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?
Catching up on the thesis prospectus after much of the last week was eaten up by a virus. I’ve worked out that I’m probably going to need to write a lot in order to get the 4,000 words I need, just because I process things as I go..
What’s inspiring me this week?
There’s a lot of argument about Master of None season 2 on my friends list this week, with the general consensus being that it’s got moments of brilliance but the final episodes let it down with some really unpleasant character development. I don’t disagree with that, but I also don’t think this show is about character arcs – of all the shows that make use of Netflix’s freedom from commercial constraints, Master of None is one of the few that eschews conventional narrative structures and embraces a more vignette-driven approach. It’s a show that takes a lot of chances simply because it can, including presenting its main character in an incredibly un-empathetic light.
What part of my project an I avoiding?
Weekly planning has fallen by the wayside a bit with the virus, but I need to remember that time spent planning in advance will save me time rather than wasting it.
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
15 Responses
Trying to get this done a little in advance this week, compared to posting…oh, like on a Wednesday or something. 🙂 My Sunday Circle is here.
I’ve been hoping to check out the second season of Master of None–I’m very curious to see how it goes, and where Ansari takes it. Best of luck with making the week’s plan, Peter!
Woo! Links are great, apparently. XD
Love that you’re digging clothing and accessories, given how often that stuff can become utilitarian almost noise!
Regarding Minecraft, does Bug like playing without monsters at all? (would that help rescue the game potentially from the nightmare issue?)
Hope the audiobook listening goes well this week!
Oh, it’s so easy to let all that putting-oneself-together stuff just totally lapse. But I really love how it’s kind of a narrative structure in and of itself–how you present yourself is part of it, how others interpret how you’re presenting yourself isn’t all that different from the author/reader dynamic. It’s been very interesting to spend a little more thought and time on it, and rather self-revealing, too!
Unfortunately, most of his interest in the game *is* the monsters. (He gets mad when I turn it to peaceful mode, because then there are no monsters to hunt at night. Hunting pigs and other creatures seems to not have the same interest, even with our herd of 15+ wolves!) So I fear we’ll have to set it aside for a little while, maybe try again in six months and see if it still bothers him. He still asks to play it regularly, so I know there’s some interest, but we’ll have to play it by ear! So far, it’s been very definitive that the days we play are the nights he has nightmares. Ah well! Creepers aren’t called creepers for nothing. XP (But I’m a proud Mama today, because in the car, he wanted us to catch up with a semi in front of us (he loves trucks, of course), and shouted “MOMMY! USE HOOKSHOT! Grab it!” And I was like–wow, that would totally work in Zelda, but unfortunately we don’t actually *own* a real hookshot… XD)
Hope you’re feeling better! I still haven’t watched Master of None. I keep meaning too, but it always manages to fall off my watch list. I’ve been a bit trepidation after reading Stacey and Aimee’s comments on the most recent season too, but will try to bump it back up. 🙂
My Sunday Circle is here.
Rock on for getting to the end stages with the novella – it sounds like a very interesting read!
I hope the last act work is going well today, and you’re out the other side by the time you read this.
Given the sci fi/space opera predilection currently, are you tempted at all to take the research you’ve done and territory you’ve explored with the Vietnam War and dress it in a sci fi context? (Maybe its just me, but it felt like there were shades of the long engagement in the Middle East in The Forever War)
Hopefully you’ve seen the back of that crappy virus Peter.
Here’s my Sunday Circle.
Kudos for the progress on the sequel, and for the great reception for Rat City! Rock on!
What I didn’t see sounds like a great thing to chew on, too – I’ve got a world of respect for short story writers and how achingly demanding the format is – how little fat there can be in a short story.
Peter: the turn in Master of None sounds very interesting – I wonder if it’s analogous at all to how Louie progresses – more from comedy to melodrama, and fairly unflattering to Louis C.K.’s character throughout.
Hope you feel better soon. Looking forward to having caught up on Riverdale to be able to talk about that more. (hoping the series fulfills its promise)
Chiming in late this week!
What am I working on this week?
Continuing recording for the film project – now in the pickup stage going back over older audio to fine tune performances. Also progressing the commercial demo, and research for video project.
The to-do list is similar this week to last week because I lost a little more time than anticipated to family stuff, but also because there’s still more to chew through.
What’s inspiring me this week?
I spent the first day alone with the fam up in Brisbane doing housework, and chewing through The Message (and then After.Life which are two amazing audio drama podcasts – probably the best I’ve encountered so far. The Message creates a diegetic rationale for being a podcast, whereas Life.After ignores the need to handwave the format, and is narrated first persion by the POV character as a kind of confessional. You can find the feed for both here if you’re keen at all.
I’m also super-excited to be joining a short roleplaying game again for the first time in FOREVER. Roleplaying was what got me into voice acting to begin with, and it’ll be a short three session story in a cyberpunk setting. Looking forward to seeing what people are keen to play with – there are definitely some cyberpunk themes I’m keen to explore – most especially artificial intelligence and transfer of consciousness.
What part of my project am I avoiding?
The two things that are probably suffering the most at the moment are daily exercises for voice over, and getting things out the door. While I’m doing a lot of recording for the film project at the moment, I’m starting to itch a little for the lack of anything concrete being finished and getting out the door of my own. Starting to think about smaller projects I might be able to tinker with just to make stuff.
Also finding at the moment that while it’s not something I’m avoiding per se, energy is a big concern. Three hour recording sessions of ADR wipe me out, meaning evenings are down time and recovery. Trying to find ways to reduce that recovery time faster than just building the muscle of experience, if at all possible.
Hope you’re all having a great week, lovely people!
Hi Kevin, in terms of energy, paying attention to diet is really important. No idea what you’re eating habits are but sometimes just taking note of what foods give you energy & those that make you feel heavy can give you a little more energy/reduce recovery time.
Thanks Ree! My diet is pretty consistent (porridge for breakfast, Aussielent for lunch) so I’m pretty happy with that, but I probably should be snacking more during these sessions to keep energy up.
nuts are a great energy boost for snacking 🙂
Akin to what Ree mentioned, in the past I’ve found it surprisingly energizing to engage in the 16hr fast–stop eating (liquids ok) at a certain time in the evening (for me it was usually 7pm), and then don’t eat again until after 16hrs (so if 7, then 11am)–eating the same amount as usual, just spacing it out overnight I’ve found can tap a little extra energy, if only because I’m not digesting late into the evening. (It’s a sporadic thing, but I do enjoy it when I manage to remember to do it!) And if I’m having a glass of wine or a beer, I save it until after I’m completely through with productive things for the day.
At least for me, too, I can’t pick up the baton once it’s dropped, so I’ve found it’s very difficult to relax *first* and then get back to work. Usually, once I’m done, I have to accept that I’m done.
Best of luck with wrangling the evening time! It’s a challenge, for sure!
That’s a good point for the evening – avoiding digesting heavy food. The first problem I’m dealing with at the moment is more recovering from a big energy deficit (I’m fine on regular days, but when I’m recording ADR for long sessions, I’m wiped afterwards) but there’s likely to be something to be found in there in diet & alcohol consumption. Thanks!