Runners, especially long-distance and cross-country, will tell you that you reach a point when your body says "Screw you, I'm going home!" but you just keep running. Push through the wall, go for the burn, whatever.
I am wondering about the value of applying that to mental exercise. You see a writer's block. For me, this doesn't mean that I can't write at all. (obviously, I'm typing this) So, it shouldn't be inconceivable to put words down on paper (harddrive) regardless of what they actually ARE. So, is it worth it?
When I think about my 1st WIP right now, reaching for images in my head is like grasping at smoke. They wisp away, just out of reach. But, what if I stopped trying? I know the basic plot points I want to hit in this section I'm stuck on. It's not like I don't know what happens. What if I just sat down, and wrote those out? No prettiness, just basic words. A happens, and leads to B. Then C occurs. D feels X about said event. Can I do that? More importantly, if I do it, can I go back later (preferably sooner, but who am I kidding?) and fix it, flesh it out?
Is it possible that I'm just too damn neurotic to be writing at all?
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When you run long distances, you have to focus on one step at a time. If you look too far forward, the distance is too daunting. Of course, the same goes for writing. The key to breaking writer's block is to focus on one sentence at a time. No matter how bad a writer is blocked, it's never impossible to write one sentence. After that, write another. One step at a time.
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