Fear and the need to keep going

I'm getting a lot out of The Writing Coach (thanks Jacqui). I needed a reminder about fear.

The moment we allow our fears of the value judgments of others to affect our work, we are lost as writers.

and

If you don't allow yourself to write regularly because you fear writing badly, then you will certainly write badly. Not writing ensures you will be permanently disengaged from your work.

(Both quotes from Day One on The Writing Coach blog).

I'm working on a short story at the moment and it's not going so well. This is the point to either work through it or abandon it. Part of the problem a lack of the senses. As I write this, realise I need to go back and put my protagonist into the physical world. I have a vision of him standing in a dim study watching the dust motes drift on a pale stream of sunlight while someone lectures him on the need to avoid the pleasures of the flesh.

There is a hint of desperation in the lecturing voice which makes my protagonist's skin prickle with anticipation. And so it goes.

Australia lost 2-0 to Brazil. Not so surprising. Next game is against Croatia.