What’s Up Wednesday

April 16, 2014April 16, 201434 Comments

“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…And now, here’s what’s up with me this week…

What I’m Reading: I finished Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson and I thought it was incredible. A must-read if (like me) you’ve been slow to jump on the bandwagon. Incidentally, Speak has been out for fifteen years now. The fact that it’s remained relevant through a decade-and-a-half of changing YA trends says more about its quality than I ever could. I also read Tess Sharpe’s debut Far From You, which is unflinching and heart-shattering and beautifully written. Loved it. Yesterday I started Emery Lord’s debut, Open Road Summer, which several of my book besties have promised I’ll adore. So far, so good!

What I’m Writing: Nothing. But I did hear back from my agent regarding my most recent manuscript and… She’s on board! She got the characters and the conflict and the conclusion and reading her email was just about the greatest feeling ever. Huge, hUgE, HUGE sigh of relief. Now I can start something new without the weight of anxiety I’ve been shouldering over the last few weeks. In beta reading news (ready to be super envious?) I got to read Meredith McCardle‘s latest manuscript, which is freaking fantastic. I had the privilege of reading her upcoming debut, The Eighth Guardian, last year and it totally blew me away. It comes out in less than a month (yay!) and I can’t wait for you all to read it!

What Else I’ve Been Up To: I’ve tried really hard to get into The Secret Life of the American Teenager because I love Shailene Woodley in The Descendants and The Spectacular Now. But Secret Life… NO. Not for me, guys. Not at all. I found the message much too heavy-handed, and the dialogue is absolutely cringeworthy. Looks like I’m going back to Gossip Girl. Darn. 😉

I’ve achieved another Thirty Before 35 goal! We took our first trip to the beach on Saturday, and it was beautiful. My daughter played with her buddies and I lounged and chatted with a few girl friends. We had a (sandy) picnic lunch, which is one of those things I’ve been wanting to do for a long time. Check!

And, much to my daughter’s embarrassment, I pulled the truck over while passing the above field of flowers the other day so I could take her picture. Just couldn’t resist all that pink against her little hippie sundress. ❤

What’s Inspiring Me Now: Rock the Drop, one of my favorite bookish events of the year, is tomorrow! It’s a celebration of Support Teen Literature Day during which book lovers can drop novels with “Rock the Drop” bookplates in public places for teenagers to find and read and hopefully fall in love with. I’ve rocked the drop for the last two years (2013 and 2012), and I’ll definitely be participating tomorrow. Look for photos on my Instagram feed, and here on my blog coming soon. Visit ReaderGirlz for all the details.

Tell me… What’s up with you today?

What’s Up Wednesday

April 9, 2014April 8, 201444 Comments

What I’m Reading: I finished The Symptoms of My Insanity by Mindy Raf and I really enjoyed it. It’s different from the contemporary YA I usually read (it’s not romance-heavy), but the humor is so spot-on, I didn’t even miss the swoon. Also, I found myself relating to main character Izzy’s worries and anxieties more than I’d like to admit. Not her issues with wanting to be sick, but to her almost overwhelming insecurities and strong desire to please everyone around her. Now, I’m reading Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, one of my Thirty Before 35 goals. I can already see why it and its author are considered YA royalty.

What I’m Writing: Nothing, at the moment, but I am doing lots of beta reading. Over the last two weeks, I’ve read a really lovely contemporary YA manuscript by Kate Scott (I love how she portrays characters with learning/social differences) and a super intense (and gorgeously written) futuristic YA crime thriller for Tracey Neithercott. Lucky, lucky me!

What Else I’ve Been Up To: I watched the movie adaptation of the YA novel How I Live Now (it’s streaming instantly on Netflix, if you’re interested) and I’ve gotta say… I thought it was pretty amazing. I listened to the How I Live Now audiobook a few months ago, and I was torn about it. There were aspects of the story that I found so moving, and aspects that made me rather uncomfortable. Having now watched the film, I think I like the book more. Seeing what Daisy and her cousins went through… It was traumatizing, yet I couldn’t look away. And Saoirse Ronan is spectacular as Daisy.

In other news, I joined my daughter and her first grade class on a field trip to the zoo. It was really fun! I got to supervise my girl and two of her friends while they visited with all of the animals. Considering this is a small-town zoo, there was a lot to see: giraffes, tortoises, gorillas, and hippos, to name a few.

We also went strawberry picking at a local u-pick farm, and then made Strawberry Shortcake and homemade jam with the fresh berries. So yummy!

What’s Inspiring Me Now: A Pub(lishing) Crawl post by Janice Hardy called How to Turn That Shiny New Idea Into a Novel, full of questions for preliminary story planning. I’ll definitely be revisiting this one over the next few weeks. And, a post from Kate Brauning at Pub Hub called Editor’s Eyes: 3 Golden Rules for Revising, which applies to the drafting stage as well. And, What A Difference A Year Makes from my friend Jessica Love, who says: Life is weird, you guys. Things can and will happen that you never, ever expect for yourself. Try not to let the bummer times get you down, and leave yourself open to new opportunities, because you never, ever know what they can turn into. Do check out the rest of her super inspiring post. Finally, my friend Elodie Nowodazkij revealed the cover of her June, 2014 debut One, Two, Three and it’s beautiful. She’s hosting a giveaway, too, so do stop by to congratulate her.

Tell me… What’s up with you today?

What’s Up Wednesday

March 12, 2014March 24, 201452 Comments

What I’m Reading: I finished Stephanie Kuehn’s Complicit (out in June) and holy hell, was it good. If you’re a fan of Stephanie’s debut, Charm & Strange, I think you’ll be all over her sophomore novel. And if you haven’t read Charm & Strange yet, you should remedy that right away. Now, I’m reading Nil by Lynne Matson, who is lovely. The story is set in the most fascinating island world, and it’s edge-of-my-seat exciting so far.

What I’m Writing: I’m revising according to (brilliant) CP notes. You know how when you’re writing, sometimes you know something’s not clicking but you’re not sure how to fix it, so you press on with the hope of making it right later? Well, CP Alison picked up on those areas of my manuscript that weren’t working and gave me some awesome suggestions for fixing them. So, that’s what I’m doing now. Inserting a few new scenes, filling holes, and taking advantage some missed opportunities, all while catching some rays. Love this part!

What Else I’ve Been Up To: Getting ready to go to Disney World with my girl! We’re meeting some great friends there for a few days of fun and we cannot wait. I am such a sucker for all things Disney, and it’s been way too long since we last visited a park. Like, more than a year. Way overdue. 😉

I’ve been pretty good about eating healthfully lately (I haven’t had a beer in a month!), but on Friday I caved and baked cookies. Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, to be specific. I followed this recipe, but I didn’t have Reese’s Pieces, so I used Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips instead. They turned out SO WELL. This combination of ingredients creates cookies of the perfect peanut-buttery consistency. Recommend!

My girlie celebrated Dr. Seuss’ birthday at school all last week. I made her green eggs for breakfast one day, and she also participated in a Read-A-Thon, which I totally crashed and photographed because I’m *that* mom.

What’s Inspiring Me Now: I officially crossed the first item off my Thirty Before 35 bucket list: I finished watching the Friday Night Lights TV series. In the words of the incomparable Tami Taylor: Good lord, y’all! This show ranks right up there with Breaking Bad and Six Feet Under as an all-time favorite — it is so freaking good! I mean, it’s definitely about football (which is awesome), but there’s so much more to it. For starters, there’s Tim Riggins who’s all broken and brooding and conflicted and, um, hot…

And then there are these deep relationships between people who, for the most part, have very little in common aside from football (Vince & Luke, Tyra & Landry, Eric & Buddy, Matt & Smash, Matt & Tim, Matt and his grandma ❤)…

And then there are the romances (Julie and Matt are super sweet, and I love Vince and Jess too, but I will always ship Tim and Lyla)…

And then there’s Tami Taylor, who makes me want to be a better wife, mother, and person, and who’s totally making y’all happen. Plus, she has the most impeccable football-wife style…

Aren’t you sad you won’t get to hear me rave about this show week after week anymore? What should I watch next? I’m thinking maybe Gossip Girl?

Tell me… What’s up with you today?

What’s Up Wednesday

March 5, 2014March 5, 201446 Comments

What I’m Reading: I finished Sarah Ockler’s The Book of Broken Hearts and, dare I say, it might be tied with Twenty Boy Summer as my favorite of her novels. I enjoyed JuJu’s voice (so spirited and perfectly teen), I adored Emilio (especially the sweet way he treated JuJu and her father), I loved the family dynamics (Holy Trinity FTW. Also, Pancake!), and there were several Friday Night Lights references. Pretty much an ideal Katy Book. Now, I’m reading Stephanie Kuehn’s Complicit (out in June), which is totally blowing my mind with it’s twisty awesomeness. If you’re a fan of Stephanie’s debut, Charm & Strange, I think you’ll be all over her sophomore novel. So incredible, guys!

What I’m Writing: Nothing! I finished my revision on Sunday, and now I’m taking a bit of a writing break. It’s kind of nice to wake up in the morning and know that I don’t have a big fat goal hanging over my head. That said, I’m already missing my characters, so I’m sure I’ll end up tinkering soon. Since I’m not writing right now, I’m using my time to read for my CP Alison Miller, who’s written this really amazing story called Those Magic Changes. It’s a clever spin on Freaky Friday that includes musical theater and baseball and Star Wars references, plus Alison’s incredibly funny voice. Let’s just say… I’m a lucky CP.

What Else I’ve Been Up To: Still watching Friday Night Lights. I’m over halfway through Season 4, and while I had my doubts (lots of changes between Seasons 3 and 4), I’m loving it. Episodes 5 and 6 (The Son and Stay) particularly got me (Tim and Lyla… *sigh*). Also, I’m totally digging farmboy Luke and his dynamic with Becky and inner-city Vince. Such a fantastically complex show.

My girlie and I drove to Tallahassee on Saturday, where we met my brother (who lives in Jacksonville). We visited The Museum of Florida State History, had a tasty lunch al fresco, and walked around the city. We accidentally wandered onto FSU’s Greek Row, which my brother very accurately described as smelling of Axe Body Spray and cheap beer. It was nothing like my days on WSU’s Greek Row. 😉

What’s Inspiring Me Now: Author Claire Legrand‘s article entitled The Importance of the Unlikeable Heroine, which very eloquently states everything I feel about “unlikeable” female characters, inculding why they fascinate me. A must read. Also, my friend Christa Desir‘s post about Consent and Sensitivity: “Good Sex” in YA Literature, which comes with a lot of thoughtful commentary and some really fabulous book recommendations.

Tell me… What’s up with you today?

What’s Up Wednesday

February 19, 2014February 18, 201440 Comments

What I’m Reading: I finished Veronica Rossi’s Into the Still Blue, the final book in her Under the Never Sky series and, as expected, I loved it. Such a fantastic conclusion to a trilogy I’ve followed since its debut. I also read Jessi Kirby’s In Honor, which is now my favorite of her three contemporary YA novels. So, so good! The ending, especially… I just adored it. Now I’ve started White Cat by Holly Black. I’m not much of an urban fantasy girl (I guess that’s what this one is?) so I’m way out of my reading comfort zone, but I’ve heard great things about the world-building and such. Who’s read it? Thoughts?

What I’m Writing: I spent a few days poring over a manuscript I’ve ignored for many months. As I opened the document to revisit it, I was sort of terrified that I’d suddenly hate it, but nope! Still love these characters and their story. I’m looking forward to working on it more once I’m done with this revision of my current WiP, which is what I spent the majority of my time focusing on over the last week. Let’s face the facts, shall we? This draft’s ending needs work. Major work. But, I’m still rather smitten, so I’m more than happy to put in the time. Hopefully it’ll all pay off one of these days. 🙂

What Else I’ve Been Up To: Mostly just reading, writing, and hanging with my girlie. We went on a shopping spree in Destin the other day, which turned out to be a really fun Girls’ Day Out. We hit up two malls, Target, Ulta, and Panera, and updated my cutie pie’s summer wardrobe. She insisted on choosing all of her new clothes without my input because she’s “a big girl now.” *sniffle*

Luckily she has a pretty good fashion sense. 🙂

Gulf of Mexico in the morning. I’ve gotta say… As much as I miss living next to the Pacific Ocean, this isn’t half bad.

What’s Inspiring Me Now: I know I’ve been raving about Friday Night Lights a lot lately, but other than parenting, writing, and reading, it’s what I do. The writing and characterizations and relationships going on in that show absolutely inspire me. I only hope to create something so riveting!

Also, these two. I’ve been battling some wicked insomnia lately, and I wish I could sleep as restfully (and as often) as they do.

Tell me… What’s up with you today?

What’s Up Wednesday

December 11, 2013December 10, 201334 Comments

What I’m Reading: I finished Carol Rifka Brunt’s Tell the Wolves I’m Home and I thought it was a beautiful story. That said, it’s not a book that would have normally attracted me, so I’m incredibly thankful for Corey Ann Haydu’s recommendation. I loved this novel! Now I’m (slowly) reading Lauren DeStefano’s Perfect Ruin. So far, I’m super impressed with the worldbuilding, and I’m very much looking forward to seeing how the story plays out.

What I’m Writing: I’ve slacked on my revision over the last week, and I’m so bummed about it. I’ve just been so busy with the holidays and my husband’s upcoming grad school graduation and our impending move. I haven’t had time to sit down and focus on what my manuscript needs. Boo. I keep picturing myself all comfy on the couch in our new Florida home with my story document opened in front of me… Can. Not. Wait. In other news, I finished my blog posts for the Class of 2013: YA Superlatives Blogfest, which begins this Monday! Looking forward to sharing my favorite 2013 books with you, and to reading about the books you’ve fallen for this year!

What Else I’ve Been Up To: Blah. Need you ask? Organizing, purging, packing. The moving truck comes Friday. We’re loading all weekend. We sign out of our house next Wednesday. I can’t wait to be done with this nonsense.

Some girlfriends and I hosted a graduation party for our husbands this weekend. Of course I put myself in charge of desserts. I took a break from packing and instead spent two full mornings baking. I was so happy!

I got the cutest winter mug for #SipSwap a few mornings ago. As soon as I unwrapped it, I fixed myself some tea and ate some M&Ms. Because I am a grown up. Thanks so much to Simon Clark for sending such an adorable mug!

My girl is *almost* as graceful as I am. Last week at school she hurt her face on the jungle gym (I still don’t completely understand how), but she’s healing quickly. When I told her to not to pick at the scab on her forehead because it would leave a scar, she got all excited and said, “Really? Like Harry Potter?!” And then I was the proudest mom ever.

What’s Inspiring Me Now: I watched The Descendants over the weekend, and I absolutely loved it. I’d heard it was good from several people and I’ve been intrigued by the trailer since I saw it ages ago (plus there’s the whole Oscars thing), but it’s one of those movies that somehow slipped by me. It’s finally on HBO (yay!) and I couldn’t pass it up. Oh, it was so, so good. Flawed but incredibly likable characters. Poignant, but with moments of perfect humor (Sid! The best!). A gorgeous setting (Hawaii!). And Shailene Woodley — what a talent. She’s going to rock Divergent and The Fault in Our Stars. If you’ve yet to see this one, I highly recommend it. Amazing and inspiring storytelling. Here’s the trailer…

Tell me… What’s up with you today?

What’s Up Wednesday

December 4, 2013December 4, 201346 Comments

What I’m Reading: I’m still working on Tell the Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt, which is truly beautiful literary fiction. Here’s the summary from Goodreads: 1987. There’s only one person who has ever truly understood fourteen-year-old June Elbus, and that’s her uncle, the renowned painter Finn Weiss. Shy at school and distant from her older sister, June can only be herself in Finn’s company; he is her godfather, confidant, and best friend. So when he dies, far too young, of a mysterious illness her mother can barely speak about, June’s world is turned upside down. But Finn’s death brings a surprise acquaintance into June’s life—someone who will help her to heal, and to question what she thinks she knows about Finn, her family, and even her own heart. At Finn’s funeral, June notices a strange man lingering just beyond the crowd. A few days later, she receives a package in the mail. Inside is a beautiful teapot she recognizes from Finn’s apartment, and a note from Toby, the stranger, asking to meet. As the two begin to spend time together, June realizes she’s not the only one who misses Finn, and if she can bring herself to trust this unexpected friend, he might be the one she needs the most.

What I’m Writing: I’m still plugging away at my revision. It’s slow and tedious, and I’m constantly jumping between being desperately in love with this story, and thinking it’s the most ridiculous bit of fiction ever. #WriterAngst During my revision breaks, I’ve been writing blog posts for the Class of 2013: YA Superlatives Blogfest. I can’t wait to share my favorite 2013 books with you, and read all about the books you’ve fallen in love with this year!

What Else I’ve Been Up To: Packing, packing packing. It’s so dull and physically exhausting. I won’t bore you with the details, but yeah… Stuffing boxes with our worldly possessions is eating up my time and making me a little grouchy.

In more cheerful news, last Thursday we celebrated Thanksgiving with a lovely afternoon filled with friends, laughter, and too much food. My favorite culinary venture was a Slab Apple Pie I made, which looked delightful and was very tasty. I used this recipe for the crust, and this recipe for the filling. Recommend!

Also, we saw Frozen! I’m a die-hard Disney fan, but to be perfectly honest, I wasn’t super pumped about this movie, initially. The trailer didn’t do much for me and Olaf, the little snowman, seemed cheesy. But after watching, my opinion changed completely… I loved Frozen! It was absolutely adorable. Heartwarming and beautifully animated, and Olaf turned out to be my favorite character of all.

Finally, we went ice skating. Every year a little ice rink goes up right next to the Monterey Bay and on Sunday we decided to take advantage. I’m a horrible skater (balance is not one of my gifts), but my husband is very good and he managed to teach our girl a thing or two. I love California; it’s fun to skate in t-shirts. 🙂

What’s Inspiring Me Now: The quote below, which makes me think of my husband and my daughter and my parents and my friends, not to mention my immensely talented and supportive CPs and beta readers. ♥

Tell me… What’s up with you today?

What’s Up Wednesday

November 27, 2013November 26, 201332 Comments

What I’m Reading: I finished Sarah Guillory’s Reclaimed. Just when I thought I had it all figured out… Mind = Blown. I had to give up on my Fire audiobook, but only because I’m not in my car enough to get anywhere with the story. Luckily, I own a physical copy of the book, and I finished reading it yesterday. Fantasy is not usually my genre of choice, but I adore Kristin Cashore’s characters and writing and worldbuilding, and Fire is just so unbelievably, indescribably good. If you haven’t read the books of the Graceling Realm, you must. Now, I’ve started Tell the Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt (an adult/YA crossover). So far, I’m mesmerized by the beautiful writing. I think this one’s going to be lovely.

What I’m Writing: Oh, you know… Still working on my revision. It’s a slow and tedious process, but I *think* it’s coming along. Only time (and feedback) will tell, I suppose. My savvy agent Victoria Marini tweeted this yesterday: Drafts: 1. get all the bulls**t out of your head. 2. figure out what you meant to say. 3. figure out how to say it. 4. properly. A great reminder that early drafts aren’t supposed to be perfect. Reassuring, because mine definitely are not.

Notes I leave myself while revising: I don’t like you, Scene. You are cheesy and you do not feel effortless. I finally had to let this one go and move on. Here’s hoping my CPs can help me fix it eventually.

What Else I’ve Been Up To: I’ve packed some things. Not many, but there are a few full boxes in my house. Baby steps. Also, we’re hosting Thanksgiving this year. My husband and I are making the turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, and some pies (obviously). Some of our favorite neighbors are coming over with plenty of their own culinary contributions (more pie!). We’re not near family this year, so we’re extra appreciative of our awesome friends.

I’ve been on a bit of a baking hiatus, but this weekend my girlie and I were craving a warm and sweet breakfast, so we made Homemade Cinnamon Rolls. While they do include yeast and require some rising, they’re relatively quick and they tasted incredibly yummy. Recommend.

I saw Catching Fire on Friday. Guys, I loved this movie! I thought it was better than The Hunger Games, and very true to the book. J-Law rocked, the pacing was awesome, and I was truly moved by several scenes. I want to see it again!

I’ve also been gearing up for the Class of 2013: YA Superlatives Blogfest, which begins December 16th and continues through December 19th. I’m co-hosting with Jessica Love, Tracey Neithercott, and Alison Miller for the 3rd consecutive year, and I can’t wait for the fun to begin. Four days, more than forty categories, and tons of fantastic book recommendations! Click on the button above for all the details. We’re hoping you’ll join us and help spread the word!

What’s Inspiring Me Now: A post by Mónica Bustamante Wagner called 4 Writing Tips to Show and Not Tell. It’s packed with timely reminders, particularly for those of us stuck in the throes of revisions. Also, some fabulous thoughts from YA Highway‘s Emilia Plater in a post titled In Defense of Solipsistic Teenage Girl.

I always feel inspired by my girl, but I’m especially thankful for her around the holidays. I found out I was pregnant with her on Thanksgiving seven years ago, so this particular holiday is an extra special time for my husband and me. Sadly, some of our closest friends are in the midst of an incredibly tragic loss, and I am beyond devastated for them. Their experience makes my heart hurt so badly, and it makes me want to scoop my daughter up and hold her close always and forever. Give your loved ones hugs and kisses every chance you get. ♡

Happy Thanksgiving to all who will celebrate tomorrow.
Tell me… What’s up with you today?

What’s Up Wednesday (And Superlatives!)

October 2, 2013October 1, 201346 Comments

Before I get to my What’s Up Wednesday post, I’d like to take a moment to feature one of my favorite annual blogging events — one that’s coming up soon!

For the last two years, Jessica Love, Tracey Neithercott, Alison Miller, and I have hosted The YA Superlatives Blogfest, an interactive way to highlight our favorite YA novels, covers, characters, and story elements of the year. (My previous Superlative posts are HERE and HERE.) We’ve had a fantastic group of bloggers sign on to participate in the past, and it’s so much fun to hop from blog to blog to find out how our friends awarded their superlatives.

Jess, Tracey, Alison, and I have had such a great time talking about awesome books and getting to know new bloggers through this blogfest, we’ve decided to do it again! There will be lots more information about the specifics of the The Class of 2013: YA Superlatives Blogfest in the coming weeks (I can tell you that it will take place during the third week 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-2013 reading list (there’s a comprehensive catalog of titles HERE).

Just like 2011 and 2012, the The Class of 2013: YA Superlatives Blogfest will be all about FUN and promoting fantastic novels! Don’t worry if your 2013 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! Happy reading!

“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 Bennett Madison’s September Girls, and now I understand why this is such a polarizing novel. It’s graphic and it’s haunting and it’s obviously not for everyone, but I loved it. It’s a surreal, trippy sort of story, beautifully written, and with a setting that felt both dreamlike and entirely real. Plus, main character Sam’s voice… Wow. Now, I’m reading April Genevieve Tucholke’s debut, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, a novel with one of the best settings I’ve seen in a while. I would love to visit Echo and the Citizen!

What I’m Writing: My WiP! You know how when you take an extended break from a project, it’s really had to pick it back up again? Well, my WiP and I have had a bit of a hiatus over the last few weeks, and I was dreading that moment when I’d have no more excuses and would have to sit down and attempt to recover the groove I once had. Last week I finally bit the bullet and dove back into the story and guess what? My groove has been recovered safe and sound! I’ve written about 6,000 words over the last seven days, and I’m thinking I have about 10K left to go.

My story is told in a rather untraditional format. Most of it takes place over the course of a year, but there are scenes from one transcendental present-tense night sprinkled throughout, a now-and-then structure, if you will. I am *almost* done with the “then” scenes (which make up about 85% of the story) and I can’t wait to get started on the “now” scenes. Progress!

What Else I’ve Been Up To: Mostly, I’ve been reading and writing and hanging out in the kitchen. This week I made Lentil Soup, a family favorite, plus Snickerdoodles and a Hootenanny (a really easy melding of a pancake and French toast that bakes in the oven). I also indulged in another fall dessert…

Apple Crumb Cake, which I thought was tasty and my daughter loved. She even ate it for breakfast (there’s fruit in it — why not?). My always-honest husband, on the other hand, declared this “not a favorite” of the treats I bake. He’s a peanut-butter-and-chocolate kind of guy, though, so let’s take his opinion with a grain of salt, shall we?

I’ve also been hanging with this girl, who plays soccer like her mama used to — timidly and lackadaisically. Contact sports have never been my thing (I swam in high school and now I run), and I’m pretty sure they won’t be my daughter’s either. Nevertheless, my husband and I have been working on the fundamentals of soccer with her. We’re trying to teach her how to be aggressive without being a jerk. It’s a pretty fine line when you’re six.

What’s Inspiring Me Now: The incomparable Laini Taylor‘s thoughts on Writing and “Found” Objects and Beachcombing, or why it’s awesome to be a plotter and a pantser all at once, as well as 2014 debut author Sara B. Larson‘s honest and thoughtful post On Overcoming Doubt…

Oddly enough, television has also been inspiring me. I don’t watch TV much, but I’m a faithful fan of a few shows — Breaking Bad being my favorite. Sunday night was the series finale, and I can’t express how anxious and sad I felt in the hours leading up to that last episode. I’ve grown so invested in Walt and Jesse and Skyler and Marie, and I’m continually blown away by the show’s amazing writing and no-holds-barred take on storytelling. There will be no finale spoilers here, but I will say that I was extraordinarily satisfied with the way the series wrapped up. For me, it was perfection. And on the other end of the television spectrum, the Uppermans have started watching The Voice, which is one of those rare shows that’s perfect for family viewing. My daughter loves it for the singing and the young talent, and I love it because it’s positive and clean and stresses the importance of hard work and perseverance. Even my husband, who was skeptical at first, is charmed by the humor of the coaches. I totally recommend The Voice if you’ve been living under a rock (like me) and have yet to catch an episode.

Tell me: What’s up with you today?

What’s Up Wednesday

August 14, 2013August 13, 201346 Comments

{Please make sure to link your What’s Up Wednesday posts to the list on Jaime’s blog each week. That way, other participants can visit your blog and check out what you’ve been up to. In that same spirit, I urge you to visit as many new blogs as you can every Wednesday. The most awesome aspect of What’s Up Wednesday and Ready. Set. Write is that they include a built-in support system. Let’s make sure we’re rooting each other on and offering as much encouragement as we can. Who knows… You might make an awesome new writing buddy, or a find a fantastic beta reader, or hook up with an amazing critique partner!}

And now, here’s what’s up with me this week…

What I’m Reading: Last week I read Where I Belong by Gwendolyn Heasley, a cute (though slightly predictable) contemporary story about a rich city girl who, thanks to the recession and her laid-off daddy), is forced to move in with her grandparents in a small Texas town. She meets people different from herself and has to reprioritize a bit. Shenanigans and profound personal growth ensue.

I also read On the Island by Tracey Garvis Graves, which I checked out from the library because I’ve heard tons of good things about it. What I knew of the concept (Anna, thirty-year-old teacher, and T.J, sixteen-year-old cancer survivor, engage in a romantic relationship on a deserted island) squicked me out at first. But never fear — Anna and T.J. spend a long time on the island (years) and there’s a lot of maturing and growing and bonding that takes place before they ever consider each other anything more than survival buddies. Hard to believe, but their eventual romance (which is legal and tasteful and pretty darn hot) is totally believeable. I was genuinely rooting for Anna and T.J. until the very last pages of their story. On the Island reminded me a bit of The Blue Lagoon, and the writing is excellent — sparse but emotional. Recommend!

What I’m Writing: Oh, my WiP… What a beast. I surpassed last week’s goal of 3,000 words with 5,004 words, for a total of 43,504. So, that’s awesome. But. The other day on the elliptical, I had this crazy epiphany about two of my main characters. I’m thinking one has too much backstory and too many challenges, and all that adversity is making her muddled and hard to relate to. The other character, I think, has it too easy, and that’s making her an obvious “good guy” in a story that shouldn’t have any clear answers as to who’s right and who’s wrong. So… I’ve got some serious revising in my future, but I’m going to hold off for awhile. I want to think through some of the details, so I’m going to push ahead from here, writing as if I’ve already “fixed” these characterization issues, and then I’ll go back and actually fix them later.

But seriously… My story scares me. This week’s goal? Officially, 3,000 words, but I’m really shooting for closer to 4K or 5K. I’m getting eager to get this draft done so I can dive into revising it and making it as close to my vision as possible.

What Else I’ve Been Up To: My kiddo is back in school–yay 1st grade! We’re all adjusting to our new routine, and I’m adjusting to having the house to myself for the better part of the day. Fun, but weird.

Saturday was National Lazy Day (yes, that’s a thing) and I took full advantage by taking a nap, watching a movie, and dragging my family out for dinner. A few months ago, my husband and I agreed to try our best to only eat out only once a week (we were spending so much money at restaurants!), so now when we do go out, it really is a treat. We savored every bite of our Chinese food.

On Sunday, we took a family hike at Garrapata State Park and it was lovely. My girl is a trooper and hoofed it about five miles (lots of uphill!). Plus, she took that totally awesome photo of my husband and me holding our WSU flag. Cougar pride runs deep. 🙂

What’s Inspiring Me Now: Storytelling is getting formulaic. This is an opportunity, a post by Nathan Bransford, in which he advises writers to know “formulas and conventions. Anticipate what your reader will expect will happen. And then pull the rug out.” Dude. I’m trying. Also, a post called 5 Tips to Creating Believable Friendships, which is especially relevant because my WiP revolves around a pair of best friends. And, finally, I’m incredibly inspired by Breaking Bad, which picked back up Sunday night on AMC. I believe it’s one of the best-written shows on television, and Walt’s character arc is amazingly well done. The entire series is a lesson in making things as terrible as possible for characters. I’m super bummed that “all bad things must come to an end.”

So… What’s up with you this week?