Sacrifice of Writing

Let’s get real for a moment here. I’m not going to lie…life rocks. I have a wonderful family, I’m living the dream of a writing life with my best friend and we have an amazing blog that brings ideas and inspiration to writers and foodies across the globe. I am grateful beyond measure.

But like I said, let’s get real. It’s not all unicorns and rainbows. There’s sacrifice.  A lot of sacrifice. Any writer will tell you about the woes of the writing life; the writer’s block, the loneliness, the often horrible eating habits and hermit-like tendencies. And depending on what your motive is for writing, the reward may not come until well along in your journey. Some of us may not even live to see our writing succeed.

So why do we do it? Why do we stay up late, pass up social opportunities, and eat cereal for dinner on a more than often basis? Because we have to. We are driven to it. Whatever your reason, we all understand the sacrifice. Especially when you start a family.

For me, the biggest sacrifice right now is sleep. I was already loosing sleep from caring for a newborn, but now I am loosing sleep to write. I’m also sacrificing time. Whenever I’d watch a show with my husband, I’d have my laptop out and be writing at the same time. When my son is napping, after I finish dishes or laundry I can sit and jot down a few thoughts. I feel that I am constantly doing double duty or multi-tasking. There are days when I’m just a zombie.

But despite the sleep deprivation, the poor eating habits and the isolation, I can honestly say it’s worth it. This is the price we pay for that perfect sentence, that timeless essay, or a moving dialogue. It is essentially what moves us and what drives us crazy. In the end it is what makes us writers.