A reminder to work

I know I've said it before, but I want to reiterate that writing is work.

There's nothing wrong with loving your job and taking pleasure in what you do, but there are days when one must sit down and remember that there is work to be done. For writing, especially, it must be done every day.

Today is my daughter's birthday. Before you brand me as a bad mother for writing over spending time with her, I will remind you that this is what I want my job to be and must therefore dedicate myself to the repetition and improvement of my craft. That said, we spent the afternoon in an arcade after a lunch of pizza (which I really cannot stomach anymore), and will still have something special for dinner and birthday cake (ice cream that I will regret later).

Though I push myself to do this work on a daily basis, it doesn't mean that the rest of my life just stops. I am still a mother and wife. I still have pets that need me and need attention. I still have a home that needs cleaning and laundry that needs to be done. I do, however, give the majority of my time and effort to my writing because I know I need to if I want to see improvement.

In a lot of ways, writing is like exercise: if you don't put in the time, you will never see results. It doesn't mean that it has to be the only thing you do every day, but you have to dedicate time every day to it. Some days (or nights) require more than others, but some days, like today, have other things to focus on that are important. My daughter knows that I need to write, but she also knows that, any time she needs me, I am here. She knows that her birthday is important to me as is her happiness. I've made sure of this. Also, if I ask her one more time, she's going to roll her eyes at me and put her headphones on.