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?
Moving forward on the second half of Float. I finished off six scenes worth of interrogation and escape yesterday, which means I’m kicking into the final sequence of the second act. It’s proving to be considerably slower than the last few weeks work, which is kinda frustrating, but I’ve got my fingers crossed that it’ll come together with a bit more planning.
What’s inspiring me this week?
I mainlined the first season of The Expanse on Netflix and it’s pretty damn incredible. It’s basically got all the things that I liked from Game of Thrones, transferred into space and without the obsession with rape as a plot device (so far). I kinda want to go and track down my copy of Leviathan Awakes now, so I can take a look at how they handle all the little bits of world-building in a written narrative.
What part of my project an I avoiding?
Sleep. I have written the words sleep is not negotiable so many times I should probably break down and tattoo them on the back of my eyelids, and my ability to make sensible life decision always gets wobbly the moment depression flares up. I’ve done a lot of stupid, not-great-for-my-mental-health decisions over the last few days, but dropping down to an average of four hours of sleep a night has probably been the dumbest of them.
So this week’s project goal is getting back into a sleep routine – set the electronic devices at nine o’clock and do an hour of reading before bed, and make sure that I’m following a sleep routine that actually keeps me functional.
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
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Yass for The Expanse! I really liked it too (as per my last week Sunday Circle haha). It’s got a really good energy and pacing to it, and I found the ways it interwove the storylines really satisfying. Good luck on getting your sleep back on track too.
My Sunday Circle is here.
What do you use to compile your research information? (I’m using Evernote personally, but it’s a freaking mess due to a lack of a clear taxonomy for tagging – tends to evolve organically)
Regarding the 1910s, I’m not sure how relevant it might be, but Dan Carlin has a great podcast series on World War I – the first episode talks about a lot of the politics of the world at the start of the war, and the death of the great adventure in the face of a terrible slaughterhouse. Some of that might help regarding the pre-war starting point?
Good luck with Flight this week!
Sleep is so important! Got to make it your number one priority so you can meet your other top priorities.
Here’s my Sunday Circle
The Expanse sounds really good – there’s much to like in Game of Thrones but it’s gotten to the point where the female characters NOT raped are oddities.
Getting six scenes done, Peter, is awesome! Glad the wordcount is flying for you, Sophie. I feel for you on finalising The Rabbits. Ree, I couldn’t see your Sunday Circle post. Not sure the link is right.
What am I working on this week?
I’ve processed the feedback on the Fun Flimsy and now have the new beginning done to a level I’m pleased with. Slower but more intense (I hope), and the emphasis firmly on the relationship between the leads with them driving the plot instead of circumstances.
What’s inspiring me this week?
External praise. My stores of self-belief are low at the moment, but I’ve finalled in another competition and have a posse of folk confident I’m getting there. I just wish I could write and, most especially, rewrite faster. (This is why I’m not NaNoWriMo-ing this year – it’s the rewriting that takes me FOREVER.) All in good time, I know. And it’s quality not quantity that counts at this stage, yeah?
What part of my project an I avoiding?
Hoping I’m over the block to rewriting the second act. Previously this relied on plot devices and antagonist positioning, but the characters should now be able to move this part along with me just getting down what they’re getting up to!
Great news on being a finalist in another competition Karina! Not sure what is happening with my link. You’d never think I run websites for a day job . But here it is again as a url https://reekimberley.com/2016/11/06/the-sunday-circle-6-november-2016/
Regarding one dimensional villains, there’s a great quote from Lee Marvin essentially saying “I don’t play villains, I play a guy just trying to get through his day.” – as a sanity checking tool, would it help at all to see if motivations make sense if you suddenly made it the villain’s story instead – made them the protagonist?
Kudos on everything you knocked out this week, too. And being on top of things!
thanks Kevin, that’s great advice 🙂
Yay for the external praise! It’s hard to keep that self image positive at the best of times. And huge congrats on the competition!
The Expanse definitely sounds good, doesn’t it? Because ohman, the GoT showrunners have got a serious issue around rape.
In as much as my opinion means anything, I think you’re definitely right. If you were looking to bump the speed up though, are there more contained exercises you could work through over time to build up those muscles? Or is it just one of those things we all have where we wish something was slightly different?
A few people have been recommending The Expanse at me of late, and I suspect I will have to watch it, but it is SO HARD to sit and watch all the way through a show off my own bat. If I don’t have to have my eyes on the screen the whole time the chances are higher (hence the Great British Detective Marathon).
Sophie: Oh, how much fun all your 1910 watching sounds! Someone recently ALmost convinced me to start on Downton Abbey (but see above).
Karina: You’re wonderful:)
What am I working on?
– NaNoWriMo, and realising that even with a plan, the characters can surprise you by setting fire to the furniture which while technically not violating the outline was not specified in it.
– Catching up on a lot of art projects. I think I just have to pick one per day and go hard – it will never be right to ignore the others, but it also won’t be wrong to ignore that one.
– Putting together that application to the illustration agency. I’ve been sneaking up on it.
– Tidying cupboards.
What’s inspiring me?
– Arguments with good friends about books.
– Remembering outlines can still make writing fun.
– The magical language of 12th century art instruction manuals.
– How all the strands were pulled together in one of the later episodes of the current season of Tremontaine. I don’t usually get so worried for characters when I’m reading a book for illustration, and I’m not entirely clear on how they accomplished the effect. I’ve read (drafts of) all but that last episode of the season and I am VERY WORRIED.
– I’ve registered for the Illustration Masterclass in Amherst next year!
What am I avoiding?
– Initial manuscript reading and sketches – I regrouped my carried-over tasks by the actual next step and there was a distinct pattern.
– Anything involving correspondence, electronic or otherwise. I got peer-pressured into signing up for a dating site and now I just hide my phone whenever I get a message so that’s going really well. At least I am bringing entertainment into the lives of my friends.
– Cleaning exposed surfaces. I’ve come over all contrary and am only cleaning the inside of cupboards.
– Planning art ahead, which I need to because I no longer have a reference model handy at 11pm.
Hiding your phone to avoid messages from a dating site is hilarious! But I don’t blame you. Dating sites require a lot of time, and if you’re doing nanowrimo this probably isn’t a good time to take the plunge into the online dating pool!
Never let your friends get their hands on your phone after they’ve been marathoning Bridget Jones, is the lesson here.
You’re likely already going through this on a daily basis, but if not, would a short plan around daily priorities help with both the correspondence and the prioritising of projects? (given you’ve already mentioned picking up one art project per day) I can relate, I’m kinda going through the same issues at the moment, particularly as the end of the year creeps up.
Yay for the Illustration Masterclass! Can you talk more about that at all?
Thanks for putting up the new link to yours: it’s always so lovely to hear when people are positive and energetic about rewrites
I’M ALIVE!
Apologies for disappearing for two weeks. The first of those was my partner getting very sick and wiping out the Sunday for anything other than bare necessities, the second of those was the insanity of Melbourne International Games Week.
What am I working on this week?
New long-form narration gig which has come in, live reading for an audio drama I picked up a role in, and starting planning for the final part of the year, focusing on a couple of personal projects and skills development. Also, the website work which is still underway.
What’s inspiring me?
This week, it’s been playing the amazing game Orwell published by a local company – similar to Papers Please, it deals with high consequence decision making with imperfect information to try and deal with an increase in terrorist activities. Been loving it, and it’s a perfect companion to playing games like Hacknet while watching the Pete Ball recommended Mr Robot.
Other than that, a whole bunch of personal catchups during Melbourne International Games Week, where I headed to the GCAP industry conference for the first time, and had a ball, despite it being very draining. Tips on surviving long industry conferences very much appreciated, as I’m looking at heading to GDC in San Francisco next year, and that’s a WHOLE FREAKING WEEK.
What part of my project am I avoiding?
I’ve got a lot of loose ends at the moment, but the biggest thing which needs work and hasn’t gotten it (because of the direct financial benefit) is the commercial demo, which I’m hoping to knock some work out on this weekend. *fingers crossed*
Peter: I hear you on the sleep routine. After a week of disruption, I’m crawling back to something that makes sense myself. Is there any sort of pattern to where you are now? (wondering if incremental adjustments might make sense?)
Also, the idea about reading before bed is an awesome one! I realised recently I need to do exactly the same thing, because I’m not getting enough regular reading done. And the winding down it gives you is an added bonus. A warning alarm half an hour before you need to down tools might not be a bad idea if you haven’t tried it, too.