Category: WIP

What’s Up Wednesday

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“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.

Awesome, right? Here’s what’s up with me this week…

What I’m Reading: I finished The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay over the weekend, and it was indescribably amazing. This story and these characters tore me apart, then slowly — slowly — put me back together again. My full review is coming tomorrow, but *spoiler alert* The Sea of Tranquility is a definite new favorite. Last night I finished Jessi Kirby’s latest, Golden, another lovely contemporary. Jessi is quickly becoming one of my go-to authors, and look how pretty her book is beneath its jacket…

Now I’m diving into Strands of Bronze and Gold by Jane Nickerson, a retelling of the Bluebeard fairytale. It’s interesting, different from what I usually read, but the writing is gorgeous and the concept is intriguing. We’ll see how it pans out.

What I’m Writing: I’m slowly immersing myself in my contemporary YA WiP again, the draft I’ll be focusing on for Ready. Set. Write! and hope to finish by the end of August. When I pitched this project to my agent, I shared the lyrics of the song that inspired it (still a secret!) and added this: …the story is basically the YA version of the song, with a lot of backstory and angst and tragedy, and it jumps back and forth from this night that’s inspired by the song, to all the events that build up to it. I’m aiming for something along the lines of Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone and Nobody But Us. To which my agent said: Proceed. Yay! My goal is to write at least 3,000 words a week. I know my limits when my girlie is at home, and I want to set goals that are reasonable and attainable, and leave lots of time for summer fun. That said, I’m hoping that once I hit my 3,000 word mark each week, I’ll have found so much momentum I’ll just want to keep going. 🙂

What Else I’ve Been Up To:

 
Need I say more? This girl is now officially a first grader!

I also met a HUGE running goal yesterday. I’ve been striving to get my five-mile pace down to 8 minutes per mile for months. That’s five miles in forty minutes for the math impaired (me). It’s also the Army Ranger Standard that my husband has told me all about. Well… YESTERDAY I DID IT. I very nearly threw up when I finished and I had to walk a half-mile before jogging the rest of the way home, but I totally rocked five eight-minute miles. So happy!

What’s Inspiring Me Now: Ready. Set. Write! is inspiring me, because it’s the perfect motivation for getting my booty to the couch and my fingers to the keyboard. And we had such an awesome response yesterday! Have you signed up yet? You can do so HERE. Trust me — it’s not too late to set your summer writing goals and show your WiP whose boss. As far as my WiP goes, the I’m finding the following images and words to be incredibly inspiring:

              

I can’t wait to get back to writing. 🙂

Tell me: What’s up with you today?

Ready. Set. Write! {Sign-Ups}

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ready set write button

By now you may have heard… Alison Miller, Elodie Nowodazkij, Erin Funk, Jaime Morrow, and I are hosting a summer writing intensive called Ready. Set. WRITE! (detailed explanation HERE), and we’d LOVE for you to join us. We’re kicking off our summer of writing today, and we’ll write, write, write for two full months. We’ll update about what we’ve been writing and how we’re progressing, and we’ll share our goals for the coming days, all in weekly What’s Up Wednesday posts. Ready. Set. Write! is meant to be flexible and customizable — set goals that work for YOU, and we’ll be here to cheer you on!

The fun starts today, but the goal-setting officially starts tomorrow. Join us for What’s Up Wednesday and tell us what you plan to work on this summer (in the What I’m Writing section). Set your weekly goal (or monthly or overall goals — again, whatever works for you!), and we’ll keep the awesomeness going every Wednesday until August 28th. We’re SO excited to find out what everyone’s planning to work on!

Some Other Really Cool Stuff…

We’re going to try to host weekly Twitter writing/revising parties in which we “meet up” at a predetermined time to write, and then pop back in to Twitter later to recap our progress using the hashtag #ReadySetWrite. But to do all of that, we need to be twitter-connected. I’ve listed my Twitter handle below, as well as the handles of my fellow Ready. Set. Write! hosts. You’re invited to leave your Twitter handle in the comments so I can make sure I’m following you as well. 🙂

@katyupperman
@commutinggirl
@alisonmiller20
@MorrowJaime
@ErinLFunk

#ReadySetWrite

AND… Since Alison, Jaime, Erin, Elodie, and I LOVE giveaways, we’re including one as extra motivation! Mid-way through Ready. Set. Write! (halfway through July), one lucky writer will win a Writer´s Care Package. The package will include all kinds of fantastic writerly treats that will help you meet your word count goals. Want to be eligible for the giveaway? Keep track of your progress and be prepared to update on the Rafflecopter we post July. You’ll get points for setting goals and achieving them, following us on Twitter, and spreading the word about Ready. Set. WRITE!

Are you ready to commit to a summer of writing? Sign up for Ready. Set. Write! on the linky list below…


Don’t forget tomorrow’s What’s Up Wednesday post — share your goals and tell us about what you’ll be working on this summer. In the meantime, write a little. Or a lot. And don’t forget to grab our button and encourage others to join in!

ready set write button

TAG! A moment in time…

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My friend (and Ready. Set. Write! participant) Juliana Haygert tagged me for a fun WiP post. (Hers is HERE and it’s fantastic.) The parameters are as follows:

Search for the words “moment,” “forever,” or “time,” in your work-in-progress, pick your favorite excerpt, post on your blog, and tag others!

Easy, right? Here’s a bit from the contemporary young adult WiP I started a few months ago. I’ll be working on it this summer for Ready. Set. Write!, and I hope to finish the first draft by the end of August…

******

Though eye contact seemed to pain her, the girl managed a sympathetic smile. “Ms. Parnell is a hard ass when it comes to schedule switches after the start of the semester,” she said, her voice soft, wispy. “But I hear flattery goes a long way.”

“Yeah? Thanks for the tip.” Tyler thought about introducing himself with a handshake, but the girl was staring down at her feet again, nudging a rip in the carpet with the toe of her shoe. Were they done already?

“I’m Tyler,” he said in an attempt to recapture her attention. He kept his hands to himself. “New to Clayton City by way of Cleveland.”

She glanced up. Her cheeks were stained pink, and Tyler had the distinct impression that she was thrown by his continued attempts at conversation.

“Oh,” she said. “Well, welcome to Small Town, USA, I guess.” She hesitated, then, like an afterthought, added, “I’m Jenna.”

Jenna. A sweet name. An innocent name. After his time with Kendra, Tyler was starting to think sweet and innocent were the way to go. And it didn’t hurt that this Jenna was a surreal sort of hot. She made him think of the nymphs he’d read about last year in English, shapely and elemental and sort of hypnotic. He liked her hair, its color and its length; he could imagine her thick ponytail wrapped around his hand. He liked her eyes, too, the way she looked at him through her lashes like she was playing at demure. Or, maybe she actually was demure—an intriguing notion. She was wearing a long dress with little flowers scattered about the fabric, and a denim jacket that covered her from collarbone to wrist. She wasn’t baring an inch of inappropriate skin.

Tyler was equal parts fascinated and frustrated.

******

And… I’ll tag Temre Beltz, Tracey Neithercott, and Katharine Owens. I hope you girls play along too!

What’s Up Wednesday

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I’m jumping in on “What’s Up Wednesday,” 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.

Awesome, right? Here’s what’s up with me this week…

What I’m Reading: I recently finished Nantucket Blue by Leila Howard, which is sweet and romantic, a lovely summer read. I’ll be posting a Bookanista recommendation of it tomorrow, so check back in. I’m currently reading The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker. It’s a beautifully written adult literary novel with an incredibly unique premise. I’m about 3/4 of the way through and I’m really enjoying it. Also, I must mention that yesterday my most anticipated 2013 novel, The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay, came out in physical book form (it’s been available as an eBook for a while). I CANNOT WAIT to read it!

    

What I’m Writing: Jeez. Nothing. I haven’t touched my WiP in a week. *sad face* It’s been crazy around here. My daughter is getting ready to graduate from kindergarten and there have been lots of school-related activities to attend. Plus, some of our friends/neighbors are moving away soon and we’ve been trying to see as much of them as we can. Also, I’m beta reading a fantastic contemporary manuscript now and that’s taking up a fair chunk of time. There’s really no excuse for my WiP slacking, but yeah… It’s been a hectic week.

What Else I’ve Been Up To: My girlie performed in a guitar recital the other day and it was adorable! She played Lightly Row and Yankee Doodle and Rise and Shine, which she also sang along to. I love that she has not one iota of shyness when it comes to performing for a large roomful of people. Even as an adult, I’m terrified to speak in front of groups!

Just before the big recital…

What’s Inspiring Me Now: Ready. Set. WRITE!, the summer writing intensive I’m hosting with Alison Miller, Elodie Nowodazkij, Erin Funk, and Jaime Morrow. As you can see from the “What I’m Writing” section of this post, my writing habits need a good kick in the pants. I can’t wait to start summer off with a bang, and some serious WiP productivity. I’m so excited to become reacquainted with my characters and immerse myself in their story. I’m also excited to set some goals, and to write along with all of the other Ready. Set. Write! participants. 🙂

ready set write button

What’s up with you this week? 

Ready. Set. WRITE!

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Recently, one of my CPs (and a favorite friend), Alison Miller sent me an email about how she’s been considering summer and how she really wants to do some serious writing on her new work-in-progress. She’s not really a NANO person, she said, but she thought she could probably manage to write 1000 words a day. She wondered if I’d be interested in setting some summer writing goals as well.

Of course I am! I have a new WiP that I need to do some major work on, and I could totally use the motivation (and peer pressure) of my writing friends to keep me on track. So when Alison suggested that we set up some sort of summer writing intensive, and WOW, wouldn’t it be cool if we got a lot of other people to join us so we could encourage each other and hold each other accountable and cheer, cheer, cheer each other on from our writing corners, I was totally onboard.

And so, Ready. Set. WRITE! was born.

ready set write button

Alison Miller, Elodie Nowodazkij, Erin Funk, Jaime Morrow, and I are hosting a summer writing intensive called Ready. Set. WRITE! and we’d LOVE for you to join us! We plan to kick off our summer of writing Tuesday, June 11th and write, write, write for 2 full months. We’ll update weekly about what we’ve been writing and share our goals for the coming days.

Care to join us in our writing bliss?!

Totally what I wear when I’m drafting during the summer…

More specifics on Ready. Set. Write!

Purpose: Drafting/revising/writing novels, flash fiction, or short stories — whatever! As long as we’re writing!

What We’ll Do: Set weekly (or monthly or overall) goals — whatever works for each individual. We’ll update weekly on What’s Up Wednesday? (you know, in the What I’m Writing section). We’ll share what we’ve accomplished and set goals for the new week, and maybe include an excerpt or some gushing about our amazing works-in-progress. (Never heard of What’s Up Wednesday? You can check out some sample posts HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE.)

There’s More! We’ll also host occasional (optional) drafting/revising parties on Twitter, providing lots of support for each other, and… We’ll be sponsoring a fantastic writer’s giveaway!

Ready. Set. WRITE! will kick off Tuesday June 11th with sign-ups on our blogs. We’ll set our first goals as a part of June 12th‘s edition of What’s Up Wednesday? and update each other each consecutive Wednesday. In the meantime, start thinking about what you want to write/revise. Set some goals. Write a little — or a lot. Grab our button and help spread the word! And be prepared to…

Ready. Set. WRITE!

ready set write button

What’s Up Wednesday

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Today I’m jumping in on “What’s Up Wednesday,” 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.

Awesome, right? Here’s what’s up with me this week…

What I’m Reading: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey. It is FANTASTIC. I’m not a big sci-fi gal, but I’m finding this book to be very accessible. It’s also very scary in its feasibility. And it’s a total pageturner. The twists! The unknowns! Zombie! Loving this one. In addition to published fiction, I’m beta reading a fantastic contemporary manuscript. I’m lucky to have such talented friends!

What I’m Writing: Um… blog posts? Book reviews? Grocery shopping lists? Kidding! Now that my revision is done-done, I’m back to working on my shiny new WiP. I still love it, and I also love that I get to use Scrivener to draft it — a first for me. Want to read a bit?

He was going to step inside, Jenna realized with a start. He was going to step into the elevator with her and the enormous TV cart, and then the doors would seal up tight. She would be trapped with him, breathing his air, smelling his smell, avoiding eye contact like it was her job. She’d been confined to a tight space with a boy once before, and the experience had scarred her. 

Jenna’s palms were suddenly clammy, and her heart hammered with such force she thought it might burst from her chest.

But this boy—the boy with the midnight eyes and the uncooperative hair—was not that boy, she reminded affected psyche. And she was at school, a safe place. She was not drunk. She was not incoherent. She was not vulnerable.

What Else I’ve Been Up To:

  

Hanging  with my hubby and my girlie. Lately we’ve spent some time at Carmel Beach, and we’ve gone on a few Big Sur hikes. Both spots are incredibly scenic and lots of fun. We live in one of the most beautiful parts of the country (I mean, come on… that’s a waterfall cascading down onto the sand) and we’re trying to take full advantage before the Army makes us pick up and move again.

I’ve also been baking up a storm. I’m currently out of butter, flour, and brown sugar, and low on eggs. Over the weekend I made a favorite, Peanut Butter Cake, which is rich and comforting and always a crowd pleaser. And the other day I made classic Chocolate Chip Cookies to take to a barbecue. They went so fast!

And, finally, I’ve been doing lots of running, as usual. I’m trying to drop my five-mile pace to eight minute miles, which my husband tells me is the Ranger Standard. I’m getting closer and closer!  I’ve also surpassed 800 miles for 2013. Basically, I could have run from where we live now (the Monterey Bay area) to my hometown in Western Washington. No problem, right? 😉

What Inspires Me Right Now:

Wear Blue: Run to Remember, an organization with the goal of building a running community that honors the service and sacrifice of the American military. One of my good friends organized a Wear Blue Memorial Day run here in our town and the turn out was fantastic. More than fifty people showed up to run in remembrance of fallen soldiers. It was inspiring and moving to hear their names spoken aloud before we began our run.

And, on a lighter note, I’m finding the A Beautiful Mess iPhone app quite inspiring. I could play with it all day. In fact, I have to refrain from adding text and borders and doodles to ALL of my photos. So much fun!

Tell me… What’s up with you?

On Insanity…

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(This is one of those posts in which I attempt to make myself feel more normal by commiserating with all of you. Thanks in advance for humoring me. ♥♥♥)

By “the same thing over and over again,” I’m referring to revising and/or rewriting repeatedly with the goal of one day launching a publishing career.

So. I understand that with each completed draft I become a stronger writer. And that makes me SO happy. And I understand that publishing can be slow and frustrating and that there are no guarantees. I understand that not every writer becomes a published author, and I get that all writers experience moments of doubt and defeat. I have a well-researched, realistic view on the industry, and I realize that no matter how glamorous an author’s life may seem, no one has had an easy go of it. Writing is hard. Rejection is hard. Publishing is hard.

That being said, I  have a determined (stubborn?) streak that will not let me give up. I will continue to march toward my goal for as long as I am mentally capable of imagining and physically capable of typing. But…

Lately, when  family and friends (who are very sweet and well-meaning) ask me the dreaded, “Hey, when’s your book going to be published?” question, I have to suppress cringe. Because… I don’t know. I don’t know when my book’s going to be published. I don’t even know if this particular book will  see the light of day, ever. It’s kind of out of my hands at this point.

So, when asked that dreaded question, I end up answering with mumbles about an umpteenth revision, and then the family member or friend ends up giving me The Look. You probably know the one: It’s kind of confused and kind of piteous. Like, Oh, you cute girl (or bored housewife or crazy person). You must have such fun with your imaginary friends. Another revision, huh? How many revisions have you done on that book, anyway? When will the madness end? 

Yes. Yes, I am revising again. Yes, I know that probably sounds insane. Yes, sometimes I feel insane, and that sucks. But my story is better for it. And when my first book sells, trust that I will shout about it from the rooftops. In fact, you’ll probably be sick to death of hearing about it by the time the book ever sits on a bookstore shelf.

Until then, I’m going to embrace the insanity and continue to plug away, honing my craft, reading everything I can get my hands on, and just… writing.

Want to get in on my brand of crazy?

On SNIs…

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I am not one of those lucky people who has tons of story ideas constantly jumping into her head, rounded out and fully formed. In fact, I kind of hate those people. It takes me eons of pondering and mulling and brainstorming to build a story from from the ground up, usually beginning with a vague idea for a character who  refuses to leave me alone. While setting and voice and romance come easy to me, it is always such a challenge to nail down goal, conflict, and motivation (the bread and butter of character-driven fiction), not to mention an actual plot with a beginning, middle, and end — a plot with ups and downs during which the protagonist makes decisions and things actually happen.

So, imagine my surprise when, just last week, I was driving down the road, rockin’ out to some Tim McGraw, when the chorus of a particularly angsty tune hit me hard. This song, its lyrics, its emotion… It was a novel waiting to happen. In fact, with a bit of tweaking and some serious creative license, it was a contemporary young adult romance novel waiting to happen. How perfect, because that happens to be what I like to write! Just like that, a whole story — characters and setting, GMC, inciting incident and climax and resolution — played out in my head like a movie, and it was glorious! I almost drove off the road in my hurry to get home and jot down notes.

Guys. I am so writing this story. I haven’t been this excited about a Shiny New Idea in ages. I’m going to put my rewrite on the back burner for a few weeks and focus solely on this new project because oh my gosh… It is just so inspiring! I started plotting yesterday (my first time plotting a brand new project with Scrivener — yay!) and I’m already completely immersed in these characters and their story.

Just for fun, here’s a sample plot point: Jenna’s first kiss with Tyler. She is bashful and has all the butterflies and he is swoony and awesome and way too good at kissing. At this point, we need to fall in love with them both so we don’t totally hate them for being crazy jerks later.

I’m giddy with the potential of this story! And now, back to work…

How do story ideas come to you? What inspired your current WiP? 

One Word Wednesday

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Bright
{Since it’s nearly spring, the sun has been coming up earlier and earlier. It’s been light out at the end of my morning run for the last few days, which is fun and exhilarating and inspiring.}

 
Proud
{My girlie was named Student of the Month, along with one of her little kindergarten BFFs. So happy for her!}


Research
{I’m obviously enjoying Scrivener. I love that I can leave all these fun little notes and musings for myself. I posted this photo on Instagram and a psych nurse who follows me totally jumped in with an answer to those last questions. Win!}


Sweet
{Banana Sheet Cake (I used an extra banana and baked an extra five minutes) with homemade Chocolate Buttercream Frosting… This was similar in flavor and texture to banana bread, only more decadent. Yum!}

Talent
{I get to teach art to my daughter’s kindergarten class once a week (thanks to budget restraints, there’s no full-time art teacher) and even though it can get a little crazy, it’s really fun. We spent the last two weeks working on self-portraits, and they turned out really cute. These actually look like their creators! (My girlie’s is bottom left. :)}

Check back for a fantastic Bookanistas recommendation tomorrow!

2012 in Review…

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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) The Fault in Our Stars
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!).

The DisenchantmentsI 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.

021I 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

Amelia Anne is Dead and GoneOh, 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.

This Is Not a TestI 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…

Saving June…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?