Wandering in the Fields of Research

[madrobins]

I'm in the middle of Big Research, and it makes me feel guilty. I know, I honestly do know, that research is part of the writing process. Furthermore, I'm finding all sorts of fascinating bits and pieces (though I wish I could justify spending $75 for a book I just discovered on medicine in medieval Italy, but I just can't...). Research feels like play: I follow various threads of information down various rabbit holes, make notes, many with exclamation marks which mean "this is good stuff! Remember this!" or side notes about specific inspirations this has for the Planned Work. But I'm not writing anything other than notes, and if I'm not producing something it makes me feel cranky and unworthy. No one needs to jump in and tell me I'm a good dog and everything is okay--I really know that. I just wish that gnawing "what have you done for me lately" thing, a gift (I suspect) of my father's ferociously accomplishment-oriented family--would go gnaw on someone else for a change.