What’s Up Wednesday

“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…

What I’m Reading: I finished 17 First Kisses by Rachael Allen and I adored it. Awesome voice, plus a cleverly nuanced take on high school stereotypes and self-image and wanting more out of life. Recommend! I also read a super sexy NA, The Hook Up by Kristen Callihan, and I’ve gotta say… I loved it. Strong characters, dry humor, and a smokin’ hot college football player — yes please! Now, I’m reading Amy Reed’s Beautiful, which is stark and gritty and disturbing (the MC is 13 — holy hell!) but very well done.


My husband: “Why are you reading Avril Lavigne’s biography?”

What I’m Writing: I’m at a weird place, writing-wise. I’ve finished all of my beta reading commitments, I’m waiting on feedback from my agent on one manuscript, and I’m waiting on feedback from CPs on another. I’m mentally musing what I hope is going to be my next project (and I’m super excited about it!) but I haven’t actually written anything yet. I do have a first line in mind, and I’m paging through a nonfiction book for research, and I’m doing a lot of inspirational online image searches. This is sort of my process, I guess. I’m a slow, sort of muddled starter, but once I get drafting, I can move relatively quickly. Hopefully I’ll be there soon!

What Else I’ve Been Up To: Cleaning, exercising, hanging with my family…


Saturday we visited WonderWorks in Panama City Beach. It’s a really cool science museum and we had an awesome time. My daughter loved the Bubble Lab (obviously) and the Ropes Challenge, for which she wore a harness and tight-rope walked three stories in the air. I almost had a mommy-heart-attack!

IMG_6028Because I was super lame and didn’t send out Christmas cards last year (excuse: we were moving across the country), I’ve gotten my act together and ordered a bazillion to put in the mail come December. Above is one of the photos I used (from our little family photo shoot) because I think the sky is gorgeous.

What Works For Me: Writer friends… Mine are the best (no, really!) and they play a huge part in maintaing my sanity and lending me inspiration. Lately, I’ve been emailing/texting/tweeting/meeting for coffee (I still owe you, Amanda!) my writer buddies to chat about WiPs and reading and life and, particularly, the challenges of writing and being a mom and a wife and melding all of that together in a balanced, happiness-evoking way. Even when they don’t have all the answers, knowing that I’m not alone in the Writer Crazies is invaluable. ❤

Tell me… What’s up with you today? 

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32 thoughts on “What’s Up Wednesday”

  1. C.E. Darrell says:

    What a beautiful photo to use as your Xmas card this year! I think that sunshine will be just what people need to see in the dead of winter, haha 🙂

    I know exactly what you mean about needing to draft and plan your way through before you dive into a WIP – I tried so hard at pantsing, but unfortunately my OCD tendencies wouldn’t let me do it! Writer friends definitely help in that area, too, I suppose 😉

    I hope the muse keeps ticking, have a wonderful week, Katy!

    • Katy Upperman says:

      I am so not a pantser either! I plan down to the scene and even though my outlines are flexible, I cannot start until I’ve got one. Hope you have a wonderful week, lady!

  2. Elodie says:

    I read the Hook Up and also enjoyed it (I need to update Goodreads at some point :))

    Writer friends are amazing and you are too 🙂 ❤

    Love the picture and wow your daughter seems to be fearless! Hope your Wednesday is off to a great start, Katy!

  3. Rachelwrites007 says:

    GORGEOUS picture!!! I love how fearless C is – climbing in the air. Don’t be too mom-heart-attacked, totally be proud. Not many kids would do that I think. 😉 I read/loved 17FK sooooo much. I love that the flap copy was a little wrong 😉 and it was really about friendship – I loved how real Megan, Claire, Amberly, etc. felt. and I’m so happy you enjoyed it too. I liked BEAUTIFUL a lot but the same thing–it kind of scared me !! An important book for sure, though.

    Writer friends are amazing. I just got a package from my CP (okay 99% was the books I lent her and she was returning lol) but the other bit was one of my favorite books I had off-hand mentioned that I never owned 🙂 and chocolates from Seattle!! 😀

    • Katy Upperman says:

      I loved the friendships in 17FK too, Rachel. I think they were so well portrayed. How awesome that our CP sent you a surprise! I saw that the book is INEXCUSABLE… that’s such an impactful story. I love it too. Have an awesome week, lady!

    • Katy Upperman says:

      I kind of hate the in-between stage, Emma. It’s nice to not have the stress of hitting word count goals, but I feel so… unaccomplished right now. Must get to drafting soon!

  5. Jennifer Pickrell says:

    LOL at your hubby’s comments on the BEAUTIFUL cover! I’ve got a couple of Amy Reed’s books on my TBR-list, but I haven’t gotten around to them yet.

    Have fun researching and brainstorming your new WIP 🙂

    • Katy Upperman says:

      I finished BEAUTIFUL late last night and it was fantastic. Incredibly depressing (especially because I know there are teens who really live this way), but so well done. I really like Amy Reed’s writing style.

      Have a great week, Jennifer!

  6. Alison Miller says:

    I LOVE that picture of you and your family! And I have yet to take A to WonderWorks (we have one 2 hours away). Reading about it here makes me want to take him tomorrow. 🙂

    Enjoy that between time between stories!

  7. Carrie-Anne says:

    I love science museums, even though a lot of them are more geared towards children than adults. I love the ones in Boston and Pittsburgh, and there are also a few in Upstate New York I’ve been to.

    I love doing research for books. Sometimes it’s so fun and engrossing, I focus on research over writing.

    • Katy Upperman says:

      WonderWorks is definitely kid-friendly, but I thought there was plenty of fun for adults too. My husband and I had a great time! Hope you’re having a wonderful week, Carrie-Anne!

  8. Jaime Morrow says:

    Ha! That cover does have a bit of an Avril Lavigne vibe, doesn’t it? Too funny. I think I’m a bit like you with the slow, muddled starts with projects. Any time I’ve jumped in without that slower start (research, planning, plotting…), it just turns into a complete mess. So I completely get where you’re at right now. That said, you rock the drafting and revising part of the process! I’m always impressed with how quick and efficient you are when it comes to both of these.

    Love the family picture that you’re using for Christmas cards! That photo shoot is incredible. I’m thinking of doing a photo Christmas card this year, but probably something cheap and outsourced to Walmart lol.

    Have a great week, Katy! 😀

    • Katy Upperman says:

      Jaime, I totally ordered our cards from Walmart! They have cute templates that you can personalize, and you can put them on cardstock so they look higher quality, which is what I did. I ordered 75 cards for less than half of what Shutterfly was going to charge!

      On the subject of speed, once I’m organized, I can usually bang stuff out. It’s the process of mulling things over and getting my thoughts in order that takes me FOREVER. 🙂

      Have an awesome week, lady!

    • Katy Upperman says:

      Yeah, it is awkward! I like to feel like I’m making forward progress, so waiting patiently is a challenge for me. And thanks so much for your kind words about our photo, Crystal. Have a great week!

  10. Kate Scott says:

    I love that family photo. You three are a very attractive bunch, and the sunset is nice too.

    I love that you mentioned writer friends as what works for you. Since I like to think of you as one of my writer friends, I’m totally going to send you an email today.

  11. Miss Cole says:

    Such a lovely family photo 😀

    Aaaw, I wanna go to the bubble works too! That looks amazing ^_^

    Totally LOL’d at your husband’s comment.

    Best of luck with the planning! Have a great week.

  12. Niki Lenz says:

    Writer friends are the best. You need to have at least one person to text every time you get a “R”, who will feel your pain and bolster your courage!

    • Katy Upperman says:

      For sure! I’m so thankful to have those people who are super supportive and encouraging. My husband fits into that category too. 🙂 Have an awesome week, Niki!

  13. Erin Funk says:

    That limbo between projects is kind of a strange but exciting place to be. It sounds like you’re building a lot of inspiration for your next WIP though, which is great! I think its so important to mull things over and let everything start to take shape naturally. I hope that first line is just the beginning of something amazing. Also, love the Christmas card photo! What a gorgeous background for a family pic! Have an awesome week! 🙂

  15. Rebecca says:

    So glad you enjoyed 17 First Kisses, it’s one of my favourite of the year! I’ve heard a lot about Amy Reed, so I’ll be interested to hear what you think of Beautiful.

    • Katy Upperman says:

      Rebecca, I thought BEAUTIFUL was incredibly well done. It’s a tough book (gritty, graphic, and incredibly sad), but I’m certainly an AMY Reed fan now. Let me know what you think if you give it a read!

  16. Andrea Moore says:

    I love reading your posts! They are so fun! ^_^ I’m a huge reader as well (especially YA), so I will have to follow your blog to see what you’re currently reading.

    PS, love the family photo. 😉

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