writing as therapy

How Writing A Novel Helped Heal The Grief From Unexpected Loss 

Jean Brannon’s life changed overnight on July 15, 2013. That’s when Greg Hagin, her beloved for 13 years, died suddenly. Leaving the licensed acupuncturist to run a joint healing practice, manage a 12-acre farm, and find her natural Pollyanna attitude again toward life.

Jean had always loved books and dreamed of being an author. In fact, she’d studied journalism in college and once worked in the corporate world as an advertising copywriter. Yet her early writing career had taught her that using words simply to sell people things left her feeling empty. Her inner search for a meaningful way to make a living had led her to become an acupuncturist. And so, in the wake of Greg’s death, she decided that the best way to heal – to reclaim “her life” as opposed to what had been “their life” together – was to use all of the ancient wisdom Chinese medicine had taught her. And begin a book. 

And so, two days after Greg’s memorial service, she sat down at the computer and started writing. Really writing. No matter how bad the words sounded or how much she didn’t feel like it. She committed to writing without judgment, without editing and without missing a day until a first draft was completed.

She told no one what she was doing. She abstained from movies and television and the radio to eliminate outside influences and to be able to write as purely as possible from a meditative place. Every day, after treating her acupuncture patients and finishing farm chores, she would meditate and then sit down with a laptop. Allowing this crazy dream of writing a meaningful novel to keep unfolding. 

Then on March 7, 2014, she finished the first draft of the final chapter in “Atlantis Writhing”. Many revisions followed, leading to the book now published by Absolute Love Publishing.

Currently, Jean is completing her ancient world romantasy series from her western New York home.