What's Up Wednesday: Ready. Set. Write! Edition

I'm catching the What's Up Wednesday hot air balloon from the blogs of Jaime Morrow and Erin Funk. Go to Jaime's blog to add your link.

Here's how it works:

WHAT'S UP WEDNESDAY

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.

 

WHAT I'M READING

I just finished THE LUCY VARIATIONS by Sara Zarr. From Goodreads:

Lucy Beck-Moreau once had a promising future as a concert pianist. The right people knew her name, her performances were booked months in advance, and her future seemed certain.

That was all before she turned fourteen.

Now, at sixteen, it's over. A death, and a betrayal, led her to walk away. That leaves her talented ten-year-old brother, Gus, to shoulder the full weight of the Beck-Moreau family expectations. Then Gus gets a new piano teacher who is young, kind, and interested in helping Lucy rekindle her love of piano -- on her own terms. But when you're used to performing for sold-out audiences and world-famous critics, can you ever learn to play just for yourself?

 

I have to admit that I did not love this book. The book is well-written and has an interesting premise, but I did not find myself connecting with the characters, especially Lucy. I did not care for the third person POV - I felt like I was being held at arm's length from any emotion. You know, my favorite types of books are the ones that smash my heart into a million pieces, make me feel like I'll never be whole again, and then stitch me back up with a delicate thread of hope and renewal. In theory, this book should have done that, and I was a little disappointed when it did not.

WHAT I'M WRITING

Huzzah! I'm finally revising! The last couple of days I've spent my lunch break and a few hours after the kids are in bed with BEAUTIFUL BIRD, SING ON, a young adult novel with elements of magical realism. The first chapters are dreadful - this was a NaNo project and while I had a vague idea of where the story was headed, those first pages are all over the place. It's been a delight to delete! For a couple of reasons, I changed the setting from a small fictional town in south central Minnesota to the city of Duluth on the shores of Lake Superior. Which means I will need to take a trip to my second home very soon - for research purposes, of course. 

On the Lakewalk - Duluth, Minnesota

I'm also excited to join the Ready. Set. Write! summer writing intensive hosted by Alison, Katy, Elodie, Jaime, and Erin. Set some goals, write some stuff, check in here on Wednesdays - and hang out with other awesome writers who are doing the same thing! Find all the details on Alison's blog. And then join in the fun - what have you got to lose?

 

WHAT ELSE I'M DOING

I just completed edits for my first official Stubby Pencil client - what a great feeling! I'm looking ahead to a relaxing weekend at home, which will include: Friday Night Fire, beer brewing festivities in the driveway, a sleepover for Toad, and a lot of cleaning! And writing, of course.

 

I'm also gearing up to host my book club on Monday night, when we'll discuss DIVERGENT and enjoy refreshments inspired by the book. So if you've got any brilliant faction-inspired ideas for appetizers or desserts, please leave a comment!

WHAT INSPIRES ME RIGHT NOW

The idea for BEAUTIFUL BIRD settled into my heart when we purchased a piano, sight unseen, from a friend of a friend who was moving to Maryland. A nugget of an idea came to mind those first days as I wondered about the people who had owned the piano before us. The piano's history - real and imagined - continues to inspire me as I revise.

What's up with you this week? If you could go anywhere for a quick weekend getaway this summer, where would you go?