What's Up Wednesday: In Which I'm Doubly Inspired

What’s Up Wednesday is a weekly blog hop created by Jaime Morrow and Erin Funk for likeminded writers to meet and encourage one another. Everything you ever wanted to know about it (now, with 50 percent more!) is right here.

What I’m Reading: If you’re new to my blog (or if you missed the announcement), the YA Book Club is reading Allegiant this month. Which means I am reading Allegiant because I’m the supreme ruler of the book club and yada yada yada.

If this were a YA book, I would corner you in the cafeteria and, with the help of a menacing loner or douchebag jock, force encourage you to join. Because I am grown up and mature and all that, I’ll just let you know that I’d love for you to join. Also, it’ll look really great on your college applications.

You can learn more about the YA Book Club here. And if you’re up for discussing Allegiant with us, the fun happens Monday, November 18.

What I’m Writing: A whole lot of nothing. But that’s because I’m revising.

[Cue the chorus of heavenly angels!]

Um, right. Because revising means good things for my mental health. (Remember?) The good news is that the revisions are actually going well. I jumped in right after I finished writing, so this is more of a rough revision. Once I’m done and consider the story a work of genius I plan to set it aside for a week or two so that when I return I can experience the full range of horror at its terribleness.

Of course I don’t think that right now. Right now I’m inspired. Right now the clues and red herrings are fitting together like a jigsaw puzzle so the mystery actually seems mysterious. I’ve added in new scenes that make me love my world and characters even more, and I think, well, even if this love for my WIP is short lived it’s a pretty awesome feeling.

What’s Inspiring Me: If you haven’t already, you need to drop what you’re doing and read this article by YA author Matt de la Peña on the affect reading and writing can have on a person. It’s a beautiful, moving account of the way a single book can change a person’s life and why it’s not always the most obvious teens who are writers. Expect tears.

His article brought me back to the reason I’m trying to get published in the first place. During revisions I’m easily caught up in the craft of it. I get a bit tunnel-visioned and all I can see are WORDs, TERRIBLE WORDS, OKAY WORDS, BEAUTIFUL WORDS and plot and character and all of these little pieces that form a book.

But de la Peña’s article speaks to the heart of writing for young adults. That feeling, to know a teen is reading your book and maybe feeling more self-confident or aware because of your book? That makes the endless days of revision and the rejection and fear completely worth it.

What have you been up to?