You have this glorious idea for a story.

You want to create it, make it, craft it, write it.

You want to share the story with people and see their eyes light up as they tell you what they loved about it.

You want to hover nearby as clusters of readers analyze, discuss, and defend your characters.

If you’re doing your job right, you even want to hear from your readers what didn’t work for them, because you know that such feedback will morph you into a better Maker Of Things.

You want to have book release parties and hold the paperback version of your book in your hands. You want to joke with your readers about signing their Kindles.

You want the satisfaction of Finishing The Story. You want the feeling of accomplishment that drives you to write the next book and the next book and the next.

You are hungry for all of this.

Here is the only way you’ll get what you want:

Give up that show you “need” to watch.

Give up that DVD you “have to” see.

Turn off the TV. Leave it off.

Give up that videogame. Give up that RPG. Give up that MMO.

Pretend they don’t exist.

Give up Rockband, Garage Band, Guitar Hero.

Give up Facebook. Give up status updates and photos. Give up farms, bling, and aquariums.

Give up Twitter.

Give up those long chats on the phone. Give up texting. Give up emailing.

Give up reading blogs.

Give up reading news.

Give up reading magazines.

Give up reading books.

Give up social activities. Give up late night parties, walks at sunset, family dinners.

Give up eating out, working out, making out.

Give up cleaning.

Give up shopping.

Some of those things, you won’t need to sacrifice entirely. Some of those things, you should indulge in occasionally to keep yourself sane. Some of those things, you’ll need in order to recharge your batteries.

But.

How about these?

Give up the illusion of put-together.

Give up the illusion of can’t.

Give up the comfort of familiarity.

Give up that familiar voice inside your head that tells you you’re not enough.

Give up the words you tell yourself that keep you small.

Give up the words you tell yourself that keep you immobile.

Give up the words you tell yourself that keep you in fear.

Give up the cycle of negative self-talk you indulge in inside your head.

Give up the apathy.

Give up the shackles.

Give up the excuses.

Give up the doubts.

Give up the fear.

When you think, “I’m going to write,” there is something in your mind that starts listing reasons why you shouldn’t.

Give up that thing that tells you “no.”

Hey, love? All of this sacrifice?

It is going to hurt.

But it will make you more whole than you’ve ever been.

That is why it is worth it.

And that’s WILAWriTWe.