Monday, April 4, 2011

Trade Off Carrots

I broke down and got a trial subscription to Ancestry.com today.  Probably not the wisest move I've ever made to forward my writing, but once I saw they had records on my grandfather, but I couldn't access them without paying, I had to do it.  (And that's how they suck you in, the dirty bastards.) 

Know what?  It's really addictive.  I spent most of the day researching my family and then my husband's family and then my daughter's father's family.  I told myself I could research during the time I wouldn't be writing anyway, and in return, I would write.  No writing tonight and no playing tomorrow - that was my trade off. 

It wasn't exactly fair, since I only did 570 words, but still, it worked.  I didn't want to stop researching  - there's so much more to learn - but I made myself close the programs and write.  And that's a start.  Consider it my carrot for sitting here when I would rather be sleeping.

What kinds of carrots do you use when you don't feel like writing?  Or are you disciplined enough that you don't need carrots?  I really need to get there, but until I have an agent, the impetus just doesn't seem to be handy for that kind of dedication. 

(And yes, I realize that I might have the whole thing backwards.  I had the drive once upon a time.  Now I just need the carrot again.)

2 comments:

  1. It seems every carrot I dangle, I end up either ignoring or not caring if I get it - yeah, I'm in that boat of writing right now! Like you said, the agent thing would be the best carrot, but right now it's a big old road block.

    I've seen the commercials on ancestry.com - way cool. Good luck with the research - and the carrot :)

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  2. That looks like such a fun website. My carrots are basically the lure of getting some query requests...someday! It lights a fire under my bum and gets me closer to the finished draft.

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