure, hang on everyone as it is coming!

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Permalink Reply by Robert L. Allen on May 11, 2011 at 7:42am

To reply to the paragraph above where you talk about your childhood, I don't believe the end is near. I feel bad for the young people today who don't know what real fun is. Garry, I grew up when you did. As I read what you wrote, I thought man, you should write a piece about that. Bring back the old times. Maybe a young person would read it and want to learn more...then staying inside and doing nothing...Great writing...

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Permalink Reply by Callie Leah on June 26, 2011 at 9:58am

Well it depends on how bad it was.

I'm so, so, incredibly sorry for that, but depending on what you do with it, it could hurt or help.

For example, I know that if my best friend committed suicide (I can't even think about that without freaking out!) it would hurt for a while! Knowing me, I'd give up on writing completely (because the thing is, she got me into writing and reading in the first place). But, after a while I'd start to think about her. She loved books more than anything, and I know she'd hate me if I quit, so I'd try harder than ever. I might even turn her story in a novel for her! She'd like that...

So that's one example of how it could work both ways.

Again, so incredibly sorry! I can't even begin to think how that would feel!

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Permalink Reply by Heidi Abigail on June 28, 2011 at 11:27pm

My book IS about all of the tragedy in my life and how I turned it into something wonderful and positive. I believe that when these things happen- which they will... that if you write through it... you will look back and it may be your best writing ever <3

xox Heidi Abigail

Author of Normal Life (on Kindle)

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BOOK COVER.jpg, 183 KB

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Permalink Reply by Larry A Cochran on July 17, 2011 at 5:21pm

I would assume that it depends on how the event is channeled. The personal view or perception of the event may not play out in writing as it will in the mind of the reader. Most people will view tragedy differently based on their personal experiences, so as the writer writes out of their joy or pain, the reader will also read from theirs.

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Permalink Reply by Robert L. Allen on July 18, 2011 at 3:03am

David, I would like to thank you for your sacrifice in keeping our country safe. I hope and pray that peace comes your way and remains always in your soul.

David McDonald said:

Sorry for your loss Lori, I am an 18 year Veteran and I suffer with Combat Related Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I can't be cured so iIhad to make a choice, End it or live with it. I obviously chose the latter and after a few years of developing coping strategies I started writing poetry based on SOME of my experiences (the safe ones) and expressing the emotions I live with every day. I was encouraged to do something with the significant volume of work I had produced and so fell into the term Poet. Poetry can go from a vicious expression to the epitome of love itself, as I grow older (and I do) I find the edge falling away from my work and a softer tone break in. I don't know why I told you this I guess just to show there is a greater power at work