Bad experiences are useful

I've discovered as a writer that bad experiences can be used in novels. The same goes for people who have hurt you or caused you distress.

When I worked for the NHS the department was a happy one until our manager retired and we got a new one. She was a liar, a workaholic and she did her best to turn people against each other. The happy department was transformed into a snake pit. Eventually she succeeded in making me redundant. I soon found another job which I enjoyed and ended up being grateful to her for making me redundant. But I also realised that she had provided me with an excellent character for a crime novel.