Author: Hayden Knight
After my first appearance on the Write or Die Show last year, I have been counting down to when I could come back on the show. Talking with Randi on camera and off is a very natural and fun experience. She really does a great job of cultivating a space where her guests can delve into their experiences with mental illness and being a writer as deeply or as casually as they’d like without judgment. This is especially important and special to me as someone whose work focuses on themes of trauma and healing. Frankly, Write or Die Show is becoming a little reward for me after finishing a book!
For those looking for a serious coping strategy, one of my heavy hitters is from a clinical psychologist and tarot reader Jessica Dore. When you’re in a really f*cked situation, ask yourself, “What would I do if I could accept this?” There are times when we’re in such an upsetting and debilitating situation that all we can do is fixate on how awful it is. “Why is this happening?”, “This can’t be happening”, “What did I do to deserve this?”. It’s all part of the denial stage of grief. We can’t force ourselves past that stage, but real life doesn’t always wait. Asking ourselves what we would do if we could accept what was happening was real gives us an out, a sense of control. Maybe you’re still in that denial stage, but now you’ve imagined a version of yourself that isn’t. You can move forward and do what needs to be done. Remember: You’ve dealt with some sh*t before, and you’ll deal with some sh*t again. You’ll always make it out the other side.
If you’re into the kind of character-driven stories where characters find themselves in more than a few of these kinds of situations, check out my Queen of Magic series!
Book 2 releases on October 24th!
