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Should you write when the world is on fire?

This is part one of a two-part series focused on building a creative practice during turbulent times. In the next installment, Lori Puma will join us as a guest to share her thoughts on honing your craft.

So: should you write when the world is on fire?

The short answer is, emphatically, yes!

Writers are asking me this question a lot right now, which comes as no surprise. It’s worth unpacking why my answer is yes—and how you can write when the world is on fire.

🔥 What sort of fire is it?

Let’s talk about the different types of “the world is on fire” you might be facing.

You probably know there’s a lot going on right now! Some turmoil affects almost everybody—the economy, political upheaval, and extreme weather events come to mind.

Then, there’s personal turmoil. A death, a scary diagnosis, a lost job. Even positive changes—a new house, a new baby—can throw your world into disarray.

Many of us are dealing with both types of fires. It’s easy to feel like writing belongs at the bottom of your list when that’s the case.

However, it’s still possible to build a supportive writing practice amid the flames.

🌊 Put out some fires

Wanting to write and having the energy to write are different things. You might not have the creative capacity you’re used to!

Some types of fire are fuel—a little bit of frustration can push you to take action, at least according to Charles Duhigg (affiliate link*).

Some types of fire will burn you out—if you’re at (or past) capacity, it’s time to put some fires out rather than adding to your to-do list. When things feel overwhelming, it’s okay to put the writing down for a while so you can rest.

✨ Why Creativity Matters

Your creativity matters. Your writing matters, full stop.

We’re creative beings. We’re driven to make sense of the world through story and art, and, frankly, it’s fun.

We don’t need elaborate justifications for having fun.

Writing is valuable because your creativity is inherently valuable. Seeing the value can be challenging when everything feels like it’s falling apart.

Sometimes, we need more reasons to believe our writing matters—to believe it’s even okay to be creative when there’s so much pain in the world.

Writing is a form of resistance (and that’s true whether you’re writing gritty crime novels or fluffy romantasy).

When we create, we resist hopelessness. We counteract messages that tell us there’s no space for respite, joy, or imagining better futures. We sustain ourselves and others.

Writing also reduces stress. The more capacity we have, the better we are at helping put out fires for ourselves and others. Your writing practice can be part of your burnout prevention toolkit!

I’d go so far as to say that we have an obligation not just to write but to share what we write with others.

• Your rom-com might be a ray of light breaking through the clouds of someone’s dark day.
• Your novel might provide a moment of refuge for a reader when everything else is chaos.
• Your book might be the inspiration someone needs to pick up a pen and tell their story.

You might be going, “Yeah, okay, great. That sounds nice—but the world is on fire. How am I supposed to write, even if I want to?”

I’m glad you asked!

We'll talk about it after this week's dose of writing inspiration. ⬇️

🗨️ Words from the Wise

Here are some of the best writing-related resources I've encountered recently!

• Article: I’m writing a series of articles about habits of mind over at the Writer’s Fun Zone blog.
• Newsletter: Imperfect People. M.J. Schwartz, author of Imperfect People and owner of Studio 138: A Healing Center for Perfectionists, is an expert in perfectionism and has studied with a leading researcher in the field.
• Article: Brian Klaas on “The Death of the Student Essay” is a can’t-miss kind of read.
• Bookstore: L’Oreal Thompson Payton, one of the very first Meet the Author interviewees, is fundraising to open Evanston’s first Black woman-owned bookshop!
• Article: This interview with Neal Agarwal on indie game-making has a lot of good messages for anyone working on creative projects.
• Resource: Melquea Smith has created a low-cost membership for authors, educators, and entrepreneurs featuring joyful, beautiful art of Black and brown kids.

✍️ How to Write When the World’s on Fire

First, set the bar low. If you have a writing goal, try cutting it in half—even temporarily!

Start with something small, like my 30-Day Writing Challenge, to build your writing practice in tiny increments.

Next, assess your opportunities, limits, and needs:

• When, where, and how do you want to write? What brings you joy?
• When, where, and how can you write? What’s realistic?
• What support will make it easier for you to write? What tools can you use?

Your writing practice won’t be a “set it and forget it” habit when life is chaotic. Check in frequently—I recommend a weekly reflection on the questions above—and adjust as needed.

📚 Making progress

When the world is on fire, we face a lot of pressure to sacrifice our creative practices. Creativity, though, can be a sustaining force—if you build a writing practice that supports you.

Caring for your creativity will help you maintain your writing practice despite life’s ups and downs, even when it requires a little extra flexibility.

Remember: you never need to justify doing something that brings you joy.

But if you need a little extra boost, I have two resources for you:

1. My 30-Day Writing Challenge offers a month of daily writing goals (plus a ton of goodies and suggestions for strengthening your writing practice).
2. If you want to go deep, book a Get Unstuck Session—we’ll talk about your writing and devise a plan to get your practice back on track.