What’s Up Wednesday

November 6, 2013November 5, 201340 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: Robyn Schneider’s The Beginning of Everything, which is witty and thought-provoking and highly entertaining. It’s taking me awhile to get through because I’ve been busy, but in no way does that speak to its quality. Up next… I don’t know! I’ve read through my TBR pile and I’ve got nothing on-deck. That gives me a weirdly anxious feeling. Anyone have a great recommendation?

What I’m Writing: Not much because… I finished my WiP! Yep, on Halloween I officially typed The End, concluding the first draft of the story I started in April.

Over the weekend, I took a much-needed writing break, though I did think about my upcoming revision A LOT. My To-Do list is extensive and I’ve got tons of work ahead of me, but I *think* I know what needs to be done to make my story readable. I love revising, so I’m very happy to be at this stage of the game.

What Else I’ve Been Up To: Over the weekend, my husband, daughter, and I took a trip to Yosemite National Park. None of us had been before and we weren’t sure what to expect. Yosemite did not disappoint. In fact, it’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited. We had an amazing time hiking and adventuring. Plus, we got to attend the wedding of two great friends, which made the trip even more awesome. Obviously I took zillions of pictures…

Tunnel View, without any sort of filter. The park is this stunning naturally.

Yosemite sky, also without filter. It was so blue. And I kind of love the “Speeding Kills Bears” signs, which were everywhere. There’s something oddly charming about them. We didn’t see any real bears, so the signs were the next best thing.

My girl had a great time! She got a kick out of the snow and the incredible views.

We hiked four strenuous uphill miles to get to Nevada Falls, then four more miles back to the truck, and I’m proud to report that my daughter rocked it. My husband and I were wiped by the end and she had to have been too, but there was absolutely no complaining. She’s a little soldier. 😉

With my favorite girl at the hotel (we stayed at the Tenaya Lodge, which was fantastic) and out among the sequoias.

And, with my handsome husband at the wedding. Congrats to Ryan and Johanna!

What’s Inspiring Me Now: A post from writer Anya Monroe about the NaNo Pep Talk she gave 125 eighth graders who are participating this year, and the ways she connected with them through writing and books. Also, a super short and heartwarming story about the Xhosa culture and their I am because we are philosophy. Definitely worth the read. And finally…

Tell me… What’s up with you today?

What’s Up Wednesday

October 23, 2013October 23, 201334 Comments

What I’m Reading: I finished Fault Line by Christa Desir and posted my Debut Author Challenge write-up HERE. I also read Lauren Myracle’s Shine, which was gripping, beautifully written, and incredibly unique. I loved it. My girlie and I read Dav Pilkey’s The Adventures of Captain Underpants together. She thought it was extraordinary. I thought it was super silly and very clever. Now, I’m rereading one of my favorite childhood books, Just as Long as We’re Together by Judy Blume. Pretty sure the people at my gym are judging me as I read it on the Stair Master, but I don’t care because it’s just as fab as I remember.

What I’m Writing: I love Scrivener. Like, so much. On Sunday, I took a good hard look at my WiP’s format and current outline, and realized that several scenes needed shifting. What would have taken me hours to copy and paste using Word took all of ten minutes to adjust using Scrivener. The cork board is most definitely my new best friend. As well as revising my outline, I wrote somewhere around 4K words over the last week. I have approximately ten scenes left to write before this first draft is done. Mostly, they’re the story’s climax and conclusion, and their pacing should be fast. Hopefully they’ll come easily and I’ll be writing THE END by Halloween. (Holy hell… That would be amazing!)

What Else I’ve Been Up To: Uh, signing up for #SipSwap, that’s what! Last year I had a blast participating in the mug exchange dreamed up by Jessica Love and Kelsey Macke, and I can’t wait to do it again this year.

You should definitely join in on the fun. Sign up HERE.

Over the weekend, we took our annual trip to the pumpkin patch. I have a soft spot for the patch we used to visit in Washington, but our California patch, Hollister’s Swank Farms, is truly awesome. We had tons of fun navigating the corn maze, sling-shotting gourds, and picking pumpkins with our friends. Bonus… We ate yummy Mexican food after. 🙂

What’s Inspiring Me Now: Fantastic writing advice from Richard Price… “The bigger the issue, the smaller you write. Remember that. You don’t write about the horrors of war. No. You write about a kid’s burnt socks lying on the road. You pick the smallest manageable part of the big thing, and you work off the resonance.” Amazing, right? Also, this quote from Chuck Palahniuk…

Tell me… What’s up with you today?

What’s Up Wednesday

October 16, 2013October 15, 201343 Comments

What I’m Reading: I finished Invisibility by Andrea Cremer and David Levithan. While I enjoyed the first half, the second was a little much for my taste. The story took a hard left into urban fantasy territory, which just isn’t my genre of choice. That said, I suspect that if you like stories about magic and evil and curses set in a big city, you’ll enjoy it. Next, I flew through Gayle Forman’s Just One Year, which was one of my most anticipated books of the year. Can I just say… I LOVED THIS STORY SO MUCH. It’s beautiful and moving, the perfect companion for Just One Day. I’ll rave about it more in a future Bookanista post, but for now… *happy sigh* Now, I’m reading Fault Line, written by my brave and brilliant and generous friend Christa Desir. It’s a tough story, but a very important story. I encourage you to check it out if you haven’t already.

What I’m Writing: I made some decent progress on my WiP over the last week, even though my daughter was on a break from school. I made time for writing in the early mornings, at the park, and after bedtime, and managed to rack up nearly six thousand words. I’m currently sitting pretty at about 74,600 words. I’m working on my last big scene, and then I have somewhere between eight and twelve smaller scenes to write. So… someday I will finish.

Surprisingly, the park is a pretty decent workspace.

A tiny excerpt from The Chapter That Nearly Killed Me :: Part of him wanted that now—the racy, no-holds-barred rush of being with Dylan—but the night’s mood was too melancholy for hollow hook-ups. More than anything, Tyler simply wanted her near. He wanted to drape an arm over her shoulders, hold her close, breathe her vanilla-and-nicotine scent, and hear her whispered assurances that life would, somehow, get its shit together.

What Else I’ve Been Up To: Oh, yanno. Other than writing and reading and working out and doing endless loads of laundry… Not much.

When my husband and I were in college, we spent Saturday nights drinking cheap beer and watching Cougar football games at Martin Stadium. Now, we watch them on the couch with the two bundles of excitement pictured above. I’ve gotta say… I’d rather be on the couch. ♥

In other news, I baked my very first, totally-from-scratch Apple Pie, and I even used locally grown apples. It turned out so yummy, and it was actually a lot easier than I’d anticipated. I used this recipe for the crust (I employed the food processor method), and this recipe for the apple filling. Recommend!

What’s Inspiring Me Now: Everyone knows I love to read (and write!) a good kiss, so of course I loved Jodi Meadow’s post About Kissing Scenes over at Pub(lishing) Crawl, all about why kissing scenes must amp up a story’s tension. Also, a cool post entitled 209 Ways to Describe Touch, which I came across on Pinterest. It’s an awesome source for descriptive sensory words. And finally…

Because I *really* need to remember this as I wind down my first draft.

Tell me… What’s up with you today?

What’s Up Wednesday

October 9, 2013October 8, 201346 Comments

What I’m Reading: I finished April Genevieve Tucholke’s debut, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, which was unique and twisty, then moved on to Kimberly Derting’s Dead Silence. I’ve loved all of her Body Finder novels, and this one is no exception. These murder mysteries are spooky and super well done, and Jay, the series’ love interest, is adorable. Now I’m reading Invisibility by Andrea Cremer and David Levithan. It’s a story that requires major suspension of disbelief (spellseekers and cursecasters!), but I’m invested in Stephen and Elizabeth’s story, so I’m not having trouble letting go of my skepticism.

What I’m Writing: Still plugging away at my WiP. I keep thinking the end is in near, but then… my word count keeps climbing. I am a wordy first drafter, that’s for sure, but I’m hoping to wrap up this first phase in the next few weeks so I can tackle the revisions I already know are needed, and then let my CPs take a look. Yesterday I posted about my writing goals for the remainder of the year, if you’re interested in taking a look.

What Else I’ve Been Up To: Well, I tried to take my daughter apple picking, but unfortunately the orchard shut down its “you-pick” option two days ago. Mom fail! Luckily, we were able to buy a big bag of already-picked apples, so there’s still an apple pie in my family’s immediate future — yum!

There were pumpkins at the the apple orchard, so the day wasn’t a total bust.

On Saturday, my husband and I headed up to Berkeley to watch our Cougs play Cal. We had such an awesome day! We met up with some friends from college, drank cheap beer, and cheered WSU on to victory even though it was hot, hot, HOT in the stadium. Sometimes it’s fun to pretend we’re still wee college kids. 😉

Sunday morning I had some bananas to use up, so I searched online for a banana-y cookie. I came across a recipe for Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies and whipped up a batch. I substituted an extra banana for the stick of butter and threw in some peanut butter chips, and they turned out tasty. Though they do have sugar in them, these cookies have enough healthy ingredients (bananas, peanut butter, oats) to be considered breakfast, too.

What’s Inspiring Me Now: A post from agent Jennifer Laughran about common manuscript problems, specifically show-don’t-tell spoilers and rhetorical questions, called Nutshell Spoilers and the Rhetorical No-No. Come revision time, her tips will help me to take an extra critical look at my writing.

Also, one of my daughter’s best school friends is a little girl from Pakistan. Her mom invited me and a few other ladies over for lunch the other day and the food was aMaZiNg. Like, indescribably so. The conversation was fascinating as well. Hearing stories about life in Pakistan was incredibly inspiring and eye-opening. One of my favorite things about Army Life is meeting new people and learning about cultures that are different from my own.

Tell me… What’s up with you today?

On Book Nerdiness…

July 5, 2013July 4, 201328 Comments

Last week, I wrote a Four Book Friday guest post for Mackenzi Lee‘s blog. In it, I discussed four books that have greatly impacted me. It was fun to reflect on all the books I’ve read and loved, and to dissect what it was about each one that affected me so deeply. Please do check the post if you’re so inclined…

Two of the books I chose for Four Book Friday (Blubber and The Face on the Milk Carton) are books I first read and fell in love with when I was (technically) a child. You see, I’ve always been an avid reader, an enthusiast of stories, and a collector of books. I recall being very young, using the slice of light cast into my bedroom from the hallway to page though tattered copies of Ramona and The Babysitters Club. I recall family visits to Waldenbooks (remember it?), turning squeaky racks packed with Sweet Valley High books, searching for the perfect paperback. I recall high school, disappearing into the library during lunch hour, where I devoured books instead of food.

Even now, I sneak bits of reading into my day. While on the elliptical at the gym. Blow drying my hair. Sitting in the spectator section during my daughter’s swim lessons. And I always read before I go to sleep at night. A good book is the perfect conclusion to any sort of day.

I am such a Book Nerd.

The other night I went into my girlie’s room to tuck her in and found her already asleep, snuggling her favorite doll and a book.

I can’t tell you how happy this sight makes me. It’s as if my life has made a full and complete circle… My baby is an emerging Book Nerd. I am so proud.

Are you a lifelong reader?
What kinds of books did you read when you were young?

One Word Wednesday

February 13, 2013February 12, 201321 Comments

Loveliness
{It’s been a little brisk in our neck of the woods lately (like, a high of 60 degrees with some pretty chilly wind — I know you feel SO bad for me), but still, it’s so nice to look out the window and see sun. This Washington girl did not truly understand the toll 226 cloudy days a year (Seattle’s average) could take on a person’s mental state until she moved to the land of sun. I’m feeling thankful!}

Photo-Bomb
{We went hiking in the Carmel Valley last weekend. It was beautiful and I took this picture of my crew, which I loved… Until I noticed Lucy popping a squat front and center. Aren’t pets fun?}

Peace
{This is so my Happy Place: Cozy socks, comfy couch, good book. Who cares that this was taken on a Saturday night and that Katy of a Decade Ago would totally cringe if she knew how lame Current Katy has become?}

Indulge
{My girlie had Monday off from school so we went out for a long afternoon walk followed by ice cream at the coolest little parlor. The building’s facade looks like it’s straight out of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and the interior is full of mismatched furniture and vintage rock memorabilia. My girl had Midnight Cookies and Cream, and I had Banana Chocolate Chip Carmel… Yum!}

Delish
{Food recommendation: I chopped up mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and added them to a few loaves of Banana Bread. Definitely a fun, easy treat to try. And hey, there are bananas in it, so we’ll just go ahead and pretend it’s healthy.}

Cool
{I ♥ her. That is all.}

Tell me: What have you been up to these days?

One Word Wednesday

January 23, 2013January 23, 201335 Comments

Hello, friends… Happy Wednesday!

NO
{Kidding. Sort of. I know Entertainment Weekly is infamous for uglifying would-be heartthrobs [Exhibit A], but that guy is just not my vision of Finnick. There’s nothing wrong with him, per se (he was fine in that Snow White movie), and I’ll try to reserve judgement until I see Catching Fire, but… I just… Boo.}

Lovely
{I love my town so much. Please, Army, don’t make me move away!}

Charming
{The girlie and the locale. On this particular afternoon she said, “It’s a beautiful day. Let’s go for a walk in Carmel!” So we did.}

Perfection
{After years of using the Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe to varying degrees of success, I have officially given it up. I’ve moved on to what I consider the BEST Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe EVER. The secret? A little bit of corn starch. I’ve used this recipe several times now and have yet to produce a cookie that’s anything short of delectable. Recommend!}

Warm
{In case I haven’t made this clear… I love my town! The temperature has been hovering in the low seventies the last few days. It’s so nice to feel the heat of the sun during our walks by the bay.}

Awesome
{We have the *best* sunrises. A definite perk to getting up early!}

Thought-Provoking
{The other day I finished reading A.S. King’s Ask the Passengers. Now, anytime I see a plane in the sky, I think of Astrid sending her love. Such a fantastic book. I’m reviewing it in detail over at YA Confidential today. Please do check it out!}

Tell me: What’s your favorite kind of cookie?

Currently…

January 15, 2013January 14, 201334 Comments

(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

Ho Hey by The Lumineers… Not exactly country, but this song rocks.

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?

Happy New Year!

January 1, 2013January 1, 201329 Comments

Happy New Year!

New Year's Eve Recipes

So. 2012 was pretty fantastic, but I’m hoping 2013 will be bigger and better. What about you?

This time last year, I decided on RESOLVE as my Word of the Year (thanks again for the idea, Jessica Corra!). That little word went a long way in helping me achieve many of the goals I’d set for myself. I thought of resolve often, like early in the morning when I didn’t feel like getting up for a run, and late at night when my eyes were almost too tired to finish revising. Resolve helped get me through a lot, which is why I plan to keep it in mind this year as well.

While I’ll continue to live life with resolve, I’ve decided on a new word for 2013:

ACCEPTANCE

I’m very much a Type-A person. I like to have a plan, I like to be in control, and I like to make sure things get done. Seeing as how I’m an Army wife and I have inserted myself into the oh-so-unpredictable world of publishing, my Type-A-ish-ness often struggles. I wonder and worry and stress A LOT, which is why I’m going to try very hard to go with the flow in 2013. I will work as hard as I can and do everything in my power to find success, but I will also try to remember that sometimes, what will be just… IS. There is so much I cannot control (in publishing and in general), so I vow to do my best to accept life’s events as they come, and appreciate them for what they are.

For me, 2013 is about acceptance.

What will the New Year be about for you?

2012 in Review…

December 31, 2012December 31, 201238 Comments

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.

A Million Suns (Across the Universe, #2)
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

Pandemonium (Delirium, #2) 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 Rocked the Drop!

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!

Under the Never Sky (Under the Never Sky, #1) 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 (Raven Cycle, #1) 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?

Katy Upperman ~ Author

Category: ME

What’s Up Wednesday

What’s Up Wednesday

What’s Up Wednesday

What’s Up Wednesday

On Book Nerdiness…

One Word Wednesday

One Word Wednesday

Currently…

Happy New Year!

2012 in Review…