Writing Fiction Keeps You Sane

Crafting a new story: a soothing balm for professional frustration

How good is writing for your health?

A study shows that writing fiction can help keep you sane:

There isn’t a job on earth that doesn’t have its frustrating moments. And even if you’re completely satisfied with your professional life you’re only just in the majority. Statistically speaking, only a little over 50 percent of us are actually satisfied with our jobs. Can fiction writing help you deal with the difficult parts of your job?

In the past I've definitely found that to be the case. I once wrote an entire screenplay in six weeks because I was so frustrated.

What I really like about this article is the idea that you don't have to take writing so seriously:

for anybody looking to benefit from writing fiction there is no obligation to take it seriously at all. It can be something completely separate from your professional existence, something which you need never show to anybody else. It can be something done without judgement or criticism, purely for your own mental benefit.

So much of what I write is geared towards the end product. Something to be sold. I can only imagine the freedom that comes without giving attention to constant criticism.

Write something down. It doesn’t have to be good. It doesn’t even have to make sense. The creativity of taking yourself out of the world as it is and dropping yourself into another one can have mental benefits, and it’s up to you to experience them.