You can work out some of your frustrations by inventing characters who get their comeuppance, these people representing those who have given you grief. The best thing is only you will know (it’s the safest thing too, you don’t want to risk being sued).
There is nothing to beat the feeling you have when a story “comes together” unless it is that feeling when you discover it’s going to be published (hopefully).
When the sadnesses of life get in the way of your writing either by making you slow down, even stop, or by intruding their thoughts into your creative writing thoughts and it distorting your story.
When you’d like to use some of the way you felt when really sad to flesh up your characters more but find the words won’t come. Is this your sub-conscious trying to block you?