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?
I’m down to the final scene on the story I started last week, so I’m looking to get that written around some thesis work in the coming days. Hell Track has been a little slower to resume work on, but I’m going to break out a notebook and start tackling all the hiccups which have emerged over the last week.
What’s inspiring me this week?
I’ve been reading Rick Remender’s run on Uncanny Avengers over the last week, which does an incredible job of blending the history of two Marvel franchises and coming up with some really high-level, cosmic plots that still feel grounded in the people. I generally like the Avengers least when they’re tackling big, cosmic-level plots involving time travel, and I’ve liked the X-Men comics least when they’re dealing with time-travelling, unknowable villains like Apocalypse. Remender takes both and fuses them into something incredible, while keeping the action grounded in the foibles of the team.
What action do I need to take?
Chaos has taken over my desk over the last month as it became the dumping ground for things that did not have a home in the flat, and the available work space has shrunk to the size of the keyboard. I really need to start sorting things and either finding homes or tossing things away, because it’s becoming harder and harder to work there.
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
3 Responses
Peter: how did you go with re-instituting your weekly plan last week?
Also, have you considered shifting your 30 minute planning session into the end of your day rather than the start? I’m at the pointy end of Work Clean at the moment, and it suggests that as a way of preparing mentally and downing tools for the day. It seems to make a lot of sense – I’ve found that my daily reflections at the end of the day (via Todd Henry’s advice) have shifted into planning. In part probably because there’s less resistance to planning work, because it’s Tomorrow Me that’s doing the work, and I’m happy to shift work onto that guy.
Proper checkpoints are in place, but I’m still locking down some projects this week to gauge how much is actually doable.
End of day doesn’t really work for me – I’ve tried it, but afternoons and evenings are my better thinking time. Mornings, I need the time to warm up the engines, and the daily review over breakfast tends to fit into my schedule better and give me a little more focus.
What am I working on this week?
Now that GDC follow-ups are done, this week’s primary focus is a whole lot more marketing work, along with closing out a lingering quarterly review, and focusing on building narrative skills (along with some specific textual analysis skills for voice acting)
What’s inspiring me this week?
We watched Spider-Man: Homecoming on the weekend in preparation for Infinity War, and it was an absolute delight. It’s the best adaption I’ve seen of the character, and felt like it hit all of the notes it should: a superhero with considerable powers coming into his own and trying to figure out how to make a difference, balanced against wanting to be a part of his school life, and being responsible to his aunt. Peter Parker felt unsure, but earnest, and principled. And they managed to turn Vulture from a fairly laughable villain in Spidey’s rogues gallery to a character that felt fleshed out without being too grounded and gritty.
Other than that, regular routine is really making a difference in how I feel. I’ve put in place a workable morning routine that gets everything that should be happening daily happening (whether I’m working on V/O or the survival job) It hasn’t rolled out identically every day – the key so far has been being flexible and realistic in terms of uncontrollable external events interrupting schedule – but it’s made a big shift. I’m back into spending an hour a day studying, which has meant I’m actually making progress on the things I want to read again. It sounds so self-evident, but that makes a HUGE difference in terms of sparking ideas. I’m almost done with Work Clean now and looking forward to moving on to the next thing.
I’m sort of casting about for new fiction to read at the moment, which is likely going to fall out of completing the quarterly review. I’ve been reading Moorcock’s Eternal Champion stuff, but the four-colour nature of the fantasy is starting to wear thin. Thinking maybe of picking up Glen Cook’s Black Company series – anyone read that and have an opinion either way?
What action do I really need to take?
As with last week, increasing auditions to increase $$$. Last week’s V/O time went to a chunk of pickup recording for the film, which is always a joy (and hard work) so hopefully there’ll be more time available this week.