1. WriteOnCon begins August 14th! Never heard of WriteOnCon? Well, you’re missing out! From the website: …designed to give attendees many of the features of a live writer’s conference, but in an online environment. Thanks to technologies like blogging, vlogging, livestreaming, and chats, WriteOnCon connects writers with both industry professionals and fellow peers from the convenience of their own homes. Critique forums allow writers to receive feedback and exposure for their work, and the entire program is designed to be both informative and entertaining.
Guys. There are tons of authors, writers, and agents involved with WriteOnCon. It’s a fantastic opportunity to meet like-minded people, get your work critiqued, and learn from some of the best. Oh, and WriteOnCon is FREE! Click on the image below for more information…
2. I have the world’s best CPs. Not only have they provided me with amazing feedback on my WiP this summer (thank you, Taryn, Temre, Christa, and Alison!), but their writing… Holy hell these girls are amazingly talented! Over the last few weeks, I’ve had the privilege of reading work by Alison (upper-YA contemporary with a wicked twist of magic and a male narrator who has all kinds of issues and still manages to rock) and Temre (middle grade contemporary with the most charming magical thread and an absolutely adorable protagonist who I can’t wait to share with my daughter in the future). While the stories of these two writers couldn’t be more different (seriously–they’re worlds apart), they’re both utterly engaging, unputdownable, with voices that are unique and enviable. And, if reading Alison’s and Temre’s incredible manuscripts isn’t enough, I get to read Christa‘s next week. Lucky me!
3. YA Book Club, brain child of brilliant Tracey Neithercott, has an official August selection: This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers. I’ve read this book, therefor I can say with supreme certainty that it’s amazing. We’ll be discussing This is Not a Test via our blogs and blog comments on Monday, August 27th, so you’ve plenty of time to hunt it down (like you’d hunt down a zombie), read it, ponder it, and write about it. I can’t wait to blog hop and check out everyone’s thoughts on this astonishing book. For more info, click on the image below…
4. I have agent-suggested revision notes! You might recall that, with great trepidation, I sent my WiP off to Agent Vickie a few weeks ago. Then I waited nervously and ate a lot of chocolate and tried not to bug her while she read the manuscript I’ve been working on for more than two years. Well, Agent Vickie has now read it and she’s on board with it (yay!), and she recently sent me an email full of shrewd feedback and invaluable suggestions for improving the story. Mostly, this revision will consist of digging deeper, strengthening character motivations, and fleshing out backgrounds. This is the phase of writing I enjoy most (drafting = yikes!), and I’m currently letting all that feedback simmer in the depths of my mind so I can start brainstorming and dive headfirst into the work next week. Can’t wait!
5. Kindergarten. My girlie started school on Wednesday. First of all, how am I old enough to have a school-aged child? And second, how am I going to fill my days now? I’ve been a stay-at-home mama since the day my daughter was born. Now I’m just a stay-at-home… person? I mean really. One can only do so much grocery shopping and cleaning. Luckily, I have plenty of CP reading and regular reading and revising (see above) to keep me busy. And thankfully, my girlie is doing fantastically at school. So, I guess I should just be grateful for all the extra writing time and stop watching the clock, counting the minutes till pick-up. Right? RIGHT?!
Pretty girl all ready to go!
A little nervous and a little sad once reality set in. Luckily, she pulled it together and let me leave with minimal fuss. (Thanks to my dear friend Meghan for acting as paparazzi and snapping this photo through the classroom window… I love it! ♥)
A successful first day! (Again, my sweet friend Meghan… She brought my girlie flowers at pick-up time!)
Tell me: What do you have going on this weekend? Reading? Writing? Fun in the sun? (We’re cooking out with neighbors and going to a professional soccer game… Fun!)
katyupperman.com 
That picture of you and your cutie pie inside the school is so adorable! It´s really a great picture capturing the once-in-a-lifetime moment for both her and you. Love it! Your friend Meghan did great! 😀
Working with CPs and beta readers is just wonderful, I really can see my book forming into something even better than I thought 😀
I read THIS IS NOT A TEST this week and wow…really wow!
Yay for your upcoming revisions! I need to see that book in print, after learning more about your characters and reading that kissing scene for that´s YAmore, I´m so excited to read the entire story!
Hope you have a great weekend, Katy! Soccer and cooking out sound like fun! 🙂
I need to see this book in print too, Elodie! If only it were so easy, right? 😉
Looking forward to your YA Book Club post… I thought THIS IS NOT A TEST was fantastic, and I hope all my fellow book-clubbers did too!
Aw, Katy thank you so much for your kind words! I am so thankful for YOU and all of your incredible encouragement. Plus, I get the most awesome benefit of getting to read and learn from your incredible writing. And, yay!!! I am so, so excited to hear you got your revision notes back from agent Vickie – yay, yay, yay! Can’t wait for this story to get one step closer to being out in the world for everyone to enjoy. I also melted at the picture of you and your sweet girl through the window. Oh my goodness, this just captures that feeling of wanting to pull them into our arms and swoop them back home – BUT this is all part of it. I know. And that picture of her happy, proud face holding the flowers is the perfect proof 🙂 So happy for all of the great news and changes for you this week. Big hugs, Katy!
Back at ya, lady! I’m not sure if I would have gotten through the first draft of this WiP without your encouragement and support. Seriously. Amazing CPs are golden! And yes, usually I only like photos of my girlie looking happy, but that one through the window totally melted my heart. I’m so glad we have that memory to treasure. Hope you have an awesome weekend, Temre!
So, first—your comments made me cry. (which sadly isn’t much of a gauge—I cry at Olympic previews) But your words were beautiful and wonderful and kind and uplifting and *sigh* It is SUCH a pleasure to exchange work with you. Seriously. And I am beyond excited that you have revision notes from Agent Vickie! I LOVE the revising stage too! And I cannot wait until you can share Max and Jill with the rest of the world!
Also, that picture? Oh, that is so precious and sad and YOU are so strong! The first time mine experienced even the slightest bit of separation anxiety, I boo-hooed the whole way to school. Oh, and yes, I was incredibly useful and effective that day. Anyway—I am SO glad she had such a big smile on her face at the end of the day.
And—haha—you enjoy that stay-at-home-person-ness because Alison is going to bombard you with neurotic notes and more CM in the next couple weeks.
I’ll be at writeoncon next week. What I love about it (aside from critiquing opportunities!)—so many different authors, agents, editors and chances to catch up if I have to miss something.
As for my weekend, I will be SEETHING WITH JEALOUSY while you are at a professional soccer game. Who are you going to see?! But seriously, I’ll be reading, revising, and hanging out with my three favorite people since—ya know—Alison has to go back to work soon. Blah.
Have a great weekend! And I hope the adorable one continues to smile after Kindergarten!
We’re going to see the San Jose Sharks who are playing the Seattle Sounders. Since that’s where were from, we’ll be the obnoxious people rooting on the visiting team. 🙂
And no crying about blog comments! I consider myself so lucky to be able to learn from your feedback and read your amazing writing. I seriously get excited butterflies every time a bit of CM hits my inbox! Feel free to take advantage of my stay-at-home-person status anytime. I love getting your emails!
Good luck with WriteOnCon… From what I’ve heard, the event is going to have an amazing turnout!
Hooray for agent notes! I’m a little jealous–I’m going to start drafting soon, and I much prefer revision. Have a fun weekend!
Ugh… Me too! I can’t wait to dive into my notes and start brainstorming. Happy drafting, Rebecca!
Your daughter is seriously the cutest… 🙂
And I have THIS IS NOT A TEST on my shelf right now, waiting to be read for the YA Book Club. So excited to dig into it!
Thanks, Crystal! I hope you enjoy THIS IS NOT A TEST as much as I did. Courtney Summers’s writing blows me away!
My niece starts kindergarten soon and I’m curious how she’ll like it – she is insanely independent, one of those heartstoppers that goes off and attempts everything on her own w/o asking first. Hopefully she won’t get herself into too much trouble 🙂
I’ve got laundry, laundry, and more laundry to do this weekend – boo – that’s what I get for putting it off to revise, though!
Haha! My daughter is totally the opposite… Super cautious about EVERYTHING! Good luck with your laundry day. Sounds glamorous! 😉
Love the photos. It’s funny…I remember my first day of pre-school (but no idea about kindergarten). I was so excited to go to school on pre-school and I remember a girl in my class who threw a tantrum, throwing blocks everywhere, hitting the teacher, pounding the door just bc her mom left. (Sadly she also threw a tantrum in the 3rd or 4th grade as well. Eeesh.) LOL. I’m so glad your girl had a good first day 🙂
Hmmm I’m actually participating in WoC!!! 🙂 I just am going for feedback though. My MS is still in R+R stage… But here are the first 250 words… http://writeoncon.com/forum/showthread.php?8154-YA-Contemporary-VIOLENT-DELIGHTS (and in my signature there is my first 5 pages too). Hope you have time to check them out.
I can’t participate in the book club bc I am off to Europaaaaaaaa(!!!) this Tuesday. O-o For a whole two weeks. Thus my blogging will be non existent and you won’t hear from me til September. Bizzaro right? 😉
I wonder where that tantrum thrower is today? Yikes!
I will definitely check out your WriteOnCon enteries… I’m intrigued just by the title, Rachel!
And hello, Europe?! Lucky girl! Have an amazing trip, and we’ll excuse your absence from the blogging world just this one. 🙂
Wahoo for agent notes! Especially since they sound like ones you’re down with. And how can you not love fablous CPs?
I’m doing WoC this year. First I’ve ever heard about it. Already getting great feedback. And finishing the last of my edits, hopefully before next week. So super close.
Isn’t WriteOnCon fantastic?! I did it the first year and learned so much. Such an amazing idea! Good luck with your edits… Let us all know when you’ve finished!
Stay at home person. I laughed out loud when I read that. I think you get to call yourself a stay at home mom until she’s 18, though. Can’t believe how early school starts out there. We don’t go back for three weeks. Enjoy your new free time.
Yeah, we have A LOT of breaks through the year here, so they start early and finish late. I’ve already started to enjoy my freetime… Got a long overdue haircut today!
The through-the-window shot! You’re killing me! Most of us don’t have actual photo documentation of that moment– it is truly priceless. It brings tears to my eyes. I so know those feelings. What a brave little one (and it looks like a brave mom, too).
I love that photo too! I usually only want photos of my girlie smiling, but that one just perfectly captures all the feelings of Kindergarten. Hope your little guy has a fantastic day when he starts!
I’m really interested to know what Vickie thought…you should shoot me an email if you’re willing to tell me 🙂 I’m drowning in manuscripts to critique. I may send my MS your way if you have some time . . .
I will shoot you an email, Taryn, probably tomorrow. And I’d definitely love to read your MS. I’m about to start Christa’s, and then I’ll be able to read yours while I work on revisions (it’ll be a nice break for me!). Shoot it to me whenever you’re ready. 🙂
I finally sucked it up and started sharing my work with CPs earlier this year, and they’ve been amazing. They’ve been giving me feedback on my rewrite as I’ve been going along, so I’ll be totally ready for revisions when I eventually get to that stage. (Also, the internet is amazing – I met all three of them on Twitter.)
Write On Con! I’m finally doing it for the first time this year. I’ve already gotten some great advice on my query.
I get that “how am I this old???” feeling when I scroll through my Facebook feed and see pictures of my high school friends’ newborn babies. Good to know it never goes away 🙂
I’ve met my CPs online too, and I can’t imagine my writing life without them… Such smart, talented girls! And good luck with WriteOnCon, Steph… I hope you get tons of valuable feedback!
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I love the photo of you and your daughter in her classroom. So sweet, and you’re such a good mama. 🙂
Good luck with your upcoming revisions! I’m super-excited about WriteOnCon, and I posted my query and first 5 pages for the first time this year. Eep! I’m getting good feedback so far so I’m very grateful.
Ooh, yay for query feedback! Nervewracking, but so crucial too! Hope you get tons of great advice. And thanks for the sweet comment about the picture of my girlie and I at her school. Love it. 🙂