Dear Friends,
Right now it’s pouring rain and I love it. I love how it sounds, I love how it smells, I love how it looks and I love how it feels. It’s putting me in a great mood.
Here’s something that happened at a boot camp I signed up for without meaning to. The man in charge had a small meeting where he told us how to eat.
He was like: During all eating opportunities [he then wrote EO on the board], consume a palm sized portion of protein and thumb sized portion of fat and a palm sized portion of vegetables or a palm sized portion of fruit–not tropical, just north american.
Everyone was scribbling notes. I was like, uh what?
And he said, are you okay?
And I was like, only north american fruits?
And he said, yeah. No mangos, pineapples, bananas.
Me: No bananas?
Him: Nope. No bananas unless it’s after a really rigorous workout.
People were nodding. Like duh, who eats bananas?
And I was like, so if I don’t get to eat bananas, where does that leave my licorice (Fat Free!), chocolate covered acai berries (HEALTHY!!!), and gummy grapefruits (North American!).
Everyone stared at me. Then he said, you’ll never get the ideal body eating like that.
Clearly I was out of place.
Sometimes I feel this way in my writing life. People will give advice or tell me how to do it: Write all day! Write every day! Write in the same place! Write an extensive synopsis! Finish three books a year!
If I’m not doing some of/or all of these things I feel inadequate or lazy or uninspired. Or like I’m never going to reach my goal because I eat bananas.
Here’s something I’ve had to learn and relearn over and over again. I’m on my own path. Everyone is on their own path despite what it might feel like. There is no right way, there is no only way, there is no best way. There’s only your way. Advice and goals and groups are great but only if they encourage you, inspire you, and make you feel like you can do it. If you feel discouraged or inadequate or overwhelmed, it’s important to take a step back and evaluate. You should avoid things that make you feel less than you are.
The school year for me starts tomorrow. I am excited about my class. I am excited about the projects I’m working on. I’m excited for the rain. I’m also excited that I get to write a romance in February.
Throwing Up Words 
I am so in like with you right now.
Amen.
I eat a mango almost everyday. On days I don’t, it’s pineapple. So I don’t like this One Way plan one bit. 😦 You eat those bananas like you own it, girl. (i hope you really do own it otherwise that’s stealing)
I’ve also learned that My Way might change as I go along, and that’s okay too.
Laughed all the way through this—including the comments! Gotta go now: I have a banana waiting for me.
My mother-in-law doesn’t eat bananas because she only eats locally grown food. I’m sad for her. Sometimes when I need a treat, I cut up a banana in a bowl and drizzle chocolate and caramel and whip cream on it (and maybe a little granola–the good kind) like an ice-cream sundae, but without the ice-cream.
I feel sad for my mother-in-law. Whenever they come to visit, my father-in-law eats all our bananas, but he eats them in secret where she can’t see him.
You should definitely eat bananas.
Ha! You don’t know me, but guess what? Fate would have it that when I opened my email and saw the title of the blog’s update I WAS EATING A BANANA, and today is the day of that new school year. Wow. That was so profound on so many levels. Yeah bananas! The rain’s nice too… Your book is still on my to read list. I will read it one day!!!
I was literally having an ‘inadequate’ day today with my WIP. This was perfect! Just what I needed. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
LOVE this. But now I feel like I have been bossing you around. Didn’t I just tell you to write a book every 6 weeks?
This is hilarious.
Although I must admit, I don’t enjoy banana. They make my throat swell up.
Thank you, all of you. Bananas are delicious but not when they get spots.