It’s been fun, RSW!

Ready. Set. WRITE! is a summer writing intensive that encourages goal-setting and accountability, and provides an opportunity for us to cheer each other on wherever we’re at in our writing—planning, drafting, revising, or polishing. This year, your RSW hosts are Alison Miller, Jaime Morrow, Erin Funk, and myself. Find the rest of the details HERE.

* How I did on my goal(s) overall.

1. Complete a revision of my contemporary-ish YA, Where Poppies Bloom.
2. Complete the first draft of my contemporary YA, The Road So Far.
3. Read (on average) one YA/adult novel per week.
4. Read (on average) one MG novel with my daughter every two weeks.
5. Maintain my tan.

I’m pretty excited about what I accomplished this summer. My two most important goals were to finish a major revision of Where Poppies Bloom and finish a first draft of my WiP, The Road So Far. I did both! I barely squeaked by on that first draft; I only just finished the other day, but I FINISHED. 🙂 As far as my reading goals, I averaged just over one YA/adult novel a week, and I averaged just under one MG book (read with my girl) every two weeks. I’m calling that success. And I maintained my tan! #Priorities

* The biggest challenge I faced this summer.

Time management for sure, but I think I did okay. I got A LOT of work done, I had tons of fun with my family, and I got some sleep, too. My DVR is full of all the shows I didn’t have time to watch, but they’ll keep.

* A favorite line from my project OR a word/phrase that sums up what I wrote/revised.

The End 

For real. But there was this, too…

“You ready for the final leg?”

She rests her head on my shoulder. “Not really. I’d road trip with you forever, Tucker Morgan”

* Something I love about my WiP. 

The two writing projects I worked on this summer are related. Same characters, same world. A duology, if you will. What I love most about them is the relationship between the two main characters. They start off strangers in Poppies, and by the end of Road, they’ve forged a really special bond, which makes their stories my favorite of any I’ve written.

I can’t wait to read about how Ready. Set. Write! went for you. Don’t forget to share the link of your very last post below!

CP/Beta Match-Up

Okay, RSWers, now that you’ve spent all summer working on your story, you’re going to need some constructive feedback. You’re in luck! This Thursday, August 28th, there will be a beta/CP match-up facilitated by your Ready. Set. Write hosts, Alison Miller, Jaime Morrow, Erin Funk, and myself. There’s no pressure to participate if you’re not ready for feedback, or if you’ve got trusted readers already, but if you’re interested in taking advantage, here’s now it’ll work…

This Thursday, we encourage you to share about your story in a post on your blog. You and other RSW participants will then be able to “shop around” and leave comments on the posts with stories you’re interested in reading. From there, you can decide who might be the best fit and contact them via their blog/Twitter/email. Some suggestions about what to share…

*a love list, elevator pitch, or query description

*an excerpt

*genre/age category

*whether it’s a stand alone or series

*where you’re at in the timeline (ie: ready for a beta/CP as of the end of summer or perhaps later in the fall)

*whether you’re looking for betas or CPs (or both)

*any warnings that might be applicable (ie only offer to beta if you don’t mind swearing, sex, drug use, etc.)

And here are some great links on CP/beta relationships, plus some tips on providing and receiving feedback:

5 Things To Know About Working With Beta Readers by The Book Designer

First Readers and Critique Partners by Susan Dennard

Critique Etiquette by Jodi Cleghorn

What Should We Look For in a Beta Reader by Jami Gold

Crafting the Perfect Critique Sandwich by Erin Bowman (for Pub(lishing) Crawl

How to Beta Read by Corrine Jackson

The Critique Partner Relationship: Here’s Looking at You, Kid by YA Buccaneers

Looking forward to hearing all about your projects! 

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42 thoughts on “It’s been fun, RSW!”

  1. jessleake says:

    Love the pics you shared! :). Congrats on meeting all your goals this summer! And thank you for hosting RSW–it was so much fun, and I loved the accountability. I hope you continue it next year! 🙂

  2. Jennifer Pickrell says:

    WOW, you kicked butt this summer! I’ve got a ton of shows/movies to watch at some point, too, but I’m waiting until I finish my revision. I’m thinking Friday Night Lights as a reward 🙂

  3. sara says:

    You’ve been a writing warrior this summer! I hope it continues into the fall (aka I’ll be here with a WIP whip cheering you on) 🙂 I can’t wait to meet this Tucker Morgan fellow…

    • katyupperman says:

      Yes! I definitely want you to meet Tucker Morgan soon. I hope you love him as much as I do. 🙂 I had so much fun writing with you this summer! Let’s keep it up through the fall!

  4. crystalschubert says:

    Congrats on completing all your goals! The End is a beautiful thing… 🙂 You were wise to put off watching TV during RSW. That was a big distraction for me, especially since my husband recently insisted we binge watch Game of Thrones. Major toll on my productivity, but oh well!

    • katyupperman says:

      I’m so glad you joined us this summer, Erin! It’s been tons of fun writing with you. I’m thinking we need to keep our Twitter sessions going through the fall. 🙂

  6. Courtney Leigh says:

    Super big yayyyy for finishing your draft!! Just in time for the last RSW update. That’s the best! And great job meeting all your goals while encouraging all of us to do the same. All of your support and enthusiasm definitely helped me stay focused and productive, and I appreciate it so, so much! Good luck moving forward! ❤

    • katyupperman says:

      Thanks, Courtney! The support from other writers is my favorite thing about RSW, and I’m so glad you joined us! Best of luck with your writing projects — I can’t wait to see where they go from here!

  7. Carrie-Anne says:

    Congratulations on all your writing and reading progress! There’s nothing quite so sweet as writing The End (though given how old-fashioned and pretentious I am, I follow “The End” by the dates I wrote, planned, and conceived of the book). It’s fun to write books with connected characters and stories, which aren’t part of a series proper but just interconnected. You can do things with characters in one book you couldn’t do in another.

    • katyupperman says:

      Thanks so much, Carrie-Anne! I’ve really joined writing in this same world. Here’s hoping others will get to read these stories one day. So glad you joined us for RSW, and best of luck moving forward!

  8. Rebekah says:

    You killed your goals this summer. I love that you also had personal, child related goals, and those were just as important. I loved the twitter parties and all the encouragement. Thank you for hosting this, and being such an inspiration! Let’s definitely keep it up this fall.

  9. Jami Gold says:

    Congratulations on finishing all your goals! What a fantastic accomplishment (better than I did 😉 ).

    And thanks for the shout out to my blog. Good luck to you and all RSW’ers on the next step of beta reading!

    • katyupperman says:

      Thanks! Such a relief to be done. So glad you joined us for RSW this summer, and best of luck with querying and Pitch Wars. I can’t wait to see how it all plays out!

  11. Erin Funk says:

    I’m blown away by how much you got done this summer! You did so well on your goals and a couple of them were huge! I’m glad it was so productive for you, and I hope good things come from all your hard work. 🙂

  12. Krispy says:

    YAY, Katy!! You did super well on your goals, and I’m thrilled that you completed a revision AND a first draft. So impressive! (And it looks like you had a fun summer to boot.) This whole CP/Beta thing you ladies are putting together is very cool too.

    Thanks again! RSW has been such a help!

    • katyupperman says:

      So glad you joined us, Alice! It’s been so much fun following along with your progress. I love your verse so much, and I hope you’ll continue to share. Can’t wait to see how your projects play out in the future!

  13. Alison Miller says:

    Dude. You rocked the writing and revising and EVERYTHING this summer! I’m so proud of you! Also, I can’t wait to read ROAD. Hope the revisions are as fast as the drafting. 🙂

    Hope you have a great week! And thank you so much for hosting with me!

    • katyupperman says:

      Thanks, lady! I can’t wait to have ROAD in a state that’s readable! It’s sort of a mess right now, particularly the end. I’m sure you’re shocked. 🙂 Thanks for including me in your fabulous RSW idea!

  14. leandrajwallace says:

    Woo-hoo, you did fantastic! I enjoyed getting peeks into your story all summer long. I think you’re a fabulous writer who has a great career in front of you. Also, before I go I’m totally going to embarrass myself and tell you this, b/c I’ve thought it lots over the summer. You look so much like Kate Middleton- and I swear it’s not b/c of the similar name. You really remind me of her! =) Yeah, bye. Lol!

    • katyupperman says:

      Oh my gosh… Greatest compliment ever! I’m sort of enamored by Kate Middleton — she’s so classy! Thanks so much, Leandra! ❤ It's been a blast getting to know you through RSW this summer. I can't wait to see what comes of your projects. Best of luck with everything!

    • katyupperman says:

      Ha, me too! Thanks so much for joining us this summer, Melanie, and best wishes with your projects moving forward. I can’t wait to see what’s next for you!

  17. karyne norton says:

    Great job on all your goals! And thank you so much for all your hard work hosting RSW! It’s been so fun to be a part of it and I can’t wait to do it again next year.

  20. Elodie says:

    Oh WOW, you did GREAT 🙂 So so happy for you (and me, because I am going to read this book soon, right? I mean the line you shared–> <3)

  21. Rebecca says:

    Congrats on meeting all your goals, you should be proud! Now to reward yourself 😉
    Love those family photos! I didn’t participate, but if you or someone else needed a CP/Beta, I’d love to help anyway I can.

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