“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: Last week I read Isla Bick’s Drowning Instinct, a very intense, very dark contemporary. I love that there are no real heroes or heroines — just a bunch of broken people making messes of each others’ lives. It’s really well done. I’m currently making my way through Victoria Aveyard’s fantasy debut, Red Queen so I can participate in YA Book Club next week.
What I’m Writing: NOTHING. I sent Stars Like Dust to my agent yesterday. Phew! Now, I wait (and stress about whether she likes it). In the meantime, I’m reading a most excellent manuscript by my CP, Alison Miller. This one’s super smart, heartfelt, and truly funny — like, legitimately laugh-out-loud funny. And, it’s so unique, I refuse to tell you any more about it. 🙂
What Else I’ve Been Up To: Last week I skipped out on WUW because we took an impromptu journey across the U.S. to Washington. My husband’s grandmother passed away, and we wanted to be at her funeral. She was a fun and fiesty French lady, and we loved her lots.
While there were some sad moments during our trip, there were some good times, too. We saw family and reveled in the Pacific Northwest’s (rainy) spring.
Now, it’s spring break and I’ve been spending quality time with my girl. Over the weekend we saw Cinderella (say what you will about its lack of fierceness/ingenuity, but I loved it!), on Monday we treated ourselves to fro yo, and yesterday we went strawberry picking. Today, we’re off to the beach!
What Works For Me: I’ve been feeling the writerly blues lately. Not really sure why, but this happens to me from time to time, and usually the best cure is a step back — time away to freshen my perspective. I recently reread a pretty fabulous blog post by writer Robin Lafevers titled Surviving Almost There. If you’re feeling stuck or stagnant or like it’s NEVER going to happen, I highly recommend checking it out.
Tell me… What’s up with you today?
katyupperman.com 
That post by Robin Lafevers is so good! I’ve been stuck between projects lately, and sometimes it’s good to take a step back. Hope your agent loves your manuscript! 🙂
Thanks, Emma! I agree — a step back is often good for the soul. And the mental health. 🙂 Have a great week, lady!
So sorry about M’s and your loss. Losing a grandparent is really hard (my grandmother’s birthday would’ve been last week; she passed in 2012). My thoughts are with you guys. Sorry you are feeling the writerly blues. I hope V loves your new manuscript. Fingers crossed. Have a wonderful week, Katy!
Thanks, so much Rachel. And sorry about your grandmother. ❤ Hope you have a wonderful week, friend!
Sending hugs to you guys in your loss. I lost my grandmother in November, and my husband lost his this month. It’s hard to let go, but wonderful to have strong memories to look back on.
I know the writerly blues feeling. I am in and out of that state a lot lately. I’ve found that focusing my creative energy somewhere else actually really helps. I still need to read Red Queen. So, a trip to B & N today maybe…
So sorry about your grandmother and your husband’s. That must’ve been tough for you both. Hope you’re able to pick up RED QUEEN and join us for Book Club, Rebekah!
My condolences on the loss of your grandma-in-law. My grandma passed on last April, and it’s still hard to believe she’s really gone.
We can always benefit by taking a step away from writing to recharge our batteries! It only helps to build more inspiration, motivation, and creativity.
So sorry about your grandmother, Carrie-Anne. It’s really rough. And I agree about taking a step back — so helpful to recharge the creative well!
So sorry again about your loss, Katy! My heart and prayers go out to you and your family. I am glad though that you could take a break and enjoy family while there. And thank you so much for all your kind and encouraging words about my story. You are just the best! (But seriously, TEAR IT APART)
And that article? I was having a lot of those same thoughts the other day. Like, if I got published with my first story, I honestly don’t know that I would’ve ever conceived writing contemporary which means I may have never written my last two or three stories. And oh, my heart would’ve missed out on so much. Thank you so much for sharing the link.
Enjoy your time off, friend! Well-deserved. And so important.
Oh, lord. If my first-ever book would have sold (by some miracle of God, because it was TERRIBLE) I think my life would have taken a completely different trajectory. I think my writing would have suffered, too. Hard as it is, I suppose it’s important to remember that everything happens for a reason. Have a great week, Alison! ❤
Hi! Today I am thankful for the writing journey. I’m just realizing how well it turned out that I didn’t query for a long time because I was so afraid of it and it would have just made me run away from writing. I’m realizing it’s okay to take time and gather your strength and confidence before jumping into querying.
I’m going to chose to be thankful for my writing journey today too — even though it hasn’t always taken the turns I hope for. Thanks for the words of encouragement!
So sorry about your loss, Katy. Love to you and your family!
Enjoy the time away–I hope it’s full of inspiration and fun and a lot of relaxation. 🙂
Thanks so much, Rebecca! ❤
Sorry about your loss, but I’m glad it was a nice trip too!
I also really enjoyed Cinderella for the nostalgic, beautiful kind of movie it was. I wasn’t expecting Ever After, so it was fine. 🙂 Yay for Spring Break and strawberry picking and sending your MS to your agent! From what your readers are saying, I think your agent will love it!!
Yes, nostalgic is a great word to describe Cinderella. I thought it was really beautiful to look at, and I think the “have courage, be kind” message is one to appreciate. I do love Ever After, though. 🙂 Have a wonderful week, Alice!
My heart goes out to you over losing a grandparent. 😦
I’ll definitely have to check out that Robin Lafevers post.
I loved Cinderella. I wanted her to be a little more fierce, but I loved how she ended up getting her happy ending without becoming snarky/pushy/mean/etc. I thought that was a good message.
I thought Cinderella’s message was fantastic. There’s nothing wrong with courage and kindness. Plus, I thought the whole movie was really beautifully shot. And the prince… swoon. 🙂 Have a great week, Melanie!
Here’s to hoping your agent LOVES SLD, as I’m sure she will.
Thanks so much, Niki! Have an awesome week!
So sorry to hear about your husband’s grandmother passing, but it’s nice to know you enjoyed your time with family and that your trip wasn’t entirely sad.
Fro you and strawberry picking sounds so summery! I’m super jealous of your weather. Spring teased us for a couple weeks, then we got dumped on with a ton of snow again.
As for the writerly blues. Yes, me too. This whole year has been a struggle. I hope you feel encouraged and inspired again soon and that your agent falls in love with your latest ms. Hang in there! 🙂
Thanks, Erin — you too! This has been a weird writing year for me so far too, but I feel like there’s still plenty of time for things to take a more… satisfying turn. Hope your writing is going well. We’ll have to continue checking in, because I’ll miss your weekly WUW updates. Have a wonderful week, lady!
Sorry about your loss *hugs*
I’ve been swimming in the writerly blues lately – I pretty much took all of March off to just do other things. It’s been a welcome break and I’m ready to jump back in with total focus inside of distracted attention.
Glad you had a good writerly break, Jennifer. I think that’ll be April for me. But then, I always say I’m going to take a break, then end up totally inspired by some new nugget of an idea. 🙂 Hope you have a great week, lady!