The Perils of Research
Has anyone else ever noticed that research can be a very dangerous distraction?
Case in point: yesterday I spent around four hours researching a subject that I used in two lines of dialogue and a couple hundred words of description. Was it good material? Yeah. But four hours? I don't know about that. If I would have left myself a note to come back to it, would it have effected to story in any major way?
Nope. I was stuck and research presented itself as a procrastination tool I wouldn't feel guilty indulging.
Does anyone else find themselves falling into that trap?
Today's progress:
HA!... 0
Yup, that's right. Zilch.
At least yesterday when I didn't hit my goal I could blame it on research. Today was one of those days nothing clicked for me. Terrible day for it too because the web has been quiet. Practically no one blogged today, and only spam hit the email box. I spent large portions of today staring at the blinking cursor in my word document, then pulling up the net and visiting the blogs of those people commenting on the blogs I actually frequent. It was sad really.
But, today isn't over yet. I usually have two writing peaks: one mid afternoon when the room fills with sunlight, and one in the late hours of the night. With any luck, my wings are dry now and I'll be able to catch the late wind out of this block.
UPDATE: Well, a terrible writing day turned into a wonderful writing night. I met my goal for the day, and I am well on my way to making my goal for the week.
Current Progress:
Case in point: yesterday I spent around four hours researching a subject that I used in two lines of dialogue and a couple hundred words of description. Was it good material? Yeah. But four hours? I don't know about that. If I would have left myself a note to come back to it, would it have effected to story in any major way?
Nope. I was stuck and research presented itself as a procrastination tool I wouldn't feel guilty indulging.
Does anyone else find themselves falling into that trap?
Today's progress:
HA!... 0
Yup, that's right. Zilch.
At least yesterday when I didn't hit my goal I could blame it on research. Today was one of those days nothing clicked for me. Terrible day for it too because the web has been quiet. Practically no one blogged today, and only spam hit the email box. I spent large portions of today staring at the blinking cursor in my word document, then pulling up the net and visiting the blogs of those people commenting on the blogs I actually frequent. It was sad really.
But, today isn't over yet. I usually have two writing peaks: one mid afternoon when the room fills with sunlight, and one in the late hours of the night. With any luck, my wings are dry now and I'll be able to catch the late wind out of this block.
UPDATE: Well, a terrible writing day turned into a wonderful writing night. I met my goal for the day, and I am well on my way to making my goal for the week.
Current Progress:
| |
48,230 / 95,000 (50.8%) |
Comments
Oh, so often! I have the additional dilemma of working in a library. We received a shipment of new books Monday, and there's a brand-new book on Houdini calling my name right now. It's all I can do to leave the bloody thing where it is. I keep thinking, "Hey, maybe that would help me with some of the magic scenes in Book Two!"
* smacks own hand *