“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 Huntley Fitzpatrick’s What I Thought Was True and really enjoyed it. Perhaps not quite as much as her debut, My Life Next Door, but WITWT was the perfect book to get me into that lazy, hazy summer mindset, and its love interest, Cass, is adorable as can be. I also read Erin Bowman’s sophomore dystopian novel, Frozen. While I’m still recovering, I *think* I’ve decided that I liked Frozen even more than its predecessor, Taken. Poor, poor Gray. Also, my love for Bree knows no bounds. Now, I’m reading Jenny Han’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, which is delightful. I’m a huge fan of Jenny’s Summer trilogy, and Boys is certainly stacking up. Its protagonist, Lara Jean, reminds me a bit of my favorite Baby Sitters Club character, Claudia Kishi. Both girls have Asian lineage (Lara Jean is Korean American, while Claud is of Japanese descent), but I think their similarities run deeper. Lara Jean and Claudia both possess this genuine sort of innocence that’s just so charming, and they’re both into artsy things and have distinct, unique personal style. So far, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is totally winning me over.
What I’m Writing: Well. I’ve been trying to plot my new mystery WiP (that follow-up/sequel/whatever I’ve been hinting about) for days, but to be honest, I’ve only been muddling along, filling in bits here and there, and mostly just mentally flailing about. Yesterday, though, I had an epiphany: I’m not going to be able to solve this mystery along with my characters like I originally planned (my misguided attempt at pantsing, I guess). I NEED TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENS, ALL THE DETAILS OF THE MYSTERY, BEFORE I BEGIN TO DRAFT. So, I spent most of Monday and Tuesday prewriting, filling in the background stuff that’s necessary for plotting my characters’ journey. Things are going much smoother now. Yay for literary breakthroughs!
New favorite workspace…
What Else I’ve Been Up To: Lots of summery things, like beach-going and early morning strolls with good ol’ Daisy.
I know it’s not yet summer in most areas of the country, but we’ve had a string of 80+ degree days and this sun worshipper is loving it. I’m already so tan!
I was lucky enough to win Sara Biren’s Blogoversary Giveaway, and on Monday I received the oh-so-amazing prize package. Sara even surprised me with an under-the-radar YA romance that I can’t wait to read, and sent super cute Hello Kitty hair accessories for my girl! Happy, happy mail! Thanks so much, Sara!
What’s Inspiring Me Now: This, a thousand times…
I’m proud of my daughter and all of her positive personality traits — she’s astute, kind, courageous, witty, and compassionate — but few things thrill me more than seeing her engrossed in a story. I took the above photo about an hour after tucking her into bed for the night. She was supposed to be sleeping, but really… How can I be mad at her for sneaking in extra time with a book — especially when I remember doing exactly the same thing when I was her age?
Tell me… What’s up with you today?
katyupperman.com 
OMG That prize pack. I’m so jealous of you right now. Also–as far as your mystery goes, I’m writing a mystery too so if you need a sounding board, let me know 🙂
And I’m with you. I’ve been pantsing the first couple of chapters of this draft, but I think once I get through a few more I’m going to need to take a step back and do some plotting. Right now I’m trying to get to know my characters.
Have a good week!
Yes! I’ll definitely let you know when my little mystery feels like too much (again!), and I hope you’ll feel free to do the same. 🙂 I pantsed the first 2K words, but then I just got way too overwhelmed, and I knew I was writing stuff that wasn’t going to work/fit it, so I had to pause to plot in-depth. So far, so good. Have a wonderful week, Liz!
Double yay for literary breakthroughs! I’m the opposite with my process – plotting is the thing I muddle through so I usually just dive right into the writing.
A character like Claudia Kishi??? Yes, please! She was always my fave BSC girl 🙂
Yes! I adored Claudia growing up. She was the only sitter who never made me want to roll my eyes. You’ll have to check out TO ALL THE BOYS I’VE LOVED BEFORE — totally enchanting. Have a great week, Jennifer!
That picture is so cute! I think my son has me snowed in that regard…he knows that as long as he’s reading, I won’t force him to go to sleep. He’s reading HP and the Order of the Phoenix right now. 🙂
Laurie, as much as I don’t want my daughter to grow up, I am looking forward to the day she’s old enough to read and appreciate HP. 🙂 Hope you have a wonderful week!
Matched reading again! I can not plot! For the life of me. I’ve tried. I’ve failed. I gave up. I just go with it. Good for you for sticking to it! I wish I could. Ugh….summer…I’m not a fan. Sorry…I’ve lived here too long. I hate the heat. Just wait…90s/100s are coming! Also, not sure if we can hang at the beach. You’re way darker than I am! Love that photo of C!!!
Haha… I’m worried that I’ve already hit my tanning plateau! And after living most of my life in dreary, cool Washington, I welcome the hot days. I’ll just hibernate in the air conditioning when it becomes too much. 🙂
I love when a book ends up going in a different direction than one originally planned. I still remember Mr. Sawyer, the physics teacher who headed my Creative Writing Club at my first high school, excitedly talking about how his characters and plotlines went off in directions he never dreamt going in. If we stuck rigidly to our original outline, and knew exactly where everything was going, there would be a lot of awful books out there.
To this day, I can’t imagine what would’ve happened to my first Russian historical if I hadn’t discovered that my female lead was really in love with her other male best friend, and only pretending to prefer the other guy. After I made that discovery, the entire story improved by leaps and bounds.
I love the way stories grow as they’re being written, too, Carrie-Anne. I’ve always been a detailed outliner, but those outlines have a way of changing and morphing into something far better than what they started out as. Such a great feeling!
So glad to hear you had a literary breakthrough and that you are hard at work at something new. The beach and warm weather sound amazing. I need a vacation.
Kristen, I hope you get your vacation soon! And I hope your writing is going well. 🙂
oh my gosh I miss the beach soooo muuuuuuch! Can’t wait to get out there on our family vacation. Love that your kiddo loves reading, it really is inspiring to see little kids find joy in books. What I Thought Was True is up on my list, just waiting for the library to let me know when it’s ready to pick up!
I hope you enjoy WHAT I THOUGHT WAS TRUE, and have a blast at the beach! When is your vacation, Prerna?
I have the same feeling about my daughter reading into the night. I really should be enforcing a “lights out” by some reasonable time, but I can’t bring myself to do it. It just makes me so happy to see her reading. Yay for little girls everywhere, and their mamas who look the other way. 🙂
I finally made my girl turn off the light last night at 9:30. There’s a very fine line between well-read and super-grumpy-the-next-day. 🙂 Have a great week, Laurel!
Oh, the beach! I’m jealous. It’s been too long since I’ve been anywhere beachy. I think I might have to remedy that soon. I adore the picture of your daughter. I can’t wait for my kiddo to get into that mindset. He’s a little young now, but he does enjoy reading. He showed me a “book” he wrote the other day. It was “Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief.” He rewrote it in 6-year old speak. Very cute.
Best of luck with plotting and I hope you have a great week!
So cute when they “borrow” from other stories for their own books. Imitation is flattery, right? At least when you’re six. 🙂 Hope you have a fantastic week, Steph!
Pre-writing? What is this strange new word? Maybe if I attempted to outline I wouldn’t have to rewrite so much, but I know it will never happen. I will always be a pantser. Good luck with your own attempts at order though. I’m sure you will come up with something fabulous. ‘Cause you’re fabulous.
I think it’ll be a long while before this story is fabulous, but that’s definitely my end goal! I bow down to you pantsers. I could NEVER. Have a good one, Kate!
YAY for break-throughs! And I turned green reading your WHAT I’M READING paragraph because those are all books I WANT TO READ. 🙂 Also, we’ve had a string of super high temp days here too. I’m not as tan as I usually get, but working on and loving it. 🙂
Have a great week!
Well, you still have plenty of time to get all golden brown. 🙂 We have rain in the forecast for the next few days. The only good thing about that is that I don’t have to run the sprinklers! Happy reading, and drafting!
Oh I really loved TO ALL THE BOYS I’VE LOVED BEFORE. And I love that picture of C reading! (I remember being 13 or 14 and staying up until 2 AM to finish Harry Potter & OoTP. What is she reading? 🙂
Good luck with your mystery. I salute all the people who outline. I’m a firm pantser. (and here’s a fact — In OFT, Skylar was originally dead dead. Like. She never came home! Rewrites are fun) My fingers are crossed the writing, revising process goes smoothly for you.
BTW I can’t WAIT for you to read OF SCARS & STARDUST – I’m only 60 pages in but I love it and I know you will swoon insanely over the beautiful writing!
I’m so looking forward to OF SCARS & STARDUST! Andrea Hannah and I share an agent, so I feel particularly excited about it. Plus, gorgeous cover! Right now, C is reading FRECKLE JUICE. I was trying to describe Judy Blume’s awesomeness to her last night. 🙂
My daughter does the same thing- stays up late to read and I tell her to go to bed and stop ruining her eyes (she reads in the dark) but really it just reminds me of how I used to read under my covers with a flashlight!
I can’t wait for To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before. Jenny Han is a favorite of mine!
Jenny Han is one of my favorites too! A friend of mine is going to her event in Portland soon, and I’m sooooo excited for her. Morgan Matson is going to be there too! *cries tears of envy*
Have a great week, Melanie!
Yay for literary breakthroughs is right! It’s a bummer to not get to solve the mystery too but I bet you anything that your characters will definitely surprise you a few times along the way!!
They have already! That’s what’s keeping all of this challenging plotting exciting. I’m looking forward to seeing what else I learn as I move forward. Have an awesome week, Allie!
Claudia was always my favorite character from the Babysitter’s Club. I remember thinking she was just so cool. I enjoyed Jenny Han’s Summer series too, so I’ll have to check out her latest book sometime.
I can see why things are going smoother with your WIP now. I can’t imagine pantsing a mystery with all the clues and foreshadowing you’d need to do, but I get why you’d try the approach of discovering the mystery along with your characters. There’s something sort of organic about that. Don’t think I’d ever be able to pull it off though!
Love your inspiration this week. There are few things better than seeing your kid with a book in hand. 🙂
You know, researching and laying out the mystery hasn’t been as unexciting as I thought. I’ve had some lightbulb moments that are making me really look forward to writing these scenes. Yay for outline! And I totally agree about seeing out kiddos with books — gives me such joy! Have a great week, Erin!
I was a Mary Anne fan all the way! I’ve heard good things about To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before I can’t wait to get my hands on it this summer. Yay! For writing breakthroughs. I’m outlining right now. I’m using a pantser but with this idea I really need to get it all out there before I can write. Have a great weekend!
I’m laughing because you might be the first person I’ve ever heard from who favored Mary Anne over all the other sitters. 😉 She did have Logan and his southern drawl, though, so I was always a little envious of her. Best of luck with your outlining, Amy!
Hooray for writing epiphanies!! (Hoping that’s the plural for epiphany) 😉
Your summer reads sound delightful. Perfect for summer days and beach time.
And I just had to laugh at that wonderful picture of your girl. I was that kid…sneaking books late into the night. I think it’s probably safe to say she’s most definitely your daughter. 🙂
Have an amazing week!
Definitely my daughter. 🙂 I’m so happy that she enjoys books and reading. Have a great week, Kris!
Aww, you raised a reader! That’s awesome!
I loooove the Summer books, and Claudia was my favorite, too. I was already excited about Han’s new one, but now I feel like I need to get my hands on it ASAP!
I finished TO ALL THE BOYS I’VE LOVED BEFORE yesterday and I thought it was absolutely adorable. I loved everything about it, and I’m so excited that there’s a second book coming next year — P.S. I STILL LOVE YOU is the title, I think. You’ll have to let me know what you think after you’ve read BOYS, Crystal! Have a great week. 🙂
That picture of your daughter is SO sweet! I’ve snapped many pictures of Turbo flipping through books and it makes me happier than just about anything. That means we’re good moms, right?
I think instilling a love of books and reading in our kiddos is one of the greatest things we can do for them, so YES! We’re great moms! 🙂