In celebration of my finished CROSS MY HEART revision…
Thanks to Sarah Enni for mentioning Tagxedo in this post. I’ve used Wordle before and liked it fine, but after just a few minutes of playing, I became a Tagxedo convert. Quick and simple, this program lets users create artistic word clouds in a variety of fonts, shapes, and colors, then easily save them. Great for editing out crutch words, brainstorming titles, and making pretties. 🙂
Have you used Tagxedo before?
Oy. January was a weird, weird month. I am not at all sad to say farewell. But before I do, let’s chat about two big things I accomplished during the first thirty-one days of 2013:
First, I kicked Jan Plan‘s ass. Thank you, Christa Desir for sharing your motivational idea with me and the rest of the blogosphere. Finish one thing in January, you said, and I did! I received revision notes from my agent at the tail end of December, mulled them over, tackled them, sent my manuscript off for a beta read, and had the new and improved version back in said agent’s hands before the month was out. Win. The best part? My agent was pleased! For now, we’re calling that manuscript DONE.
Second, I ran 161 miles. That’s an average of just over five miles per day over thirty-one days. If I maintain that average all year, I’ll have run nearly 2,000 miles by 2014. I kind of want to do it! But, my poor joints are already achy. I feel like the rusty, creaky Tin Man before he’s oiled. We’ll see… 2,000 miles is definitely a worthy goal to strive for, but I’m not sure if my old bones can hang. Wish me luck?
Happy Friday, and happy February!
What was your biggest January accomplishment?
(I originally got the idea for “Currently…” from Kate Hart, who snagged the idea from Amy Lukavics, who picked it up here.)
Loving
Hot apple cider. Random, but it’s been tasting extra yummy lately…
My new L’Oreal Hair Serum. Finally a product to counteract our hard water…
Trader Joe’s — I always feel so happy in that store…
Babies! On Sunday, one of my favorite friends had an adorable little boy. Yesterday I got to visit him and hold him… So fun!
Reading
I’m a few chapters from the end of Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects. Just like last year’s Gone Girl, Flynn’s debut is FREAKING ME OUT. So many deplorable, pitiable characters. So many visceral, disturbing images. Such astute, evocative language. I cannot put it down.
Watching
HBO’s Girls. Lena Dunham is brilliantly funny. Never before has a show made me enjoy cringing. Also, MTV’s Catfish. I have a mini-crush on Nev, and every single episode is absolutely captivating. (On the subject of TV, I’m ready for Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones to return!)
Thinking About
The end of my revision. I’ve incorporated all the feedback my agent and I discussed and I am loving the results. Just a few chapters left in my final read-through, a quick beta test, and then my manuscript will be on its way back to the inbox of Agent Victoria… Yay!
Anticipating
That quick beta test I mentioned above? I’m swapping manuscripts with one of my favorite blog friends. We both love to read and write upper contemporary YA (with lots of romance!), but oddly enough, we’ve never read each other’s work. That’s serving us well, though, because we’re both needing fresh eyes on our manuscripts. I can’t wait to read hers!
Listening To
Wishing
For warmer weather! I acclimated to the pleasant temperatures of my new California home pretty quickly. Lately, though, it’s been freezing! Okay, that’s probably dramatic. Today it got up to 55, but in the mornings when I get up to run… Brrr! Hurry up, spring!
Making Me Happy
My loves… always.
What’s currently making YOU happy?
1. Have you heard about the Jan Plan? It’s my friend Christa Desir‘s idea, and it’s very simple: Finish a project in January. Any project. At your pace, in your time, for your own benefit. Originally, I’d planned to finish the first draft of my NaNo WiP, but I just got at editorial letter from Super Agent Victoria (yay!) and I’ve decided that the project I’ll complete this month will be a revision of Cross My Heart. Nothing too crazy needs to be changed, but Victoria has given me some awesome ideas for upping the tension and tightening the pacing in the first half of the story. I’m all in. I hope to have Cross My Heart submission-ready before February. And when I do, I’ll tackle my NaNo Wip.
2. I’ve read some amazing books lately. Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor, which I mentioned during the YA Superlatives Blogfest but never officially reviewed (it’s disturbing and gorgeous and heartbreaking – read it!), and Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley, which is captivating and romantic and gritty, not to mention beautifully written (thanks for the recommendation, Tracey!). Currently, I’m reading Seraphina by Rachel Hartman. While dragons aren’t usually my thing, so far I’m enamored by this book’s unique concept and incredible world building.
3. Speaking of books, I’ve got some highly anticipated novels in my very near future. I’ve preordered Shades of Earth by Beth Revis, Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi, and Just One Day by Gayle Forman (one of my literary heroes!). Plus, I’ve recently been told that The Age of Miracles and The Sweeter Side of Amy’s Bread (a pastry cookbook!) are must reads. Thanks for the recommendations Erin and Jess!
4. I signed up for the Debut Author Challenge! I haven’t signed up in previous years, but I always do my best to support new authors. Often debut releases end up being some of my favorites. 2013 is a huge year for debuts, seeing as how some of my friends have their first books coming out: Erin Bowman, Christa Desir, Ann Rought, Amie Kaufman, and Cristin Terrill, to name a few.
5. My husband, girlie, and I went to Phoenix to visit my parents for the New Year. I love the desert…
My girlie fed ostrich, and I let a bird land on my head. Yes.
Sunrise loveliness.
Happy New Year from us. 🙂
Oh, and this happened. Don’t forget to be awesome!
Tell me: What’s new with you? Are you participating in the Jan Plan? What are you reading these days?
Last year I posted a 2011 Year in Review. Not only was it fun to share the highs and lows of my year with you all, it was also fun to look back on all that had happened over the previous twelve months.
So, of course I had to take some time to reflect on 2012. While I wasn’t successful in ALL of my goals, I did meet many. I had tons of fun with my family, I grew as a writer and reader, and I made some fantastic new friends along the way. It’s been a busy year, full of changes, hard work, and lots of fun…
January
I blogged about goals, and decided on RESOLVE as my all-encompassing word for 2012. I also mused about the struggles of rewriting.
I survived a winter storm that threatened my sanity.
I started the year off reading and reviewing a couple of awesome books: A Million Suns by Beth Revis and The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.
At the end of the month, my girlie and I welcomed my husband home from Afghanistan (yay!).
I raved about another favorite of 2012, The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour.
February
I blogged about my preference for character-driven YA, and shared my Two-Minute Tension Test.
I celebrated Valentine’s Day with BOTH of my loves!
I turned thirty-one. No comment.
I attended my husband’s Welcome Home Ball and had a *little* too much fun. 🙂
March
I read and reviewed another 2012 favorite: Lauren Oliver’s Pandemonium.
I worked on a substantial revision of Where Poppies Bloom and resubmitted it to the agent I was working with at the time. (In case you’re wondering, I eventually came to the very difficult realization that Poppies isn’t going to sell the way it’s currently written. As of now, the story is “retired” and waiting for a rewrite that will hopefully come in 2013… Tough stuff.)
I had the pleasure of spending a long weekend in Vancouver BC with my husband. Such a fun, beautiful city!
Saw The Hunger Games. Awesome!
I blogged about my on-again-off-again struggles with procrastination (and why it’s not always a bad thing).
April
I successfully completed the A-Z Blogging Challenge, which was so fun! Thank you again to all of the hosts and organizers!
I met a few of my favorite authors (Gayle Forman, Nina LaCour, and Stephanie Perkins) during the Seattle stop of the YA or Bust Tour.
I was invited to become an Operative over at YA Confidential. Love my fantastic new blogging buddies!
May
I participated in Blog Me MAYbe, brainchild of writer/blogger/all-around-awesome-person Sara McClung.
I blogged about The Page Sixty-Nine Test, a writer’s trick I learned from clever author Gayle Forman.
We moved from Washington to central California, and made a big ol’ road trip out of the ordeal.
After we settled in to our new house, I shared a little bit about how I plot stories and write first drafts.
My husband and I celebrated our ninth wedding anniversary!
I read and recommended Veronica Rossi’s stunning debut, Under the Never Sky.
I shared my miracle cures for writer’s block, and started tackling a major rewrite of my YA contemporary manuscript, Cross My Heart.
June
Oh, look! Another outstanding 2012 book: Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone by Kat Rosenfeld.
Around this time, I scored a few amazing new critique partners. I can’t even put into words how grateful I am for Temre, Taryn, and Alison!
My cutie pie got her very first library card, and had quite the Marilyn moment.
July
I posted about “gap books” and committed to reading a few of mine (including The Book Thief), and brought the “One Space or Two” debate to my blog.
I read and gushed about Kristin Cashore’s Bitterblue, my VERY FAVORITE book of 2012!
I completed my Cross My Heart rewrite!
My girlie and I made the loooong trip to Phoenix to visit my parents, my brother, and my cutie pie nephew.
My husband and I saw Brad Paisley and The Band Perry… Incredible!
August
I helped my sweet girl celebrate her fifth birthday…
… and watched as she headed off to kindergarten. Very bittersweet!
September
I tackled a frustrating revision of Cross My Heart, one that came with some bad-but-unrelated writing news. I threw myself a pity party, but that pain in the ass revision eventually made Cross My Heart what it is today.
I posted about yet another phenomenal 2012 release: This is Not a Test by the infinitely brilliant Courtney Summers.
Took a trip to Washington to visit family and see Tim McGraw(!).
I posted about taking a break and why it’s important, jumped on the “Currently…” bandwagon, blogged about how running parallels revising, and shared my take on Banned Books Week.
October
I visited an apple orchard with my girlie, and blogged about method writing (which, for me, involves A LOT of baking and running).
I talked about Cross My Heart, my “Next Big Thing,” and scored some awesomely encouraging comments in the process!
I wrote six words of advice for Teen Katy, which Erin L. Schneider combined with the advice of many other YA bloggers/writers into this amazing video.
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. Perfectly creepy-weird. I couldn’t help but sing its praises!
I indulged my girlie and “dressed up” for Halloween. Little Miss Merida just LOVES this holiday!
November
I took a risk and signed up for National Novel Writing Month for the first time. The WiP I worked on is an upper YA contemporary romance. What else? 😉
I ran (and finished!) the Big Sur Half Marathon, meeting a goal I’d set for myself ages ago. I was exhausted at the end, yet so proud!
I blogged about all the things I’m thankful for…
…and raved about another amazing book, Hannah Harrington’s Saving June (not released in 2012, but one of the best books I read this year).
In slightly less positive news, I parted ways with my former agent and began querying new agents. I didn’t blog about the ordeal until later, but this experience put a bit of a damper on an otherwise extraordinary month.
I WON National Novel Writing Month! (No matter that I haven’t touched the manuscript since November — I still love it! And, I plan on finishing the first draft and making in CP-worthy during the month of January.)
December
I accepted super-agent Victoria Marini’s offer of representation. I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with Victoria, and I look forward to seeing what the New Year brings in the way of manuscript submissions!
I got to go to Disneyland! Seriously. The happiest place on Earth.
I read and recommended yet another amazing 2012 book: Lovely, Dark and Deep by Amy McNarama. Love, love, love!
I celebrated my husband’s birthday WITH him for once. It was a fantastic day full of The Hobbit, Buffalo Wild Wings, and homemade birthday cake.
I co-hosted the Class of 2012: YA Superlatives Blogfest with Jessica Love, Tracey Neithercott, and Alison Miller. Such a great turn-out this year. My To-Read list grew about a mile!
And last but not least, I celebrated the holidays with my husband and this sweet girl, and took some time to reflect on the passing year.
Phew!
Tell Me: How was your 2012? What are your hopes for 2013?
You’ve probably heard of “method acting.”
From Wikipedia: Method acting is any of a family of techniques used by actors to create in themselves the thoughts and emotions of their characters, so as to develop lifelike performances.
I can’t act my way out of a paper bag, but I am a fan of method writing. I find it incredibly helpful and inspiring to immerse myself in my characters’ lives. Their hobbies and their passions and their cultures. Let me give you an example…
I recently shared a bit about my WiP, Cross My Heart, in a post called The Next Big Thing. I mentioned that the story’s main character, Jillian, aspires to be a pastry chef. It probably goes without saying, but this aspect of the story was a lot of fun to research. I found two food blogs in particular that were incredibly helpful: Brown Eyed Baker and Eat, Live, Run. I learned a lot about basic food preparation, the science of baking, and the art of presentation.
Of course, all of this food-themed reading and research lit a fire of inspiration under me, and I found myself wanting to bake. Often.
So I did.
And every time I stepped into my kitchen and the world of yeast and coconut flakes and dark chocolate chips, I found myself connecting on a deeper level with Jillian. I felt the same contentment I imagine she feels when she’s among her rolling pins and pie pans and spatulas. I fell in love with the process of measuring and mixing and tasting, just like Jillian. I felt a sense of pride when presenting my treats to family and friends, just as Jillian does in the story.
I attribute the five pounds I gained while rewriting Cross My Heart to Jillian and her love of pastries, and you know what? They were totally worth it. Diving into my main character’s passion not only made my manuscript more authentic, but I also discovered a new hobby, one I’ll continue to foster long after my revision is complete.
Tell Me: Do you METHOD WRITE?
Last week my lovely friend Caroline Richmond tagged me in a post entitled The Next Big Thing, which consisted of a WiP-focused questionnaire she first saw over at Miss Snark’s First Victim. I had so much fun reading about Caroline’s WiP, I thought it’d be fun to play along using my own work-in-progress.
So, without further ado…
What is the working title of your book?
Cross My Heart
Where did the idea come from?
The characters, really. Love-interest Max came first, then protagonist Jillian, and then (eventually) the story built itself up around them. Over the years, lots of angsty, tear-jerker-type country songs have aided in its conceptualization.
What genre does your book fall under?
Contemporary YA. More specifically, it’s a romantic drama.
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
I’m a self-professed old person, therefor I know nothing about teen actors. I have no idea who the people pictured below are (movie stars? models? randoms?) but they’re just how I see Max and Jillian in my head. Cute boy with spikes and an angular jaw. Girl-next-door-pretty teen with dark hair. Perfect.
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Aw, man… I suck at one-sentences synopses! How about a tiny snippet from my full pitch? It paints a fairly decent picture of what the story is about:
After a rash but steamy mistletoe kiss, Jillian begins to realize that her growing affection for hot-but-hurting Max extends well beyond friendship. But their clandestine kiss must remain clandestine, because according to Jill’s ever-elusive father and Max’s fracturing sister — Jill’s best friend– Max is utterly off limits.
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
I’m lucky to be represented by Vickie Motter of Andrea Hurst Literary, who is enthusiastic and savvy and awesome. In my perfect vision, Cross My Heart will go the route of traditional publishing.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
I wrote the first (poor) draft in a month, June of 2010. That’s right — over two years ago. I queried it unsuccessfully, then sat on it for about 18 months. Then, this summer, I rewrote the whole story using the two main characters (totally re-imagined) and small bits of that original first draft. I ended up with a product I’m proud of and confident in.
May we see an intro?
Here are the first few lines:
The pounding at my window comes late, and it scares me shitless.
The last of the trick-or-treaters have called it a night. My father and stepmother have long since stowed the leftover fun-sized Snickers bars and diligently checked the locks; they’ve been asleep for hours. The house is quiet and inky dark, too big for our family of three. It feels particularly hollow tonight, which might explain why I’ve been tossing and turning, chasing sleep for hours.
What other books would you compare this story to?
Jennifer Echol’s upper YA contemporaries are comparable to the tone and romanticism of Cross My Heart, and it’s similar to Sarah Dessen’s novels in its focus on family and friendships and the way relationships change with the coming of age. A recent comp might be Huntley Fitzpatrick’s My Life Next Door.
Who or what inspired you to write this book?
Many a Taylor Swift song, I’m pleased to say. Also, the music of Tim McGraw, Lady Antebellum, and various Classic Country musicians. My earliest, cherished critique partners, who never hesitate to compliment my voice, and my more recently found critique partners, who are brilliant and lovely and generous. Also, my husband, who’s so very supportive and shares some of his best attributes with Cross My Heart‘s Max.
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
Um… kissing. Lots and lots of kissing. And romantic tension. There’s lots of that, too. Also, baking (Jillian’s an aspiring pastry chef), Western Washington, holidays, football, secrets, lies, and betrayal. And I’ve heard that Jillian can be humorous — sort of sarcastic and dry — so that’s fun.
So, now I get to tag a few friends in the hope that they’ll tell us all about their Next Big Thing…
Jessica Love
Temre Beltz
Alison Miller
Sara McClung
Rebecca Behrens
And you too! If you decide to post about your Next Big Thing, please do link me in the comments of this post so I can stop by and check it out!
I saw a fun “Currently…” blog idea last week in a post by Kate Hart (she snagged the idea from Amy Lukavics who picked it up here), and then I saw it again yesterday in a post by Jessica Love. So, I thought it’d be fun to jump on the “Currently…” band wagon and give you a little update as to what I’m up to…
Loving…
Fruit smoothies: A handful of frozen strawberries, a handful of frozen blueberries, half a banana, about a cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk, and about a tablespoon of sugar-free, fat-free dry vanilla pudding mix, all combined with an immersion blender. Such a yummy, healthy breakfast!
Reading…
Ashfall by Mike Mullin… It’s a one of those nightmarish THIS COULD REALLY HAPPEN stories about the eruption of a super volcano and its aftermath.
Watching…
Breaking Bad. My husband and I are halfway through the third season (thank you, Netflix!) and head-over-heels in love. If you’re not watching, you should be. Best show on TV, hands down.
Thinking about…
My revision. Always. There’s a light at the end of the tunnel!
Anticipating…
The end of this revision round. Also, the trip to Washington I’m taking next week. I’m going to a Tim McGraw concert, guys. SO EXCITED!
Wishing…
That revisions were easier. Man… One tiny tweak in an early chapter has a funny way of snowballing into an avalanche of change that escalates with every chapter that follows. I guess the fact that this is challenging and all-consuming means I might be doing it well. Right? RIGHT?!
Making me happy…
My family, particularly these three adorable girls. Love them!
What’s currently making you happy?
As you may know, I’ve been working feverishly on a revision. And by feverishly, I mean I’m sitting in front of my laptop whenever a I have a quiet minute. When I’m NOT working (I have a family that, while fantastic, demands a fair amount of my time), I’m mentally obsessing about when I’ll be back at my computer, typing away.
Honestly, I was starting to get a little burnt out on my revision. My motivation was lagging and my creative inspiration was drained almost dry.
Until yesterday…
Yesterday was a very busy day. I was up at 4:30am and didn’t go to bed until after 10pm. I didn’t actively revise AT ALL. That’s a rarity, and all day I was feeling distantly guilty and a little bitter about my lack of time to work. I just want to finish this revision, you know?
But… yesterday was a really good day.
1. I had an excellent run, and was home before the sun came up.
2. I got to volunteer in my girlie’s kindergarten classroom. I got to spend time painting with adorable five-year-olds who told me sweet stories about their families and their favorite colors and the things they like most about school.
3. I had brunch at a very tasty restaurant with a very good friend. The girl talk was much needed and much appreciated!
4. I completed my first ever Bikram Yoga class. That’s twenty-six postures in ninety minutes in a one-hundred-five degree room. It was so freaking hard, yet I can’t wait to go back!
5. And, I found my first ever four leaf clover!
Moral of the story? Sometimes a day free of outlining/writing/revising can be a GOOD THING. While part of me wishes I’d made some progress on my WiP yesterday, a bigger part of me is grateful for the break. I feel refreshed and inspired and motivated, ready to tackle revising again today.
Tell Me: How often do you take a day off from writing? What do you do to reclaim your creative inspiration?
Okay, I know I’m way late to this party, but after reading everyone’s RTW posts from last week, I was very much inspired to make a ‘Love List’ for my WiP, Cross My Heart. But, as fate would have it, I’ve been busy revising the thing, and I’m just getting around to compiling my list. The timing works out kind of perfectly, though, because now that I’ve spent a good many days pouring over CMH, I feel extra lovey-dovey about it.
In case you missed it, last week’s official RTW topic was…
Inspired by Stephanie Perkins’ post on Natalie Whipple’s blog, what is your novel’s “Love List”?
And here’s mine:
Coconut Ice Cream
Johnny Cash
The International Culinary Institute
Ford F-150s
Mistletoe
Fountain Soda
The Space Needle
Charming Pâtisseries
Slow Kisses
Frantic Kisses
Up-Against-the-Wall Kisses
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Dark Hair/Light Eyes
Football
Drip Coffee
All Things Baking
Complex Families
Bunco
Small Towns
Baby Sisters
Ambiguously Happy Endings
And, for your visual pleasure…
Have you made a Love List for your WiP? If I haven’t visited it yet, please link me to it in the comments!
(Oh, and today I’ve compiled a list of highly anticipated Fall, 2012 YA releases over at YA Confidential… Please do check it out!)
Katy Upperman ~ Author 