Writing when your life is too full or falling apart

How do you make those deadlines when you're dead tired?

I was having a conversation with a fellow writer who is in the midst of an ugly divorce. “My life is consumed with this mess. I don’t have time to write.” she said. A moment of silence followed, but her words felt like a thunderclap.

I’ve been there.

Many other writers know how hard it can be to get those words on paper when life zips along with the hum of daily routines. It’s still work. But what about when your life is falling apart, or you have too many to-dos? How do you make the deadlines when you’re so pregnant you can barely reach the keyboard? What do you do when caregiving all day for an ungrateful relative or dealing with a chronic illness? Is inspiration possible when you’re so dog-tired you just want to dip into a pint of ice cream with a side of Zinfandel and call it a day?