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’ve got three short stories on the boil this week, and I’d really like to get one of the draft to a “finished” stage before next week’s Sunday Circle check-in. I’m going to spend a lot of time in my writing bunker this week, trying to figure out the minutia of key scenes in all three.
What’s inspiring me this week?
I broke and saw Captain America: Civil War at the cinemas, which means I’ve now seen as many things on the big screen in the first five months of 2016 as I saw in all five years before this combined. As always, I’m intrigued by the big-scale storytelling approach the Marvel movies are using, balancing the demands of the individual story against the complexities of a shared world narrative that’s spread across multiple franchises and (with Agents of Shield) mediums.
Also, I am thoroughly eager for Spiderman: Homecoming now.
What part of my project an I avoiding?
The penultimate scene in my Mummy Story, which I’ve now been circling around for three weeks without making any real progress. I think I need to track down a copy of the Godfather, or some other Mafia movie, and take a close look at how the scenes I’m trying to write are structured and how they’ll be altered by the presence of supernatural aliens and such.
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
https://charlienash.net/2016/05/08/sunday-circle-5/
Hey there. Well I imagine Orson is the expert, but there’s also good world-building advice on Brandon Sanderson’s site. I also seem to recall a checklist available from SFWA… if that’s any use to you, I can dig it up.
Short, due to phone-only access and traveling!
What am I working on? Continuing the new novel outline and the word cut edit on the short story WIP! It’d be great to get the short story to a rest point so I can come back to it next week with fresh eyes…
What inspiring me? Just finished The Devil’s Making, a mystery set in late 1800s Victoria, which I enjoyed quite a bit. The main character annoyed me at times, yet despite this, by midway through I was fully invested in the character’s life and future. A solid sense of time and place, and I feel like I have a much better understanding of early North American colonization and of at least some North Pacific Native American tribes, too. I felt like the author managed a fairly realistic representation of the racism of the times, while simultaneously not sugar coating the brutality of survival in those regions. Very interesting read.
What am I avoiding?Not avoiding so much as general survival. The boy has decided not to nap for the past three days, which is leaving him grouchy and challenging at times. It does mean I’m getting much less done, both during the ordinary nap times (non existent), and in the evenings having been run ragged all day and having little energy to create. Will just take a little adjusting is all.
Hopefully he might sleep a little longer at night. One of the perks of parenthood – you no sooner get a routine happening than the kid changes the rules! Hope you get that short story to where you want it soon.
I really enjoyed Captain America: Civil War too! I defs am more excited for another Spiderman than I anticipated, and also need more Falcon and Bucky snark foreeevvvver. My Sunday Circle is here.
I’m hoping to drag the husband along to Civil War this week. (He’s really NOT a fan of Marvel or superheroes – Christopher Reeve’s Superman always the exception.)
Re: your BDLN, how do you re-read? Printed out, reading aloud, or on screen? (Curious minds need to know.)
I’m still impressed by how they managed the cast-of-thousands coherently.
This weekend has mostly been lost to sickness, but it’s otherwise been a banner week, so I wanted to crawl in here quickly with an update.
What am I working on?
This week coming I’m doing a whole lotta emails fishing out connections for one tentpole project, as well as firearms/squad movement training and starting a week of leave being a single parent while my partner is at a professional conference in Auckland.
What’s inspiring me?
Of all the things in the world, this article on the Rock Clock being launched has changed my week, and possibly my life. I’ve always been a fan of the single-minded dedication Dwayne Johnson has to results, and his meticulous daily routine. While I’ve been happy with how much I’m getting done by the end of the day, I spend most of the day chasing a satisfied feeling because for most of the week I do *my* stuff in the evening.
Reading that article (without even purchasing the app) inspired me to trail switching from being a night owl to getting up a little after 5 each morning, and it’s been a game changer. A daily routine of exercise (starting out with modest cardio) and then voice over work (high value emails and getting auditions out the door) has meant that I’ve felt a lot less resentful about working through the day job, and my evenings are my own to do what I want with. It’s definitely a next level thing for me.
I’ve lost this weekend to succumbing to a cold either thanks to the weather or my daughter, but either way it’s been a great week.
What am I avoiding?
At the moment, everything until I’m better. But other than that, not too much that my cold-addled mind can think of.
Hah! The Rock singing. (Actually in tune.) I am amused.
That article alone is amazing. Thank you. It will be interesting to see how you go with the mornings – at the moment I’m waking reasonably early but I still don’t get started until later in the day.
Peter: for your Mummy story, maybe swing back to the organized crime reaction to the presence of supers in the first season of Daredevil. I thought there was a wonderfully pragmatic response to exceptional circumstances in there, and how they seized a particular opportunity created by supers.
What am I working on this week?
Poetry manuscripts. Took a break from the main one I’ve been working on, which is one long tricky sequence, to hack together a more traditional first collection after I realised what the central poem had to be. Printing that off tomorrow and will work on cutting it down and sequencing this week. Sent out some subs and wrote a new poem.
What’s inspiring me this week?
Olympia’s new album Self Talk, Luke Howard’s new album Two Places, Comedy Showroom: Ronny Chieng – International Student (see ABC iview), and getting back into improv theatre and tai chi. Need to track down another copy of Moby Dick, as it went missing during the move.
What am I avoiding?
The non-fiction book. But am fine with that. Also, collating haiku.
What am I working on this week?
Word count for the Fun Flimsy. I have the next two scenes largely mapped out in my head – and notes jotted down. Just need to get over the hump of the closing scene for Act 1 and I’m awaaaaayyyyyy!
What’s inspiring me this week?
Yoga. I’ve enrolled in a local group and it’s mental. Totally different to any kind I’ve done before. Call “Kundalini” it’s much more spiritually focused than physical and yet I ache for days afterwards. Can’t get the knack of this “Fire breathing” yet (must apply to more dragons for advice) but otherwise I actually have my brain switch off for a whole hour… and then feel energised for about four days later.
I also have a deadline from a CP wanting to swap chapters by Friday and I do so love an external focus.
What am I avoiding?
Well I’ve been trying to chase down the KM Weiland book (Structuring not Outlining, yeah?). County Library system doesn’t have it, and it’s dear enough on Book Depository. I usually prefer my reference books in physical form but this one might need to be an eBook. Otherwise, I’m happy enough to date on how the structure for the Fun Flimsy is shaping up, but have TOTALLY spurned the second opus so far on this matter.
Did folks know that Judith Tarr (THE Judith Tarr) runs online mentoring and editing and such? I am seriously toying blowing my savings to work with her, just to *work* with her.
Yes! Structuring–the other one is interesting, too, but Structuring had the most insights for me. 🙂
What I’m working on this week: Writing fast treatments for the novella, to find out the shape of what I’ve already got. Doing some theatre research. Drawing outlines and prepping the paper for the Next Big Illustration Project.
What’s inspiring me: 99% Invisible, as usual. Also my sister was listening to Bill Bryson Down Under on audiobook while we were driving and was struck by how travel writers cover distance in prose vs how fantasy writers do it. Planning to visit other writers and artists, now that I’m needed less at my parents’. And Lewis, which I find extremely peaceful and pleasant background viewing, but I’ve watched it all now, and there are only two season of Endeavour!
What I’m avoiding: Dedicating time to clear off a large working area for the Next Big Illustration Project. My US tax. In both cases, because I’ve been so little at home that I feel guilty whatever I do. But I should get home this afternoon and manage half an admin day, which will free up that mental space for the rest of the week.