Let Them Eat Cereal!

Posted at May 20, 2013 10:26 pm in following dreams, grad school, Random Musings on Writing, writing

“Are you writing a new book mom? Cuz there’s like no food in the house. At all. Fail, Mom. Epic fail.”

My son exaggerates. There is food in the pantry. Soup, pasta. Some stale granola bars. I don’t know what he’s whining about. Just because there isn’t a wide selection of junk food doesn’t mean he’ll starve, though of course he believes otherwise.

Grocery shopping and cooking are tops on my  list of things that go by the wayside when I’m the middle of a first-draft frenzy. I have no problem eating cereal for dinner; it’s fast and fills the hole. Besides, I need to get back to my hero and heroine, who are in the middle of a huge fight that just might resolve with a passionate kiss. Who has time to cook when true love is on the line?

For writers juggling day jobs, family, and the boring details of life (like cooking), it’s important to look around and see where you can eke out extra time for writing. If you love writing as much as I do, you’ve probably already pared down your “have to do” list. 

But sometimes, making small adjustments isn’t enough. Sometimes you have to cut out something really big. I recently made the decision to stop out of grad school, probably permanently. I’ve spent the last year juggling a full-time job, family, grad school and writing. Do you see where writing is on that list? Dead last. And it made me miserable. 

While it was intellectually fulfilling to be in school again, it was also incredibly draining, because the degree had everything to do with the day job and nothing to do with writing. And the bottom line is, I need to put my energy and time where my heart is, where my passion is. Writing feeds my soul in a way that nothing else does. I am literally a different person when I’m writing a book and when I’m not. Trust me, my family can tell the difference.

Life is too short to be miserable, to follow the “have to do” list instead of the “love to do” dreams. Think about what you can cut from your own life to free up more creative time.

And let them eat cereal!

5 Comments

5 responses to “Let Them Eat Cereal!”

1. Laura Deal says:

   July 9, 2013 at 4:36 pm

   Yay! I’m so glad you moved writing up on the list. Can’t wait to see your books out in the world!

   Reply
   • Lisa says:

     July 9, 2013 at 5:03 pm

     Thanks for your support, Laura. Time to check the cards and see what they say 🙂

     Reply
2. Jessica says:

   July 10, 2013 at 10:21 am

   Lisa, you have inspired me thank you so much!!! I’m going to spend my day off gardening(my true love) and not fret the small stuff! Congratulations on your blog!!! 🙂

   Reply
   • Lisa says:

     July 10, 2013 at 7:02 pm

     Thank you so much! Enjoy your gorgeous garden 🙂

     Reply
3. Erik Roberts says:

   August 11, 2013 at 8:43 pm

   Love your BLOG! I am so profoundly happy to see you pursuing your passion with the vigor and dedication you are! You have always been an excellent writer and have worked hard to earn the success that will be yours!

   Reply