Wednesday, May 22, 2013

What's Up Wednesday


I decided to participate in What’s Up Wednesday through Jaime Morrow’s blog. Hooray!
 


What I’m Reading
Ask The Passengers by A.S. King. This book has been on my list since before it was released last October. I love King’s Printz Award winner, Please Ignore Vera Dietz, and so far Passengers is living up to my expectations. It’s about Astrid, a high school senior struggling with a disapproving mom, a pot-smoking dad, and the possibility that she might be gay. She likes to lay outside on the picnic table and stare up at the airplanes flying overhead, sending love to all the passengers. I’m about 75 pages in and loving it!
 

What I’m Writing
I’m picking up the short story I wrote this past semester about my time living on an Air Force base and continuing my revisions. I ran out of time at the end of the semester to finish revising, so I still have some work to do. I’m also considering expanding the story into a longer (novel-length?) piece, so I’m working on a rough outline for that.

 
What Inspires Me Right Now
Other people’s success stories make me want to write. Hearing about the great times people are having while writing their WIPs makes me want to jump right in and write something for fun. I haven’t written a story/novel for fun in over two years. It’ll be nice to have a few no-pressure months. I’m also not taking any workshop classes at Chatham in the fall (I have to get the prerequisites out of the way first), so I’ll have lots of time to work on my own projects!

 
What Else I’ve Been Up To
Um, well, graduating from college. I also went out to Chatham for a job interview last week, which I should be hearing about any day now. I’ve started back at my summer job (the one I’ve had since I was 16) in the meantime.

I’m also trying (trying being the key word here) to get back into exercise. I’m wearing a strapless bridesmaid’s dress for a wedding at the end of next month, and I would love to have awesome looking arms! I did well working out over the weekend, but it’s harder to find the energy when I get home after being in the office from 8-5. Hopefully I can find a routine that works, even if it means working out extra hard on the weekends to make up for the days I’m in the office.
 

So what’s up with you this week?

13 comments:

  1. I've heard a lot of good things about ASK THE PASSENGERS. I really should give it a read. That short story you're working on sounds really interesting. That would be cool if you were able to extend it into a novel!

    Congrats on graduating! That's huge. :D And as for the exercise thing--I hear ya. It's so tough to get into a routine. I'm trying to do the same thing. Good luck!

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    1. ASK THE PASSENGERS is a really great book so far, such engaging characters! I'll definitely post a review once I finish. And thanks so much! The graduation thing hasn't really hit me yet...I'm sure it will when everyone is heading back to campus in August and I'm off somewhere else. Good luck with your exercise routine, too, it's definitely a challenge!

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  2. I know exactly what you mean about wanting to write for fun. I didn't have time to write for a few months now, and I'm aching to start again. But I have to be careful not to fill up my summer too quickly, or it will become just as busy as my school-year months. Good luck! And congrats on graduating!!

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    1. Thanks so much! It's strange having this sense of writing freedom where no one (necessarily) needs to read any of it. Good luck with your projects! :)

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  3. It's a wonder you do ANYTHING after 8-5 in an office. I would be ready for sleep after that. Graduating from college is a HUGE accomplishment. Allow yourself to relish that for a while, you deserve it. It's also great that you will have a chance to pursue some fun writing projects. :0)

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    1. It's definitely hard to find motivation to sit at a computer AFTER sitting at a computer for hours. And thank you so much, I'm definitely enjoying the accomplishment of graduating. :)

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  4. Congratulations on graduating, and I hope you can fit some writing into your months off. I know what you mean about hearing people discuss their WIPs and feeling like you want to throw yourself into a fun writing project. The enthusiasm of other writers has been kicking up my inspiration a notch lately too.

    I need to go put ASK THE PASSENGERS on my TBR list right now. I keep hearing good things about it, so I think it's one I'll have to read some time.

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    1. Absolutely. When other writers are so excited about their stories, it makes me want to write even more! :) I'm glad you're extra inspired lately, too!

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  5. Congratulations on your graduation!

    I'm trying to get into better shape this summer too. It's so hard to get into a good routine; writing full-time has turned me into such a slug! I'd envisioned doing all these yoga classes and walks but I rarely make the time.

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    1. I'm definitely struggling to find a routine, too. Yoga is one of my favorite exercise methods, though. It helped me become flexible enough to touch my toes, so it gets lots of bonus points! :)

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  6. Too funny ... I wrote a similar post yesterday and had no idea there was a link-up.

    You know this already, but I'm SO EXCITED for the novel you're planning. Can't wait to read the short story version and the longer one, too! :)

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    1. I'll definitely be sending you the story once I'm done revising it! :)

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  7. Congrats on graduating!

    I've heard really good things about Ask the Passengers, so it's good to hear it's living up to the expectations. It's somewhere on my TBR list so I'll get to it eventually...

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