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?
Mostly, a holiday. I’m down in Adelaide for a quick Fringe Festival visit this weekend and I’ll be off the grid until Tuesday. This largely means I’ll be coming home and going straight into preparation for the university tutorials I’m teaching this semester and I’ve had this week blocked out as a “catch up on whatever project you want” as a result.
What’s inspiring me this week?
Fringe! Or, at least, I’m assuming it will. Expect a more detailed response when I return next week, but given that I’ll be attending a bunch of theatre, cabaret, and comedy shows in addition to seeing stuff at the Adelaide Writers Week, it’s a safe bet I’ll be grooving on the buzz that comes from being at art festivals.
What action do I need to take?
You Don’t Want To Be Published (And Other Things They Don’t Tell You When You First Start Writing) went out into the world on the 1st of March, but my attempt to get the free copies out to my newsletter subscribers was thwarted by some technological hiccups. Some folks have ended up with the unproofed copy I sent out to beta-readers instead. System is working okay for people who downloaded after I was alerted to the problem, but when I get back checking in with folks and getting them the right copy will be high on the to-do list..
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
Have fun at the festival, Peter!
What am I working on this week?: Of course, this week, we’re back to novel revision process after having rested the summary draft for a month. This week, I need to wade into the read-through and start the time-map/scene list. If I get half-way through this week, that’ll be excellent.
What is inspiring me this week?: Just finished reading The Letters of Vincent van Gogh which was incredibly thoughtful. I really enjoyed his ruminating on art, color, and religion, and am still processing it. The letters are so intimate, it really feels like you’ve been having a conversation with him one-on-one. Now I really want to see that oil-painted animated bio-pic/movie about him.
Also just watched Meru on Netflix, about the eponymous peak and a climbing team’s attempt to be the first to make the summit. It’s a fascinating documentary about commitment, evaluation of risk, the heights of human aspiration, and the nitty-gritty of what it actually takes to climb a nearly vertical peak for nearly a week. I’m not afraid of heights, per se, but there were more than a few shots that had my stomach dropping with vertigo (I’m pretty sure most of my stress-dreams involve either big waves or incredibly steep mountains). But it really captures that obsessive nature one would need to do something like that, the absolute (and death-defying) fearlessness, and–as one climber states–a bad memory that forgets how hard and terrifying things were the last time. But I do so love movies like this, and have a number of books on my shelf (harvested from Thriftbooks) about various climbing expeditions. It’s beautiful, too, and also rather horrifying. But mostly beautiful.
What action do I need to take?: Just need to get back into a regular routine after Bug got a bad cold last week that threw off the usual pattern of life. Need to read in the evenings again, too, because that very easily slips by the way-side. So: regular hours, and reading in the evening.
Hope you’re enjoying the Fringe. I always did mean to go to another writer’s thing after Brighton, somehow never did…
Saw your comments on FB about a particular panel you saw too. Ouch.
What am I working on this week?
Marketing plans for Book 2. Keeping it to that this week. Energy is sparse.
What is inspiring me this week?
I finally found myself a new military sci-fi series: Jack Campbell’s Lost Fleet series. The Honor Harrington series kind of lost me. Which is a shame, because when I liked it, I really liked it. So far, book 1 of the Lost Fleet is the light entertainment I need right now.
I occasionally lose myself in Pinterest for an hour or so. My “Dark Splendor” board is growing and growing…
What action do I need to take?
Just grit my teeth and keep working. Day Job madness is taking most of my cognitive surplus. It’s sort of gradually getting better as the expanded team begins to get up to speed. Off to Oz for three weeks very soon, which will force the issue.