Diet? What Diet?

Writer's diet? Huh. I'm probably not the best Novel Girl to post on this topic, since my usual diet consists of pizza, beer, fast food and Doritos--with the occasional salad and piece of fruit thrown in. Although since I had my beach vacation hanging over my head, I tried to eat a bit healthier this summer so as not to scare beach patrons by my pasty white skin AND jiggly thighs.

I've never been one of those people who "forgets" to eat. Nope. Sure, I might end up delaying a meal due to a crazy schedule, but eating and me are BFFs. I'm definitely one of those people who would rather be fat than give up food. Therefore, I usually end up having to do seriously long workouts to make up for my indulgences.

When I'm writing a book, it's no different--except I find that I continuously need to eat to keep my brain fueled. So, when I'm writing, I'll always have a snack nearby--some crackers, almonds, a granola bar, whatever. My other staple is a glass filled with ice and some diet coke or diet root beer right next to me.

I'll get all my necessities: lil' snack, my drink and my laptop and settle into the couch. Then, I turn on the Food Network and put it on mute, so I can occasionally glance up and salivate over whatever Paula Deen is cooking, since my family usually eats lots of takeout whenever I'm in the middle of a book. I figure, if I don't have time to make a shrimp casserole, I can at least watch someone else throw it together.

I'm starting my fourth book next week, so that means a pantry fully-stocked with lots of munchies, a billion frozen pizzas hanging out in the freezer and lots of Lean Cuisine meals. I'd advise everyone not to come visit for a couple of months. If you enter, you'll just find a passed-out writer on the couch, surrounded by pizza boxes and little scraps of paper that say cryptic things like, "Chapter 11 climax = lame."