Author: Katy Upperman

Odds and Ends

Here’s my To-Read pile:

Here’s what I picked up today:

Seriously. I think I have a problem. Surely there must be a 12 Step program for people like me: people who buy books compulsively even though they have plenty to read. But really, I couldn’t pass these up. It’s been awhile since I’ve read a contemporary YA romance, probably because I’ve been heavily immersed in writing my own, but now that I’m in the final edits stage, I feel my favorite genre calling me back. Still, I’m going to start with Faithful by Janet Fox, a historical YA romance. Honestly, I totally judge a book by its cover and this one is gorgeous.    

In other news, last night I stayed up super late finishing Catching Fire. Oh my gosh, that book is amazing. I had a hard time falling asleep after. I was on total emotional overload thanks to the insane cliffhanger ending. Thank goodness I don’t have to wait long for Mockingjay because I can’t stop thinking about Katniss, Peeta, and Gale. And speaking of my new favorite love triangle, how talented is Suzanne Collins? To create these two possible love interests for Katniss, both of who are completely wonderful in their own very distinct ways, and to give her a logical and compelling reason NOT to pick one or the other… Really. These books blow my mind. How will Katniss ever choose?

And finally, I sent queries to three highly respected agents last week, my first round of queries for WIP! Two agents I’ve yet to hear from, but one requested a partial! I’m thrilled! First, because it would be nothing short of amazing to work with this particular agent and her agency, and second, because I have some confidence in my query now! Who knows how things will pan out, but I’m definitely praying she’ll love it and ask to see more. Stay tuned… 🙂       

Friday Five!

1 – Savvy Authors (my favorite writing community) is hosting a Summer Symposium. Here’s the basic info: Join us for five days as we talk craft – from plot and character, to dialogue, suspense, theme and story question (with a bunch of stuff in between) in chats, Q&A forums and mini-workshops. Our presenters will be sharing what works – whether it’s world building or setting or layering in back story; or even if it’s a technical detail and the fruits of research, they’ll be exposing the craft that underlies a good story. We’ll also be talking about publishing and promoting, offering pitch opportunities to the attendees and raffling off books on craft from folks like James Scott Bell and Sherrilyn Kenyon, software such as Liquid Story Binder, 3-chapter critiques from published authors and more. Click here for more info! (Make sure to scroll down!)

2 – Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett is one of my very favorite books and has been made into a miniseries that will air on Starz beginning July 23. We don’t get Starz, but you’d better believe I’ll be ordering it specifically so I can watch. The trailer is below and looks amazing, and if you haven’t read the book, I highly recommend checking it out.

3 – Had some major revision issues to think through this week, which led to long(er) showers, lengthy car rides and leisurely bike rides. My poor daughter was my little shadow, dutifully following wherever I went, chatting my ear off, cheerfully picking flowers on the long walks we took. Thankfully, I figured some plot stuff out and got plenty of exercise. I live in a small town on a river, surrounded by lots of farms. It is around these farms that I usually take my bike rides. The other day I took pictures. The quality isn’t the greatest (taken with my phone, not my actual camera!) but you’ll get point. I’m lucky!  

 

4 – Read a great article on writing the other day: Janet Fitch’s 10 Rules for Writers. Among them: Write the sentence, not just the story, Smarten up your protagonist, Learn to write dialogue, and Kill the cliché. Definitely worth checking out!

5 – My munchkin’s birthday is coming! She’ll be three on August 3rd (her golden birthday!) and we’re planning a big party for her. The official theme? The Princess and the Frog Mardi Gras Birthday Bash! I bought beads and little Mardi Gras masks for the kids and I’m serving virgin hurricanes and beneits (as well as all the traditional birthday treats). Super excited!

First Pancake = First Novel?

Flat, overcooked (or sometimes raw in the middle), unpalatable.

The other day on Twitter, someone I follow compared a first novel to a first pancake: good practice, but usually they ought to be thrown away. I wish now I could recall who it was who made the tweet so I could give them credit for their wisdom, but alas, my memory sucks. Still, the comparison stuck with me, mostly because I’ve been thinking a lot about my first novel… you know, Novel One, the one I queried the heck out of to less than stellar results?

Having recently completed revisions on Novel Two (WIP, which I happen to be quite proud of), I’ve gotten some distance, gained some perspective, and learned a lot. Now, looking back on Novel One, I see its flaws. Too-perfect hero, lack of major external conflict, occasionally passive voice. The good news? WIP doesn’t suffer from any of those weaknesses.  

Don’t get me wrong, I love Novel One for what it is, for what it taught me, for giving the first characters who truly spoke to me a home, but frankly, it was a practice run. Is it fixable? Maybe, with a major overhaul of the structure, plotting, conflict and characters—a complete rewrite, I think.

But do I want to rewrite it? I’m torn. Someday, perhaps. Like I said, I do love it, and my very fabulous CP sees its potential. For now, it waits patiently in my Dell while I tackle querying WIP, my new baby. Also, I’m very nearly ready to dive into a new novel (shall we call it Novel Three?) which is going to require some pretty major preliminary research and stems from a darker, more controversial place. So, for now, Novel One is metaphorically trashed, though it will always hold a special place in my heart.

I’m curious… what was your experience with your first novel? Was it a success? What were its weaknesses? Strengths? Where is it now?

Friday Five: Visual Inspiration

1 Comment

I’m a visual girl; therefore I often troll the internet in search of actual pictures of the images and ideas I write about. So, for today’s midsummer Friday Five, I’m posting five of my favorite WIP visuals. I’m posting the pictures without comment, first, so as not give anything in WIP away, and second, because I don’t wish to influence your perception. The images below might become something completely different to you than what they are to me. Without further ado:

Ooh, and a bonus. Lucky you! This is competely unrelated to WIP, but here I am with my little family on Independence Day… isn’t my Munchkin a cutie pie?!

Hooks & The Hunger Games

**There are mild spoilers in this post. If you haven’t read The Hunger Games and don’t wish to have the book spoiled, you might want to stop reading here.**

This morning I started reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I don’t read much dystopian, but I’ve heard the hype about this almost-trilogy and had to see what it’s all about. I’m currently about halfway through and completely blown away. Ms. Collins has created a world that’s unique—brutal, disturbing, vivid, frightening, and totally fascinating. Her imagery (setting, food, clothing, etc…) is colorfully stunning. Her descriptions of fear, betrayal, pride, and love are spot-on and pull at all the right strings. Her weaving of back story throughout the novel is seamless.

What I love most, though—what’s stuck out among all of Ms. Collin’s literary talents—are her end-of-chapter hooks.

Three different times today I’ve been reading along and thought I’ll stop at the end of this chapter and get something productive done. On all three of those occasions, I’ve reached the end of the chapter, gasped with surprise, and flipped the page filled with anticipation and (usually) dread. The first time it happened: the end of Chapter One, at the reaping when Primrose Everdeen is called forward to participate in the Hunger Games. The second: the end of Chapter Nine when Peeta declares his love for Katniss at the pre-Game interviews. The third: the end of Chapter Eleven when Katniss realizes that Peeta has joined up with the Career tributes. Each time I’ve read on, gripped with anxiety, dying to find out what happens next, all the while shaking my head in awe at how successful Ms. Collin has been at writing a literal page turner.

Now, I’m inspired to go through WIP and ensure that I’ve got amazing end-of-chapter hooks of my own. Isn’t it incredible how with each book you read (good, bad, or otherwise) you absorb something new?

Friday Five: Eclipse Edition

1 Comment

So, I went to see Twilight: Eclipse opening night. While I’m not a huge Twilight fan, I appreciate the books and movies for what they are: a romantic and action-packed escape from reality. I took my husband along who, at the very least, is a good sport. He’s not read the books, but he knows Eclipse was my favorite of the series and, after I repeatedly told him how the movie was supposed to be the best so far, he agreed to come along. Our experience was fun, random, and giggle-inducing. Here, for a Twilight-inspired Friday Five, is what I liked best about the movie and date night with my hubby…  


1) Lots more romance. What hooked me about the Twilight series was the romance. Call Edward a stalker if you will, (I might not argue) but Bella loves him and he loves her. The first two movies, in my opinion, were sorely lacking in romance. Eclipse makes up for that with lots of cute moments, sweet gestures and steamy kisses that actually felt genuine. I even bought into Bella’s kiss with Jacob, which says a lot.  

2) Crazy fans. I didn’t actually take the picture below, but these might as well have been the girls who sat behind us. Lots of cheering, lots of swooning, lots of love for Jacob. We had some middle-aged Twi-Moms, too (something I do NOT consider myself!) who did their fair share of cheering and giggling at the shirtless Jacob moments. We even had a group of high school age girls who came dressed in inappropriate and ill-fitting prom gear. What is with these movies and their ability to encourage people to let their freak flags fly?

On a similar note, we got to briefly observe the line of Last Airbender fans waiting for the midnight showing. Holy Crap. Again, I didn’t take the picture below, but I might as well have. The people waiting were in full (very poorly made) costumes. Maybe I’m sheltered, but I’d never even heard of Last Airbender until the movie trailers came out, so I was surprised to see the intensity of the fan level of these people. Good for them though, for braving the judgment of others to completely fan-girl/fan-boy out!

3) More Cullens. I like the Cullens. I like them a lot more than Edward, Jacob and Bella. I don’t, however, love how they were portrayed in the first two movies. Cheesy. Eclipse was better though! The Cullens were more natural, better dressed and seemed to have more of a spark. I loved Rosalie’s back story scene, I loved Jasper teaching the gang how to fight, and I loved the subtle interactions between the couples. In fact, the Cullen scenes were my favorite of the movie.   

5) Yay for battles that weren’t cringe worthy! The special effects of Eclipse were much better than the previous two movies. In fact, I didn’t find myself distracted and squirming every time a vampire ran, jumped or fought. The wolf phases seemed smoother, too. I’m sure it’s due mostly to the bigger budget, but kudos to the director of not half-assing the actions scenes. They were crucial to the movie and pretty well done.   

5) My husband came! He was deployed during the release of the last two movies, so I was excited to share in all the crazy with him this time around. Though he had some very random (funny and often inappropriate) running commentary, his presence was greatly appreciated. He’d die before admitting it, but I think he really enjoyed the movie. **He’s reading over my shoulder now muttering, “Untrue.”**

End of June Update

1 Comment

First, I’m deep in Significant Revision #1 of WIP. My CP messaged me the other day with “Are you busy? We need to talk about your plot.” Uh oh. Turns out, it wasn’t as bad as I initially thought, and her advice was (as usual) excellent. Now that I’m implementing many of the changes she suggested, things are coming together nicely. Plot points are crisper, emotions are clearer, and details that needed expanding are getting their due. I’ve yet to tackle the ending (CP said, “I need more!), but I’ve put a lot of thought into it and I’m looking forward to delving in.

Second, here’s what I’ve been looking at out my back windows for pretty much the entire month of June:

Cool, dull, and gray. Right above that hill, under the threatening clouds, is Mount Rainier. While this weather is annoying and depressing, it has been quite conducive to writing, for which I am thankful. Had it not been for Boot Camp and this never-ending string of crappy weather, I’d probably still be about 20k into WIP instead of knee deep into revisions.   

Finally, my hubby, daughter and I took a ten-hour road trip to Mountain Home, Idaho last weekend to visit my brother and his new baby. Gabriel is about five weeks now, and (of course) adorable. Almost adorable enough for me to want another baby, but not quite. 🙂 Here are a few pictures from our trip:

Baby Gabriel and me!

Baby Gabriel, Claire, Me, Zach (my brother & the new daddy)

Playing at the park! 🙂

This makes me smile!

At the rodeo... Claire wasn't impressed!

Friday Five

A very random Friday Five:

1)      My To-Read shelf is officially out of control again. I’m smack in the middle of Ken Follett’s World Without End, which is nothing short of AMAZING, but I’m looking forward to finishing because I’ve got three YA books I’ve already bought that I’m dying to read:

  

2)      So, I know I’m majorly late in jumping on the Six Feet Under bandwagon, (yes, I’m aware that it’s been off the air for years!) but it’s so amazing that I feel compelled to mention it here. If you like dark, dry, humorous, and thought-provoking (and are not easily offended), you simply must watch this show. I was a huge Michael C. Hall fan going in (Dexter, anyone?!), but I officially worship him now. Six Feet Under is my newest guilty pleasure.

  

3)      Thanks to Savvy Boot Camp and my amazing team, ANGST ARMY, I have finished the first draft of WIP (as I will continue to refer to it until I come up with a title I adore). I have written somewhere around 40,000 words this month and have started into Revisions: Phase One. I know I’m crazy and probably in the minority, but I love revising and editing and polishing! Also in Savvy Authors news—I have discovered that with almost constant camaraderie, writing is even more enjoyable. Loving the Savvy chat rooms! Don’t ever want to write alone again!

   

4)      My husband is coming home from a two-week work trip today! Though I did manage to write more than half of WIP during his absence, I have missed him greatly (as does my Munchkin). As an Army captain, he has deployed to some of the most despicable places on the planet, but this trip was to a tiny tropical island chain in the Indian Ocean. I’m slightly envious and wish I could have gone too, but he definitely deserved this trip. He got to Jet Ski and snorkel with sea turtles and got a wicked sunburn… lucky! Here’s a picture of where he was (emailed to me the other day):

 

5)      I don’t watch a lot of TV, but when I do, it’s almost always Bravo. Their newest show is called Work of Art and it’s very cool. Think the aesthetics of Project Runway mixed with competitiveness of Top Chef, plus paints, eccentric people, screen-printing, “found art,” and Sarah Jessica Parker producing. What’s not to love?

Time for a little celebration!

I officially finished WIP today, and really, I kind of love it. It still needs work: revisions and edits and deletions and transitions and several read throughs, but the story is there and it’s strong. I’m elated, but a little sad too, sort of like how after childbirth you briefly miss pregnancy. Then, of course, you totally get over that and thank God the swollen ankles and heartburn and extra thirty-five pounds are gone. Or, in the case of WIP, I’ll thank God that the plotting and characterizing and constant knuckle-pop-inducing typing is over.

I can’t wait to delve into revisions now, to make sure it all flows and sounds pretty and provokes the appropriate emotional responses. Can’t wait to hear from my awesome CP and read all of her fabulous comments and suggestions. Revisions are my favorite part! Stay tuned for more on that process, and later… the querying process.

For now, I’m celebrating!