The Sunday Circle is the weekly check-in where I ask the creative-types who follow this blog to weigh in about their goals, inspirations, and challenges for the coming week. The logic behind it can be found here. Want to be involved? It’s easy – just answer three questions in the comments or on your own blog (with a link in the comments here, so that everyone can find them).
After that, throw some thoughts around about other people’s projects, ask questions if you’re so inclined. Be supportive above all.
Then show up again next Sunday when the circle updates next, letting us know how you did on your weekly project and what you’ve got coming down the pipe in the coming week (if you’d like to part of the circle, without subscribing to the rest of the blog, you can sign-up for reminders via email here).
MY CHECK-IN
What am I working on this week?
Well, first day of 2017 and its time for me to finish my two weeks of relative holiday and get back to writing. On the to-do list this week: three blog posts, one short story, one chapter on Float (which will also mean spending some quality time re-reading the project and figuring out where I’m up to after a long break).
What’s inspiring me this week?
I’ve leaned heavily on the cultural consumption over the last week, finishing off movies and TV shows I’d half-watched and then left for a later date. The most interesting of them was 20,000 Days on Earth, which is billed as a documentary about Nick Cave and his work, but is probably closer to the documentary equivalent of Creative Non-Fiction.
There is a lot of artifice in the presentation, giving it a really strong visual style and approach, and it doesn’t try to hide the fact that things have been staged in order to generate specific effects. The weird thing is that it kinda works, partially because it’s Nick Cave and his work has always been touched by a streak of pompous melodrama, partially because the documentary makes it very clear that it’s got its own take on the idea of documenting that’s willing to be metaphoric and isn’t necessarily based on realism.
Not a great film, but an interesting one for that reason and I’ve been pondering it on and off.
What part of my project an I avoiding?
I really need to sit down and do my quarterly, monthly, and weekly plans at the moment, in addition to setting up the white board with hour tracking. My rhythm for this is all off thanks to the holidays, and in particular the fact that all my regular breakfast places are shut down for the next two weeks and my habit of planning over coffee isn’t quite coming together.
I’ve ended up taking a short, unscheduled break from writing newsletters over the last fourteen days. Regular GenrePunk Ninja transmissions will resume
Like many of you, I have good weeks and bad weeks on the writing front. This week has been rocky, and if
Welcome to GenrePunk Ninja supplemental, where I occasionally post foundational essays written before I launched the GenrePunk Ninja newsletter, especially if they’re
24 Responses
Peter: If I remember correctly, it’s the getting out of the house part of the equation that’s more important than the coffee itself, isn’t it? (was wondering otherwise whether something like Deliveroo or Uber Eats might help make an ersatz breakfast ritual for you.
Hope the writing goes well, man!
Leaving the house is the most important part, but I’ve discovered it works better when there’s somewhere I actually feel comfortable sitting and working for a bit. Doing a quick tour of the block will kinda work as a reset, but it’s too easy to start working when I get back instead of sitting down and doing dedicating time to planning.
I hear you. The quarterly review today has involved some degree of distraction along the way, and there’s a part of me that’s just been itching to dig into some work.
What am I working on this week?
This week I’m mostly working on the day job starting Tuesday, so I’m focusing on the quarterly plan today, along with kickstarting the video production back up, and balancing financials for last year. Sometime this week I’ll be distilling what I know regarding auditioning (to distil the practice down) and also preparing for the Dave Fennoy webinar.
I’ve still got mountains of digital cruft I didn’t get to, but I’m going to try and parcel that out over time – otherwise it’ll just turn into misdirected effort.
What’s inspiring me this week?
The cyberpunk fascination has moved into exploring the history of the corporation in more detail (something I’ve touched on in the past reading No Logo and Life Inc, so I’m almost through the audiobook of The Corporation. Audiobooks are proving to be a great way to rip through my reading material, and I wish I’d thought of it sooner.
Also listening through Twyla Tharp’s The Creative Habit at the moment, and digging it, even though it’s somewhat of a counterpoint to So Good They Can’t Ignore You (at least regarding the author’s mindset, not their practices)
We’re also currently watching through The OA on Netflix, and I’m currently intrigued. I have no idea what’s going on.
What part of my project am I avoiding?
The first thing that comes to mind is the mountains of cruft, but that’s a strategic choice.
I think this is the first time you’ve mentioned a voice artist who works in video games and I’ve actually recognised their work from games I’ve played 🙂
Interesting! Is this due to your recent research? Or do you just know Dave Fennoy via a general cultural awareness?
I’m really keen to hear what you come up with re corporations! I mentioned (I think) reading The Corporation That Changed The World? I’d love to find some books exploring what the world would be like without corporations, if you have any recommendations.
Interesting book recommendations! Corporations are such bizarre, fascinating things. Best of luck ramping up this week!
Oh – answering your question from last week, Maggie, the concept of deliberate practice is one I got from So Good They Can’t Ignore You.
And there’s a pretty solid primer on his blog, if you aren’t up for delving through the book.
Very cool. Thanks for bringing it up!
Happy new year everyone! I’m determined to make 2017 my best year in writing so far, and I hope that this year you all realise your writing aspirations. Get set, here we go!
Meanwhile,
here’s this week’s Sunday Circle.
Love the reading list – The Hate Race sounds like a great, if tough-at-times read!
It is Kevin, Breaks your heart and makes you angry at the same time. She is an incredibly gifted writer.
Oh, have fun with mixing up the tenses! I hope it pulls together well.
thanks! I’ll see how it goes.
I second Kevin’s comment: reading list sounds great! I’ll have to check them out. Best of luck with the experimenting on tense!
thanks Maggie, no doubt I’ll chart its success or failure through my Sunday Circle updates.
Peter – all sympathies re the cafe situation!
What am I working on this week?
– The novella. First and foremost. No excuses! I have so many projects but I have to put this first. I must get to the end.
What’s inspiring me this week?
– Nothing yet. I finished a bunch of books just before New Year’s Eve and am still getting my teeth into the next set (Empire of the Air and Heat and Light).
– No, I lie. I read a TERRIBLY INFURIATING self-help book for research for a story, but in spite of all the rage and hilarity, it did make me think about how I probably try to be too controlling of my personal life while being a bit too que sera, sera regarding business. So now I’m annoyed at finding the book useful.
– Also, relearning how to write tiny stories for the Patreon has made me excited about short stories again.
What am I avoiding?
– I’ve been avoiding some manuscript edits, but one was just rejected so I can’t use that as an excuse for not changing the text any more.
I’m actually far happier and much more excited about everything than this makes me sound. I just recorded an episode of a podcast with friends (as guest/stand-in), just talking about what we were reading and working on, and it was enormous fun. I’m looking forward to lots of art, I have stories in progress, there is time in sight to do some large edits…
Sounds like you’re kicking 2017 off with gusto! Best of luck with progress on the novella! 🙂
It all sounds pretty exciting! Lots of art is always something to look forward to.
Finally managed to squeak this in, though it’s a USA-East Coast Sunday. ^_-
Sunday Circle is here.
What am I working on this week?
Doing my quarterly check-in today. Halfway through a second draft of a novel I’m collaborating on–need to finish that this week and then get stuck into the third draft. Need to follow up on a couple of potential venues for a creativity workshop series I’m planning. Also work on a timetable, in general and specifically time for journalling on the non-fiction project.
What’s inspiring me this week?
Saw The Arrival, which I really enjoyed. Also finished The OA, which I loved for how completely shambolic it was. Just started reading a book called Building Great Sentences. Still writing and reading poetry, but am coming back to prose in a big way this year.
What part of my project am I avoiding?
The weekly timetable. Also activity prep for the workshop.