(It’s warm enough for shorts today so this graphic seems sort of odd, but I suppose it’s still winter in some places. Brrr…)
“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: Lots of love for two of my favorite NAs, both of which released recently. Find my rave reviews of Riley Edgewood’s Surf & Surrender HERE and Ellie Cahill’s When Joss Met Matt HERE. I’m currently reading Kathryn Holmes’ The Distance Between Lost and Found, which is pretty incredible so far. I love the 3rd person narrative, and the survival aspects of the story are gripping. Can’t wait to see how it plays out!
What I’m Writing: I FINISHED MY 1ST DRAFT OF STARS LIKE DUST. What a relief! I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to see this one through, guys. Not because I don’t love it, but because I love it so much I’m desperate to do it justice. Hopefully I’m getting there. I’m the sort of writer who revises as she drafts, so this manuscript is fairly clean. I’m taking care of some small-ish issues now, and I’m hoping to have it to my CPs in the next couple of days. For more on my writing, you can check out my #WriterRecharge Wrap-Up HERE. Goal for the next week: Start outlining my next project. 🙂
What Else I’ve Been Up To: Aside from writing and revising a TON, I’ve mostly just been hanging out with my girl…
We celebrated the end of her basketball season with a party at our favorite fro-yo spot. Is there a better way to spend an afternoon than with a cute kid and bowl of banana frozen yogurt? She and I also had a girls’ day in Pensacola, full of shopping (Target and Michael’s — yay!), plus lunch at Red Robin.
What Works For Me: I mentioned my planner in last week’s post and to be honest, I’ve gotten to the point where I live and die by the thing. (I worked out this morning because my planner told me to, and my husband was like, “I wish I had a planner that had that kind of control over me.”) As well as tracking my schedule and writing progress, I’ve also been using it to write down daily gratitudes, an idea I got from my friend Elodie — thanks, lady! Each night, I take a few minutes to jot down three things I’m thankful for. Sometimes they’re big (like finishing Stars Like Dust) and sometimes they’re little (last week I was super thankful for NyQuil). Either way, gratitudes help me reflect on and appreciate the positive things happening in my life — never a bad thing.
Tell me… What’s up with you today?
katyupperman.com 
Congratulations on finishing the draft! That’s great 😀 I’m sure your CPs will love it ^_^
Writing down things to be grateful for sounds like such a good idea. I think I should do this. Thanks for sharing.
Have a wonderful week!
Thanks, Cole! Have an awesome week, lady! ❤
Congrats on finishing your draft, that’s fantastic! 😀
Sounds like your planner is certainly a big help! Daily gratitudes are a great idea. 🙂 It’s always nice to remind yourself when something good happens, even if it’s only small.
Have a lovely week!
Thanks, Jess. I’m with you on the daily gratitudes, and I’m so glad Elodie put the idea in my head. Have a great week!
YAYYYY for finishing your draft! (P.S. I partook on a vlog and shouted out to you and Matt for all your military help on my book. <3) I'm so excited and please know if you ever want new eyes I'd be happy to read. 🙂 and LOLOLOLOL on M saying "I wish my planner had such control of me" I laughed out loud at that 😛 Have a great week!
Aww, thanks for the shoutout on the vlog you did. It was a privilege to read your manuscript, and thank you so much for offering to read mine. I might just have to take you up on that. 🙂 Have an awesome week, lady!
I haven’t been here in forever. I miss blogging!
I miss your blog posts! You should make a comeback. 🙂
I really want to read THE DISTANCE BETWEEN LOST AND FOUND! It’s on my list…along with so many other awesome 2015 releases. *sigh* Super happy for you about finishing STARS LIKE DUST. And that you love it so much. I hear you on wanting to do your story justice. That’s me as well! I often feel like I’m falling short of that, though.
I’m pretty much fully immersed in the planner cult. LOL I rely on that thing pretty heavily now.
Hope you have an awesome week, Katy!
I know — there are so many cool books coming out this year. I’m having trouble keeping track of them all! And you’re not alone in feeling like you’re falling short when it comes to doing your story justice. I feel like that 99% of the time, or at least until I let someone read it and they tell me yay rather than nay. I’m certain you’re doing awesome! 🙂 Have a great week, Jaime!
Yay for an attitude of gratitude! And congrats on finishing your draft!
Attitude of gratitude — I love it! Thanks, Niki, and have an awesome week!
Yay for finishing the draft! ^_^ I rely on my to-do lists to remind me to do anything, but it helps to have it organised in a planner. Have a great week!
I’ve been keeping to-do lists in my planner and you’re right — it really is helpful. Have a great week, Emma. 🙂
Congrats on finishing your draft of STARS LIKE DUST!! You said, “Not because I don’t love it, but because I love it so much I’m desperate to do it justice.” This is exactly how I feel with my WIP! Knowing you, though, I’m certain you did it justice.
Good luck with your outline this week! Oh, and if you’re working again at night, Tweet me! 🙂
Aww, thanks, Trace. I hope so! And yes, let’s definitely Twitter write SOON!
Congrats on finishing your draft!!! I finished my WIP as well but it is NOT clean at all and needs major work, which I knew about halfway through but I wanted to get the gist of it down.
I love the idea of writing down gratitudes!
Melanie, I wish I could press through with a messy first draft and then address all of its issues at the end. In my head, that seems like the strategy that makes the most sense. But I cannot do it! Big congrats on finishing that draft, and best of luck with the revisions you’re going to tackle. Cheering you on, lady!
All the mentions of planners lately motivated me to go to Target and buy one 🙂 I’m right there with you on the “live and die” thing!
I had a gratitude journal years and years ago and it was interesting to stumble upon it long after I’d forgotten about it. I had newspaper clippings of stories I liked and all kinds of stuff. It was a nice trip down memory lane 🙂
Yay for your new planner! I hope you have as much fun with it as I’m having with mine. I like the idea of newspaper clippings and things in a gratitude journal — almost like a scrapbook! Maybe I’ll try that out next year because for now, it’s pretty easy to jot things down in my planner. Have a great week, Jennifer!
Congrats on finishing the draft! That is worthy of epic fireworks. I’m like you, I edit as I go, so it takes me *forever* to finish a first draft sometimes.
Also, I laughed out loud at your planner and your husband’s comment. I’m ruled by my To Do lists. I have to put things like “Eat something today besides hummus” on there though, or I will work through lunch like a mad woman and be sugar crashy by the end of the day. 😉
Your time with your girl looks like so much fun. You two are adorable!
Hope you have a great week 🙂
Thanks so much, Kris! What is it about checking items off a to-do list that makes me excited to actually do them? Whatever it takes, I suppose. 🙂 Have an awesome week!
Yay 🙂 I need this book in my inbox verrrrrryyyyy soon (just saying :)) And I’m glad writing the things you’re grateful for works 🙂 The planner really works for me too…well it works mostly but I especially like to update it and think about my day and week and make it all pretty. I’m addicted.
Yay for gratitudes! Thank you again for the idea. ❤ And… how bad do you want this MS? 'Cause it's done and in need of brutal feedback. 🙂