“What’s Up Wednesday” is a fun weekly meme started by my friends Jaime Morrow and Erin Funk. From Jaime: It’s similar in some respects to the Currently… post, but it’s been whittled down to only four headings to make it quicker and more manageable on a weekly basis. You’re invited to join us if you’re looking for something to blog about, a way to let your blog friends know what’s been going on with you. If you’re participating, make sure to link your What’s Up Wednesday posts to the list on Jaime’s blog each week. That way, others can visit your post and check out what you’ve been up to.And now, here’s what’s up with me this week…And now, here’s what’s up with me this week…
What I’m Reading: I finished Fault Line by Christa Desir and posted my Debut Author Challenge write-up HERE. I also read Lauren Myracle’s Shine, which was gripping, beautifully written, and incredibly unique. I loved it. My girlie and I read Dav Pilkey’s The Adventures of Captain Underpants together. She thought it was extraordinary. I thought it was super silly and very clever. Now, I’m rereading one of my favorite childhood books, Just as Long as We’re Together by Judy Blume. Pretty sure the people at my gym are judging me as I read it on the Stair Master, but I don’t care because it’s just as fab as I remember.
What I’m Writing: I love Scrivener. Like, so much. On Sunday, I took a good hard look at my WiP’s format and current outline, and realized that several scenes needed shifting. What would have taken me hours to copy and paste using Word took all of ten minutes to adjust using Scrivener. The cork board is most definitely my new best friend. As well as revising my outline, I wrote somewhere around 4K words over the last week. I have approximately ten scenes left to write before this first draft is done. Mostly, they’re the story’s climax and conclusion, and their pacing should be fast. Hopefully they’ll come easily and I’ll be writing THE END by Halloween. (Holy hell… That would be amazing!)
What Else I’ve Been Up To: Uh, signing up for #SipSwap, that’s what! Last year I had a blast participating in the mug exchange dreamed up by Jessica Love and Kelsey Macke, and I can’t wait to do it again this year.
You should definitely join in on the fun. Sign up HERE.
Over the weekend, we took our annual trip to the pumpkin patch. I have a soft spot for the patch we used to visit in Washington, but our California patch, Hollister’s Swank Farms, is truly awesome. We had tons of fun navigating the corn maze, sling-shotting gourds, and picking pumpkins with our friends. Bonus… We ate yummy Mexican food after. 🙂
What’s Inspiring Me Now: Fantastic writing advice from Richard Price… “The bigger the issue, the smaller you write. Remember that. You don’t write about the horrors of war. No. You write about a kid’s burnt socks lying on the road. You pick the smallest manageable part of the big thing, and you work off the resonance.” Amazing, right? Also, this quote from Chuck Palahniuk…
Tell me… What’s up with you today?
katyupperman.com 
So, I’ve had a signed copy of SHINE sitting on my shelf for two years. Why have I not read this yet? Not sure. Must fix that. 🙂 Also, cannot wait to read FAULT LINE too! And yay for almost being at the end! GO, KATY, GO!!! I cannot wait to read this one!
Also, your pics are ADORABLE. As always. 🙂 We still have to get our pumpkins from the pumpkin patch. Hopefully this weekend. 🙂 Have a great week!
SHINE is very good, Alison. I read a copy from the library and I’m kind of regretting not buying it now. You’re lucky to have a signed copy! Hope you make it to the pumpkin patch… Have fun!
Your description of Scrivener has me REALLY tempted to try it – maybe with my next WIP?
I read Capt Underpants for a Resources for Kids class I took years ago. My younger bro was at the age where he was really into the books and I could definitely see why.
I was hesitant to try Scrivener too, Jennifer. I was totally stuck in my ways with Word, which works great for actual word processing, but when it comes to planning and plotting and shifting, Scrivener is amazing. I can’t imagine writing without it now!
I loved your review of FAULT LINE, Katy. It sounds amazing, just like Christa – so very happy for her! I also loved hearing about C’s love of CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS, I have been so curious about this book and just might need to check it out 🙂 A big YIPPEE for amazing progress made on your WiP! Soon, soon, soon it will be done, Katy, and I am pretty much jumping up and down waiting to read it. SO excited about this and so proud of you! Thank you also for those fantastic quotes you shared – they were both so powerful. I also agree that Sip Swap was so much fun last year and is such a wonderful idea. I’ll be thinking of you this week in your writing and hope you have an all-around fantastic week ❤
Your girls will probably get a few giggles out of Captain Underpants. It’s very silly, but it totally plays into childhood humor. Plus, Dav Pilkey has some very clever methods for storytelling.
I’m hoping to get lots of writing done in the coming days. I can’t wait to finish this draft so I can start shaping it into the story I *really* want it to be. Thank you so much for all of your encouragement, Tem. Hope you have a wonderful week! ❤
I see how Scrivener can be a good tool, especially if you like to plot, but right now, I haven’t found a way to make it work any better than Word for the way I write. That’s definitely not a critique of Scrivener; it’s just not a tool I have a need for at the moment.
And that quote from Richard Price is priceless (har har). Seriously, that’s such good advice.
Have a great week, Katy!
I love that Richard Price quote as well, Colin. I’ve never heard writing discussed in that specific way, and it made a lot of sense to me.
I totally get what you mean about Scrivener. I imagine that if you like to write more freely, it might not be the best program for you. I, however, am obsessive about plotting and charting and checklists, so it’s been an awesome program to get to know.
Hope you have a wonderful week, Colin!
I enjoyed your review of FAULT LINE. I’m looking forward to reading it as well! I have nothing but good, though conflicted things, which tells me it is worthwhile.
I still need to take my kiddo to the pumpkin patch, I may try to to that one evening this week! Thanks for the reminder!
I hope you got a lot accomplished last night while writing with friends on Twitter, and while I was slacking.
If you are working tonight, I plan to! (Not slacking two nights in a row.)
Have a great week!
Thanks, Rebekah! I’ll be writing tonight, most likely, and I hope to be more productive than I was last night. I *really* want to finish this draft! Hope you get to visit the pumpkin patch soon. Have a wonderful week, lady!
We had to read one Captain Underpants book for my Children’s Lit class last semester, and the one the children’s librarian gave me was The Attack of the Talking Toilets. I thought it was really fun and cute, and as a Three Stooges fan, I loved how the school was named after Curly Howard. Not sure how many children would pick up on that, but it’s such a clever nod to any adult readers in the fandom.
I read the About the Author section at the end of Captain Underpants, and I was fascinated to learn about how Dav Pilkey came up with the series and named his characters. So cool! My daughter is already asking to read more of his series. Gotta love books that get kids excited about reading!
I really need to try out Scrivener -I’ve heard so many writers singing its praises!
I *think* you can download a free trial, Emma. You’ll have to let me know if you like it. I thought it was well worth the money I spent on the full program. I can’t imagine going back to Word!
I love scrivener for writing – I hate it for editing. Once I get to edits, I transfer my wip to word …
Oh, that SipSwap sounds fun!
Interesting, Juliana. I haven’t gotten to the editing portion of this manuscript, but now I’m curious about whether I’ll like it as much. I think the OCD part of my brain probably will. Hope you have a great week!
That’s some great advice… both quotes have got me thinking about the MS I just finished revising and if I’m guilty of both.
They’ve got me thinking about the manuscript I’m working on, Melanie. Both pieces of advice seem so simple, but somehow, they’ve impacted me epically. Hope you have a great week!
Oooh, I sure hope you can write THE END next week 😀 Good luck!
That’s fantastic advice, and so powerful. Thanks for sharing.
Have a wonderful week ^_^
Thanks, lady! Hope your projects are going well, and I hope you have a wonderful week as well. 🙂
Okay, you’ve inspired me. I’ve heard nothing but good things about scrivener and I think I’m finally going to break down and get it. I’m having lots of revising issues with needing to move scenes around in my WIP and a little technology might be exactly what I need.
I love Scrivener, and it’s great for seeing where scenes might be inserted. Best of luck with it… Let me know what you think!
Ah, goooo Katy! I’m keeping my fingers crossed you’ll get there by Halloween! 🙂
I’m so excited to use Scrivener for my NaNo project. I’m terrible at outlining, but I actually have a better idea of where I’m going for NaNo, and really I just want an excuse to mess around with all of Scrivener’s fun gadgets.
That Richard Price quote is SPOT ON. It’s definitely the small details that really bring the bigger things home for me. It makes it so much more real; it personalizes the situation/event/thing.
Scrivener does have all kinds of awesome little perks… I’m so glad I bought it! And I totally agree with you about the small details. They’re often what I remember the most clearly about a story, and they’re always what affect me most.
Love the quotes! Yay to SipSwap (me, too!)! and I am going to have to break down and get Scrivener.
I bet you’ll love Scrivener, Jaye! And yes, I can’t wait for #SipSwap. Such a fun idea!
I keep trying to use the corkboard but not really succeeding. I try out different elements of Scrivener but usually ending up only using some.
I may need to try the sip swap, i remember seeing it last year. fun idea!
And I have Fault Line on my shelf. I know it will be a tough subject to read but I will.
The cork board is my favorite part of Scrivener, but I know I’m not using a lot of its other elements to their full potential. I need to spend a day just poking around and playing with it. Maybe when I finish this draft. 🙂
Let me know how you like FAULT LINE, and yes, definitely sign up for Sip Swap!
Oh, wow, I love those quotes! They are so great and inspiring. I also love Scrivener. It saves so much time, especially if you have research because you can just add the pdf and websites inside the Scrivener file and flip back and forth whenever you need instead of having to flip between Word and the internet all the time (which just might mean you get distracted by the internet…)
The research element of Scrivener is one I know I’m not using to its full potential. For now, I’m focused mostly on plotting and drafting, and I keep most of my research links on a private Pinterest board. Maybe when I finish my draft and take a break before revisions, I’ll transfer everything over to Scrivener. Happy writing, Kim!
I tried Scrivener, but Word is more my thing. I tend to pants first drafts, anyway, and when I do get to the outlining stage, I really just like to use real index cards and a corkboard and move them around myself.
So excited for SipSwap again!
I used to use real index cards too, Stephanie. Then my daughter caught wind of how fun it was to toss those babies around. Th Scrivener corkboard is much safer around here. 🙂
I love that quote! I also love Scrivener – the ability to easily move scenes around is one of my favorite features. So exciting you’ll be done with your draft soon!
I’m looking forward to reading FAULT LINE, and SHINE is on my TBR too!
SHINE was really great, Ghenet. I passed it over tons of times at the library, but I’m so glad I finally picked it up. Such a moving and gripping read.
And yes… I can’t wait to finish this draft!