It’s been way too long since I’ve posted a Sunday Circle check-in, mostly because August was a crap month in which very little got done and most of my good habits fell by the wayside while dealing with some other day-to-day issues. But with those issues somewhat in hand, or moving towards being in hand, and with Bug becoming a school kid (WHAT?! Where did the time go?), I’ve now got a chunk of time every day to write and focus entirely on that. It’s…it’s magical, you guys. And hopefully here on out, I’ll be a bit more active, and a bit better at keeping up with the Circle! :)
What am I working on this week?
It’s preschool season, which means a guaranteed 2 HOURS of writing time! It’s…beautiful, and a bit overwhelming, but I’m loving it. So this week, I’m starting Draft 2 of the dark fantasy YA novel about a spunky con-artist trying to rescue her sickly brother from a malicious clockwork cult leader (codename: Frosthaven). I’ve got a ton of index cards, lots of scenes, and am trying really hard not to think about how much work it’s actually going to be. My working goal is 1k/day like the first draft, which worked pretty well, and I’ve got more plotted out this time, so that hopefully won’t leave me creatively drained as much.
What’s inspiring me this week?
Over the past week, I read Saga: Volume 1 by Brian K. Vaughn and illustrated by Fiona Staples, and you guys…I’m in love. I didn’t even know I needed this story in my life until I finally picked it up at my local library, and I’m losing my mind over it. ROBOT MONARCHIES? *dies happy*
Also just started readinging through Work Clean as mentioned in previous Sunday Circles, and I’m loving it, too. There’s something about the concept of mise-en-place that I find incredibly satisfying on a day-to-day basis. I haven’t applied it much to writing-work as yet, though like The Clockwork Muse I can see how it could be usefully applied, but it’s been a small revolution in my kitchen in terms of keeping on top of dishes (a perpetual bane and source of stress in my day-to-day life) and cleaning as I go. My kitchen has seriously never been this consistently tidy–it’s shocking. And with so little adjustment necessary–amazing.
What action do I need to take?
This week is really all about committing to the habits I want to have moving forward into this new phase: walking every morning, getting a solid two hours of work in, reading when I say I will, and practice writing every day for a little bit. I need to lock these habits in early so they stick around when other challenges and schedule changes inevitably arise.
Maggie Slater 