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?
Thanks to a massively productive write club day on Wednesday, I managed to get a new story submitted by Thursday morning and achieve my goals from last week. I think that’s the first time that’s happened in months.
This week I’ve got a short-list: get another story ready for submission; do a detailed scene plan for the first act of Float; continue to post blog posts for the next five days and re-establish my routine here.
What’s inspiring me this week?
Technically, I’m not here today. I have run off to Melbourne to catch up with friends who are, more or less, like family. More importantly, they’re the friends who are my benchmark as far as my life goes – talking to them about what I’m doing, what I’ve achieved, and what I want to achieve, makes those things feel real in a way that talking to other folks doesn’t. I always come back from Melbourne energised and eager to work, especially after two or three days talking shop with folks who are creative, but not in my immediate field of writing.
Also, Love and Friendship. But if you read Thursday’s post, you could probably guess that.
What part of my project an I avoiding?
I’m still working to re-establish systems that will keep me productive and focused, particularly when it comes to writing. I did a good job of catching up with email last week, but the last ten emails are still haunting me and I really need to sit down and process them. Which is frustrating, ’cause I was good at email, once upon a time.
*glares at email*
*starts making notes for responses in the bullet journal*
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
9 Responses
Congrats on finishing the short story! That’s super awesome. And I hope you have a great time in Melbourne. 🙂
My Sunday Circle is here
Congrats on submitting! Write clubs are great for that sustained focus. ^_^ Glad to hear things are moving forward again!
What I’m working on this week: Well, this past week was about as busy as I’d expected. We have family visiting from far-off, and a wedding, so we’ve been away from computers and traveling quite a bit. I did get a chance to reread the short story edit, and am hoping to get started on the rewrite this week.
What’s inspiring me?: ZOMG I finally started watching Stranger Things, and am loving it. The music alone is fabulous, but it’s really nailed that Steven-Kingish-80s-Horror-Novel feel spot-on. (I’ll admit I’m too much of a coward to watch it alone, so Andy and I ate only 2 episodes in so far, but we mainline those in one weeknight, which is rare for us theses days unless something is really fantastic.) It’s definitely right on the edge of my scare-limit, but so far my adult tendency to not have nightmares about movies is holding. (Though I did wake up the other night half-convinced someone was in the room…took a while to get back to sleep! Lol)
What am I avoiding?: Again, I’m just trying not to guilt myself about the speed of my progress currently. One little goal at a time, and trying to be open to bursts of inspiration whenever they happen. 🙂
I’m really looking forward to digging into Stranger Things at some point. Hearing nothing but good things, and the tone sounds fantastic.
Here’s to being kinder to yourself this week regarding progress (because Maggie ROCKS!) Is part of the issue perspective/an audit trail on what’s actually been done, or do you have a pretty solid measure on what the actual progress is?
Haha! Aw, thanks! I could probably stand to review what’s actually been done this year, though the last few weeks have been more productive than expected with two new short story drafts and some good beta critique on a story I’m hoping to get out this month (though the novel outline has taken a hit for it), so at least at a rough glance, not bad. I think it’s more process-frustration. I do like writing regularly, at an expected time everyday, etc., but I’m coming to realize how little control I have over any of my time at all these days, and *that* (and a life-long tendency to want to run before I walk) is more what’s chaffing. And I suspect that’s just a matter of growing pains until this unpredictability becomes the norm (and then I won’t know what to do with myself when this strange thing called SCHOOL starts in approx. 2-3 years…) ^_^
Chiming in a little late this week… it’s been a little hectic. 🙂
What am I working on this week?
Website updates, back-office research, Now Playing, King Lear monologue, Russian & IPA learning, and a new routine of exercises courtesy of the voice coach. It’s been a bit of a hectic past week of socialising and meetings and whatnots, so looking forward to hiding in HQ.
What’s inspiring me this week?
A couple of things, chiefly – listening to The Black Tapes on Patrick O’Duffy’s recommendation, and really digging it. It’s interesting to listen to a series, enjoy the story, and at the same time be thinking about what I’d change or approach differently both with voice acting and overall structure.
Also, PIRATES. Reading David Cordingly’s Under the Black Flag and it’s blowing my hair back. Some really great context in there underlying some of the big legends.
What am I avoiding?
This website work is continually going on the backburner, so that’s starting to feel like avoidance, even though the critical work it’s supporting is still continuing.
Phew! Sounds like a productive couple of weeks! And at least on the website work, would it be possible to spend even just ten to twenty minutes a day on that, breaking it up into micro-projects, rather than a bigger undertaking which may have more weight and pressure on it?
(Also, now I really, really, really want to read pirate books. BUT I HAVE TO READ CRYOGENIC BOOKS FIRST. *note to self*)
Peter:
SO FREAKING GOOD to catch up with you Melbourne-side. I’ll let you know how the bullet journalling cult goes, too.
Hope you manage to crack those last ten emails soon. Have you figured out what needs to be done with them, or is that where the drag is coming from currently?
The drag is that they’re mostly these are the things I have fucked up or failed at while depressed/distracted, which means…well, acknowledging the levels of depression and distraction that seeped into my life in the first half of the year.