I survived… but in terms of NaNo, I didn’t win. My anthology was a dragon that I fought with short sword and shield, rock and sling, bow and arrow, morning star and—well, you get the idea. It was brutal and bloody, but I knew it would be. We all know that going into it. Writing is damned hard work sometimes. But when the dust settled and the air cleared, this time I was on the losing end.
I might not have won, but I’m not defeated. I accomplished things in this single month that I’ve been struggling with all year, and in terms of my plans to publish, I’ve taken a huge step forward. That’s what I want to take a quick minute to look at tonight—the journey of the writer. We decide we want to write, we realize it won’t always—ever—be easy, but we do it anyway. We make sacrifices every day to make that idea into a character, and that character into a story and that story into a finished manuscript.
At the end of the day, that’s what makes you a writer. You made the conscious choice to write instead of <fill in the blank.>
Here’s my list of things I give up/do on a fairly regular basis to continue my writing:
- Forget to sleep
- Forget to eat
- Make sacrifices to the writing gods
- Use every spare moment to jot down ideas, including work breaks and lunches
- Skip my favorite TV shows
- Got a blood transfusion because after a while I ended up with ink in my veins and blood on my keys
- Threatened my muse (she’s still mad at me…)
- Ruined one of my rugs by I standing dripping wet on it after a shower because I had an idea
- Bypass showers entirely some days
Okay, so some of those are more fanciful than anything. Sue me; I’m a writer. 
What does your creative little writing sacrifice list look like?
I often bypass showers in order to write. I don’t remember the last time I saw a show on TV on the day it aired (I usually watch them online when I find time.) And I often forget to eat… ah, the glamorous life of a writer! Nice post.
We wouldn’t have it any other way though, would we? Not writing would be like not breathing. Thanks for reading, and hope all is well Maggie!
I forgo sleep and food. It is possible I ignore my husband more than he appreciates. I skip parties and take forever to return phone calls. The friends who put up with me are the best (and they like my writing).
Those do indeed sound like the best friends!
Yeah. Aren’t those times simply just the best? You’re in the zone. Food, sleep, hygiene. Who needs it? Wish I could have more of those days. Congrats on your big leap forward, btw. Way to go, Whitney!
Thank you, Dan! We shall see how sustainable the plan as a whole is.
Congratulations. It is an accomplishment to stay that focused for so long. I need to make that same sacrifice to finish my third book. It is written but needs fine-tuning. I will give up TV, probably a few showers, and forget to eat. I can easily see myself staying awake late as ideas spin in my head and I can see myself getting out of the shower to rush and write down an idea before I forget. Great list!
Thank you, Dawn! Oh the woos of being a writer. But we wouldn’t trade it for anything.