NaNo Update #2

November 6, 2012November 6, 201226 Comments

Happy Election Day!

Progress (word count or a general status update): 11, o33… We’re approaching Plot Point One, yo.

Current Mood: Excited… This thing’s starting to feel like it might be a REAL STORY someday!

Inspiration: Close the door. Write with no one looking over your shoulder. Don’t try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It’s the one and only thing you have to offer. ~ Barbara Kingsolver (So wise!)

Goals as of Today: Write at least 2K every day for the remainder of the work week, and at least 1K on Saturday and Sunday.

Recent Favorite NaNo WiP Line: If Bree and Henry’s relationship excelled in any area, it was meeting the status quo…. Bree knew Henry would order Eggs Benedict and a large orange juice at brunch, just as she knew he favored heather-gray boxer-briefs and would agree to just about anything she suggested, so long as she was kissing his neck while she asked.

Non-NaNo News (because life DOES go on): My pulled muscle is still pulled, so that sucks. I’ve been getting my elliptical on because I’m signed up to run the Big Sur Half Marathon in two weeks, but the gym sucks. I miss my running route. Here’s hoping my body will start cooperating soon.

In my downtime (ha!) I’m reading: Um. Still Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler. I rewarded myself with forty-five minutes of in-the-sun reading yesterday and it was glorious. I’m moving slowly on this book, but not because I don’t enjoy the story (I totally do! Hud’s voice rocks!), but because, as you might imagine, I don’t have tons of extra reading time these days.

You should read this blog post: Welcome to November By: My agency sister Taryn Albright Because: She offers some sage advice for “winning” NaNo. Plus, she’s smart and witty and fun.

You should also read this blog post: Manners Matter: 13 Etiquette Tips By: Literary Agent Rachel Gardner Because: Her tips are excellent reminders, especially in this vastly digital age.

Gratuitous Photograph (because I love ‘em!): Today you get two… Yay!

Jammin’

Write drunk; edit sober. ~ Ernest Hemingway (Yeah. I wasn’t actually drunk, but you’d be surprised at how the words flow after a Bud Light or two. :))

How’s your researching/plotting/drafting/revising/editing coming?

The Class of 2012: YA Superlatives Blogfest

November 5, 2012November 5, 201225 Comments

As you might remember, last year Jessica Love, Tracey Neithercott, Alison Miller, and I hosted The Class of 2011: YA Superlatives Blogfest, a fun and interactive way to highlight our favorite YA novels, covers, characters, and story elements. We had such a fantastic time promoting awesome 2011 books and getting to know new bloggers, this year we’re thrilled to host…

The Class of 2012: YA Superlative Blogfest will run Monday, December 17th – Thursday, December 20th and will highlight favorite books of 2012. We’re introducing a few new superlative categories (see them all below!), and we’re giving 2012 books away to lucky blogfest participants as just one more reason to join in on the fun (stay tuned for more giveaway information!).

Here are this year’s categories:

Monday, December 17th: Head of the Class
Favorite Dystopian
Favorite Science Fiction
Favorite Fantasy
Favorite Contemporary
Favorite Action/Adventure
Favorite Historical Fiction
Favorite Comedy
Favorite Mystery
Favorite Romance
Favorite Paranormal
Favorite Family Drama
Favorite Genre Bender

Tuesday, December 18th: Popularity Contest
Choose characters who fit each topic from ANY YA book!
Class Clown
Most Likely to Become a Rock Star
Mostly Likely to Start a Riot
Biggest Flirt
Fashion King and/or Queen

Girl You’d Most Want For Your BFF
Boy You Wish You’d Dated in High School
Most Likely to Become President
Quirkiest Character
Villain You Love to Hate
Favorite Parental Figure
Coolest Nerd

Wednesday, December 19th: Elements of Fiction
Most Envy-Inducing Plot (Or, the plot you wish you’d thought of yourself.)
Most Formidable World (Or, the setting you definitely would NOT want to visit.)
Wanderlust-Inducing (Or, the setting you’d happily travel to.)
Loveliest Prose
Best First Line
Most Dynamic Main Character
Most Jaw-Dropping Ending
Best Performance in a Supporting Role
Best Use of Theme

Thursday, December 20: Best in Show
Favorite Cover
Cutest Couple
Most Likely to Succeed (Or, pick a Printz Winner.)
Most Likely to Make You Miss Your Bedtime (Book you just couldn’t put down!)
Best Repeat Performance (Your favorite sequel or follow-up.)
Favorite Finale or End of Series Novel
Romance Most Worthy of an Ice Bath
Breakout Novel (Your favorite book by a debut author.)
Best Old-Timer (Your favorite read of the year, published BEFORE 2012.)
Book Most Likely to Make a Grown Man Cry
Most Pleasant Surprise (Best book you didn’t think you’d like, but totally did.)
Most Creative Use of a Love Triangle
Sleeper Hit (Book you found so awesome you wish it had been hyped more.)
Favorite Outlier (Your favorite middle grade or adult 2012 book)
Your turn! Pick your own superlative category and post it at the end this day’s list. Blog hoppers will be able to drop by and vote for their pick in the comments of your blog!

Remember, The Class of 2012: YA Superlatives Blogfest is all about promoting extraordinary novels! Don’t worry if your 2012 reading list is on the short side (incidentally, HERE‘s a comprehensive catalog of titles 2012 just in case you’d like to pad your list). And don’t worry if you don’t have a book/character/cover/element for each of the categories. We just want you to jump in and participate any way you can!

Please do help us spread the word by grabbing our banner and/or button (both designed by Tracey Neithercott, who is brilliant and crazy-talented!).

We hope you’ll join in on the fun!

NaNo Update #1

November 2, 2012November 2, 201218 Comments

Progress (word count or a general status update): 2,823

Current Mood: Enthusiastic

Inspiration: And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it. ~ Roald Dahl (Love!)

Goals as of Today: Continue stockpiling words for the weekend so I can have some fun with my family.

Recent Favorite NaNo WiP Line: While observing young soldiers: Another had forgone the ever popular buzz cut in favor of a Bic-clean shave. In Bree’s opinion, that was an unwise choice.

Non-NaNo News (because life DOES go on): I’ve pulled a muscle. This does not bode well for my morning runs, which does not bode well for my NaNo musings. Here’s hoping said-muscle starts cooperating, and quick.

In my downtime (ha!) I’m reading: Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler — really cute so far!

You should read this blog post: It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year By: Lindsay Roth Culli Because: She shares lots of fantastic arguments for giving NaNoWriMo a shot. Namely, gaining experience, the sense of community, and having fun. Plus, she quotes Anne Lamott!

You should also read this blog post: Denver and the Mind Reader By: Maggie Stiefvater Because: Simply, she’s awesome, and this story kind of gave me chills. And she mentions The Pig!

Gratuitous Photograph (because you know I love ’em!):

♥ Minnie and Merida ♥

So, how’s NaNo going for you? (And if you’re not NaNo-ing, how’s your November shaping up?

Come November…

October 24, 2012October 24, 201233 Comments

Being cute at the pumpkin patch. 🙂

Thanks to NaNoWriMo, I doubt I’ll have much time or creative energy for blogging in November. That said, I hate to neglect my blog for a whole thirty days, and I think dropping off the face of the planet to draft kind of defeats the community spirit of NaNo. So… I’m planning to blog, but I’ve decided to simplify things. Along with an occasional Bookanistas recommendation and the sporadic sampling of Instagram photos I force on you all every so often, I’ve devised a little cheat sheet so I can continue to blog, but without devoting too much time to the practice.

Every few days (or maybe once a week, whatever seems to be working best) I’ll post this form, filled out all pretty:

Progress (word count or a general status update):
Current Mood:
Inspiration (a writing-related quote):
Goals as of Today:
Recent Favorite NaNo-WiP Line:
Non-NaNo News (because life DOES go on):
In My Downtime (ha!) I'm Reading:
You should read this blog post: By: Because:
Gratuitous Photograph (because I love 'em!):

And I encourage you to use it too! Feel free to copy the form exactly, or change it to fit your needs best.

Happy blogging, and happy NaNo-ing!

It’s almost that time again…

October 22, 2012October 22, 201218 Comments

Last year Jessica Love, Tracey Neithercott, Alison Miller, and I hosted The Class of 2011: YA Superlatives Blogfest, a fun and interactive way to highlight our favorite YA novels, covers, characters, and story elements. We had a fantastic group of bloggers who signed on to participate, and we had a blast hopping from blog to blog to find out how you awarded your 2011 superlatives.

Jess, Tracey, Alison, and I had such a great time promoting awesome 2011 books and getting to know new bloggers through the blogfest, we’ve decided to do it all over again! This year we’ll highlight 2012 books, we’ll introduce a few new superlative categories, and we’re planning a giveaway as just one more reason to join in on the fun.

There will be lots more information about specifics of the The Class of 2012: YA Superlatives Blogfest in the coming weeks (I can tell you that it’ll take place toward the end of December), but we wanted to give you a heads up now, so you have plenty of time to beef up your books-published-in-2012 reading list (there’s a comprehensive catalog of titles HERE). And we encourage you to revisit our 2011 posts (Jessica’s, Tracey’s, Alison’s, and mine) to refresh your memory on the superlative categories we included last year.

Just like 2011, the The Class of 2012: YA Superlatives Blogfest will be all about FUN and promoting fantastic novels! Don’t worry if your 2012 reading list is on the short side, or if you don’t have a book/character/cover/element for each category; we just want you to jump in and participate any way you can!

Tell Me: Do you plan to sign up for The Class of 2012: YA Superlatives Blogfest?

Five on Friday

October 19, 2012October 19, 201235 Comments

Aah, Friday… How I ♥ you!

1. I’ve been doing lots of fall-inspired baking lately. Last week I whipped up the best apple cobbler EVER using Fiji apples my girlie and I picked at a local orchard. And yesterday I made pumpkin fudge, my first attempt at legit candy using a candy thermometer. I think Jillian would be proud!

2. I’m officially signed up for NaNo (my profile is HERE — let’s be writing buddies :)), and my story idea (read: PLOT — characters are easy!) is starting to take shape. Thank you, long morning runs! Next week I’m going to attend a meet-and-greet with locals who are also NaNo-ing. I’m very excited to meet some California-based writers, and to dive in to my new project. Yay for National Novel Writing Month!

3. We’ve been having a stretch of gorgeous weather here in Central California, and I am in heaven. I love sun and warmth and tan lines and afternoons at the beach. Last Sunday my family and I had one of those perfect Indian Summer days, one we spent kayaking and fishing and picnicking at a nearby lake. We capped it off with terrible-for-you pizza at a dive just off the highway. It was fantastic.

4. How to Plot a Novel in 27 Easy Steps… These videos by “Plot Whisperer” Martha Alderson are amazing. If you haven’t watched them, you should. Like, right now. Most are somewhere between five and ten minutes, and they’re like attending a free workshop on painless plotting right from the comfort of your couch. I took frantic notes and pondered my NaNo WiP while watching, and I learned SO MUCH. Thank you, Ghenet Merthil, for introducing me to the Plot Whisperer! (I’ve included the first video below, and the rest are on YouTube.)

5. Big things are happening here at the blog this Monday (as well as at the blogs of a few of my friends!). Be on the look-out for a post chock-full of information on something reading-related and awesome. (Don’t you love when people post enigmatic hints about wonderful things, then make you wait for the details? ;))

What are you up to this weekend, friends?

To NaNo, or Not to NaNo…

October 16, 2012October 16, 201238 Comments

I *think* I might participate in NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month.

For the uninitiated, NaNo-ers spend the month of November writing an original novel. You “win” by writing at least 50,000 words by November 30th, which averages out to be less than 2,000 words a day — totally doable. I’ve gone back and forth about participating, but I figure, what’s the worst that can happen? Even if I don’t win, at least I’ll end up with some new words. And if I do win, I’ve got a pretty sizable chunk of a crappy first draft to complete and revise and polish into something not so crappy. Why not, right?

So, I’ve been reading up on NaNo, and I’ve found some pretty fantastic tips about how to “win” without losing your mind. I thought I might share them here because even if you’re not NaNo-ing, there’s still plenty of quality information on writing in general in the links below.

Happy perusing!

Nine Reasons to Consider Joining the NaNo Silliness – Anne R. Allen

Tips for NaNo First-Timers – YA Yeah Yeah

Getting Ready for NaNoWriMo – Storyist

NaNoWriMo Tips from Veterans – FictionWriting.About.com

The Carpool Lane: Inspiration for NaNoWriMo – YA Highway

How to get Quantity *and* Quality Out of NaNo – Taryn Albright

25 Things You Should Know About NaNoWriMo – Terrible Minds

**ETA: My official NaNo name is katyupperman. You should totally add me as a writing buddy!

Tell me: Have you even participated in National Novel Writing Month? Will you this year? Do you have any tips to share with me, the newbie? 😉

Banned Books Week

September 30, 2012September 23, 201214 Comments

In case you haven’t heard, it’s Banned Books Week!

From BannedBooksWeek.org: Banned Books Week is the national book community’s annual celebration of the freedom to read. Hundreds of libraries and bookstores around the country draw attention to the problem of censorship by mounting displays of challenged books and hosting a variety of events. Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries. More than 11,300 books have been challenged since 1982. According to the American Library Association, there were 326 challenges reported to the Office of Intellectual Freedom in 2011, and many more go unreported.

As a writer of young adult fiction that might be considered “edgy” or for an “older teen audience,” book censorship is an issue that hits close to home.

Books are most often challenged by people and groups who, at their core, have the best of intentions: To protect children from explicit and/or difficult material. Still, censorship in any form is wrong. Parents have every right and responsibility to keep their children from material they deem inappropriate; librarians, teachers, religious organizations, and politicians should not.

Still, year after year, people and groups continue to challenge books, most often for the following reasons*:

1. The material is considered to be “sexually explicit.”

2. The material contains “offensive language.”

3. The material is “unsuited to any age group.”

It’s all very vague and subjective, isn’t it?

2011′s list of Most Challenged Books*:

ttyl; ttfn; l8r, g8r (series), by Lauren Myracle
Reasons: offensive language; religious viewpoint; sexually explicit; unsuited to age group
The Color of Earth (series), by Kim Dong Hwa
Reasons: nudity; sex education; sexually explicit; unsuited to age group
The Hunger Games trilogy, by Suzanne Collins
Reasons: anti-ethnic; anti-family; insensitivity; offensive language; occult/satanic; violence
My Mom’s Having A Baby! A Kid’s Month-by-Month Guide to Pregnancy, by Dori Hillestad Butler
Reasons: nudity; sex education; sexually explicit; unsuited to age group
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
Reasons: offensive language; racism; religious viewpoint; sexually explicit; unsuited to age group
Alice (series), by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Reasons: nudity; offensive language; religious viewpoint
Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
Reasons: insensitivity; nudity; racism; religious viewpoint; sexually explicit
What My Mother Doesn’t Know, by Sonya Sones
Reasons: nudity; offensive language; sexually explicit
Gossip Girl (series), by Cecily Von Ziegesar
Reasons: drugs; offensive language; sexually explicit
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
Reasons: offensive language; racism

And, a few Classics that have been challenged at one time or another*: The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck, The Color Purple, by Alice Walker, Ulysses, by James Joyce, Beloved, by Toni Morrison, The Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, and 1984, by George Orwell.

So… How can we stand up to book challengers?

1. By defending our right to intellectual freedom—the freedom to access information and express ideas, even if the information and ideas might be considered unorthodox or unpopular. We can talk about the danger of restraining the availability of information in our free society.

2. We can voice the importance of the First Amendment and (especially) the power of literature.

3. We can support librarians, teachers, booksellers, and members of the community to who fight to keep “inappropriate” books in library and school collections.

4. We can continue to buy, borrow, loan, read, and recommend banned and challenged books. (Read Twenty Boy Summer and Speak and To Kill a Mockingbird and The Hunger Games and The Grapes of Wrath and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian!)

Tell me: What’s your favorite banned book? And, how will you celebrate Banned Books Week?

*Statistics and lists borrowed from the American Library Association’s Banned and Challenged Books page. Please do visit the ALA’s site for more information.

Five on Friday

August 10, 2012August 9, 201228 Comments

1. WriteOnCon begins August 14th! Never heard of WriteOnCon? Well, you’re missing out! From the website: …designed to give attendees many of the features of a live writer’s conference, but in an online environment. Thanks to technologies like blogging, vlogging, livestreaming, and chats, WriteOnCon connects writers with both industry professionals and fellow peers from the convenience of their own homes. Critique forums allow writers to receive feedback and exposure for their work, and the entire program is designed to be both informative and entertaining.

Guys. There are tons of authors, writers, and agents involved with WriteOnCon. It’s a fantastic opportunity to meet like-minded people, get your work critiqued, and learn from some of the best. Oh, and WriteOnCon is FREE! Click on the image below for more information…

2. I have the world’s best CPs. Not only have they provided me with amazing feedback on my WiP this summer (thank you, Taryn, Temre, Christa, and Alison!), but their writing… Holy hell these girls are amazingly talented! Over the last few weeks, I’ve had the privilege of reading work by Alison (upper-YA contemporary with a wicked twist of magic and a male narrator who has all kinds of issues and still manages to rock) and Temre (middle grade contemporary with the most charming magical thread and an absolutely adorable protagonist who I can’t wait to share with my daughter in the future). While the stories of these two writers couldn’t be more different (seriously–they’re worlds apart), they’re both utterly engaging, unputdownable, with voices that are unique and enviable. And, if reading Alison’s and Temre’s incredible manuscripts isn’t enough, I get to read Christa‘s next week. Lucky me!

3. YA Book Club, brain child of brilliant Tracey Neithercott, has an official August selection: This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers. I’ve read this book, therefor I can say with supreme certainty that it’s amazing. We’ll be discussing This is Not a Test via our blogs and blog comments on Monday, August 27th, so you’ve plenty of time to hunt it down (like you’d hunt down a zombie), read it, ponder it, and write about it. I can’t wait to blog hop and check out everyone’s thoughts on this astonishing book. For more info, click on the image below…

4. I have agent-suggested revision notes! You might recall that, with great trepidation, I sent my WiP off to Agent Vickie a few weeks ago. Then I waited nervously and ate a lot of chocolate and tried not to bug her while she read the manuscript I’ve been working on for more than two years. Well, Agent Vickie has now read it and she’s on board with it (yay!), and she recently sent me an email full of shrewd feedback and invaluable suggestions for improving the story. Mostly, this revision will consist of digging deeper, strengthening character motivations, and fleshing out backgrounds. This is the phase of writing I enjoy most (drafting = yikes!), and I’m currently letting all that feedback simmer in the depths of my mind so I can start brainstorming and dive headfirst into the work next week. Can’t wait!

5. Kindergarten. My girlie started school on Wednesday. First of all, how am I old enough to have a school-aged child? And second, how am I going to fill my days now? I’ve been a stay-at-home mama since the day my daughter was born. Now I’m just a stay-at-home… person? I mean really. One can only do so much grocery shopping and cleaning. Luckily, I have plenty of CP reading and regular reading and revising (see above) to keep me busy. And thankfully, my girlie is doing fantastically at school. So, I guess I should just be grateful for all the extra writing time and stop watching the clock, counting the minutes till pick-up. Right? RIGHT?!

Pretty girl all ready to go!

A little nervous and a little sad once reality set in. Luckily, she pulled it together and let me leave with minimal fuss. (Thanks to my dear friend Meghan for acting as paparazzi and snapping this photo through the classroom window… I love it! ♥)

A successful first day! (Again, my sweet friend Meghan… She brought my girlie flowers at pick-up time!)

Tell me: What do you have going on this weekend? Reading? Writing? Fun in the sun? (We’re cooking out with neighbors and going to a professional soccer game… Fun!)