Alison Kent has a great post today. What are you willing to sacrifice to write? Can you put in the 18 hour days that are often required, or would you feel deprived because you had to give up television or going out to dinner and a movie? Are you willing to devote your life to the dream, or would you regret the lost time?

It's an interesting thing to think about. When I'm into a story, I can hole up like a hermit in a cave and be perfectly happy. I detest distraction. I don't want to leave the house. I shower because my husband would protest if I didn't. I get dressed, even though I could stay in my jammies all day. I get lost in the fictional world I'm creating.

One thing I absolutely stop for, even though I don't want to: exercise. I am committed to jogging and lifting weights to stay in shape. It takes time out of my day, up to 2 hours when you consider warm up, cool down, and shower. But I keep doing it, knowing it's good for me.

What have you given up to write? What do you refuse to give up? Think about it. The answers might surprise you.

[Forgot to say that R.J. Baker has been talking about the same thing over on his blog. The man just turned down a 6 figure day job offer to keep writing full time. Now that's dedication.]