In the real world, too often things don’t work out as they “should,” despite our seemingly foolproof plans. That can lead to a general funk. And if life repeatedly doesn’t work out, each passing year our cynicism about the world can grow.

When writing, however, things can work out. In fact, your characters probably will face direr circumstances and threats than you, and in the end they still will walk away triumphant.

Writing hence can serve as a catharsis. It can be a part of dealing with the “slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.”

Your protagonist can overcome cancer. Wealth can come to the honest and responsible. Your teenage daughter can make the right choice about drugs.

And such outcomes in stories are believable…not just because readers want the best for your protagonist but because they do happen, every day, everywhere around the world.

And who knows – as you seek relief from this troubled world, perhaps you will devise the solution to overcome the very problems that vex you.