Writing and Feeling

I'm not one to believe in gimmicks when it comes to writing (or anything for that matter). I like to think of myself as a practical person. I sometimes spend several hours outlining plots, scenes, etc. on paper or simply mentally brainstorming ideas, emotions, concepts (some great places for this--for me--is on the track while jogging to some inspiring music and surprisingly, on the bowl--okay, TMI, but it's true). For me, it's sometimes like being a kid and doing an Easter egg hunt. I run around moving rocks and looking behind trees for a lead. Something may catch my eye--like an idea that grabs my attention--but it turns out to be a dead end or a dry hole. Sometimes, I do find something that leads me on for awhile. It's like one time when I stopped up a nosebleed with a ball of tissue. After removing the tissue, I pulled out a long, glutenous, congealed strand of blood that seemed to pull forever. How far will this idea go?

I find that when I delve into some of these ideas, especially in character development (sometimes in writing, but mostly in concept), it can be a little taxing on my emotions. For example, after writing or conceptualizing something that is very, very emotionally sad or disturbing (especially for longer than a couple hours), I find myself just slightly tainted for a little while. My wife would be talking to me about something cheery and I'm still grieving for my character. It reminds me that I need to take a break sometimes.

Any writers ever get this? Maybe I'm just kooky.