Friday Fun: Inspiration X2

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about inspiration, which works out well for today’s Friday Five, and for my new obsession with Pinterest.

First, the FIVE, hosted by Paper Hangover, a fantastic group blog offering writing tips and advice, book reviews, weekly blog topics, and teen interviews. Here’s today’s prompt:


So, I’m going with living authors whose careers inspire me to write, read,  network, think business, think creative, branch out and explore:

1. Judy Blume…  One of my childhood idols (along with Walt Disney :)). I was (AM!) such a fan of Blubber, Just as Long as We’re Together, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret, and Forever… I’d love to chat with Judy about where she lives part-time: the Florida Keys, and how she manages to write for a large age span with such a perfectly authentic voice. But, let’s be honest… I think that if I had the opportunity to speak to her, I’d be too star-struck to complete a sentence.


2. JK Rowling… I have a feeling the creator of Harry Potter is on any avid reader’s list of authors to meet. I watched the interview she did with Oprah last year and was blown away by her creativity and brilliance, not to mention her humility and sense of humor. And oh-my-gosh does she generate some amazing character names!

3. Ken Follet… Pillars of the Earth and World Without End are two of my favorite novels (and that’s saying a lot because I’m not normally a fan of historicals). Ken Follet has a knack for writing period drama full of emotion and rich detail. Also, he’s hugely prolific. Who wouldn’t want to pick his brain for tips on fostering a super successful writing career?


4. Melina Marchetta… My favorite YA author, and a complete and utter genius. Every time I finish one of her books my heart ends up shredded. I find myself thinking about it for weeks after, picking apart the nuances, reliving the romances. Her characters are so layered, so damaged, and so likeable. And her dialogue… LOVE. It’s so real and raw and enviable. Melina Marchetta is one of the few authors who’ve made me cry. So, yeah… I pretty much worship her.


5. Sarah Dessen… The Goddess of Contemporary Fiction. She writes like I want to write, about topics I like to explore: family, friendships, and romance. Her protagonists have a way of figuring out who they are within the context of their worlds without being preachy or condescending. I follow Sarah on Twitter and I’m certain she’d be all kinds of fun to meet. She often mentions reality TV, yummy food, and the beach, and she’s an admitted worrier, just like me! Plus, she was on the cover of Writer’s Digest. How awesome is that?


AND for further inspiration, I’d love to share some images (all found on Pinterest!) that have me thinking and pondering and toying with ideas and angles for a new story. It’s been awhile since I’ve written something brand new (I’ve been revising one manuscript and rewriting another most of this year), and lately I’ve been itching to start something fresh and totally from scratch. So, here’s the pretty that’s got my muse all abuzz:









Who or what has you inspired on this lovely Friday?

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17 thoughts on “Friday Fun: Inspiration X2”

  1. katharine owens says:

    First– your author list- lovely. And how good does Judy Blume look?! If I was reading her 25 years ago… she must be in her 50s or 60s. She looks amazing!
    And the images are lovely. So inspiring!

  3. Alison Miller says:

    You. You have inspired me. Those pics are making me want to tear back into my WIP – which PS – I finished the rough on Tuesday, and am TRYING to take a vacation from it. Your pictures are so not helping. 🙂

    I almost included JK. How can you not? But, ugh, I just didn’t. She is one person I would love to meet.

    • katyupperman says:

      YAY for finishing your WIP! Yes, definitely take a vacation from it… I think it’s way more fun to come back after a good month of separation. Makes you appreciate the really great parts, and the crappy parts REALLY stand out. 🙂

    • katyupperman says:

      That library is GORGEOUS! Your characters must be having a blast!

      I’d love to have you read my work any day, Amie. Sadly, this manuscript is NOWHERE near ready, but I’ll most certainly be shooting you an email when (um, if? :)) it is.

  8. Amie Kaufman says:

    For serious, I am ready and waiting — I will be periodically hassling you about this one, but I’m ready, willing and able to scramble all over ANY of your work, whether you’re at the cheerleading, wide angle lens or attacking-it-with-a-stick critique stage. Just shout!

  9. Kari Bradley (@KariBradley7) says:

    1 – I too, read Sarah’s tweets (and blog) and feel like we could be friends.
    2 – I love the second pic of the flower covered stairs.
    3 – I feel like the “holy shit” pic is very you and Matt. 🙂
    4 – I’m inspired by the empathy presentation that we had at leadership camp. It was very much a “love yourself” kind of presentation, where we talked about how everyone is beautiful. I’ll have to tell you the story another day, but we used the song “Beautiful” by Alli Rogers.

    • katyupperman says:

      Yes! We need to get together soon so I can hear all about Leadership Camp… takes me back to the week that I was there FOREVER ago.

      And maybe that’s why I like the “holy shit” pic… it feels to real to me 🙂

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