Paper Towns and Parent Trips

It's time for What's Up Wednesday, a blog hop sponsored by Jaime and Erin.  You can look here for more information and how to play along.

What I'm Reading:  I just finished the brilliant John Green's Paper Towns and I loved it.  But is it just me or were the two MC's in Paper Towns exactly like the two MCs in Looking for Alaska?  The whole time I was reading I was just like: 1- Mysterious wild girl 2- Sort of nerdy boy who is way less cool than her but obviously in love with her.  3- They go on adventures and she makes him be brave 4.  She dies (or almost dies, whatevs).  So while I loved the book, I felt like it was pretty dang similar.  I will say I liked Paper Towns better, and I will totally see the movie when it comes out!

What I'm Writing-  I am rounding the last lap of Camp Nanowrimo and at the time of this blog draft I was up to 46K of my 50K goal.  Beings that I still have two nap times and one library session to finish I think I am in good shape.  This is my MG Mary Poppins retelling, where Mary is actually Marty, a manny with tattoos and an attitude.  This project has been completely different from anything else that I have ever written, but wait, I say that every time!  Maybe I should pick a genre and go with it, eh?

What's Inspiring Me:  My son is the potty training champion of the world all of a sudden.  We have had several good days in a row where I have had to clean up nary a puddle or a turd.  Woo Hoo!

What Else is Going On:  I'll tell ya what else- my hubs and I are headed to Eureka Springs, AR this weekend for some kid-free fun!  I plan on zip-lining, taking a train tour and possibly a ghost tour!  But let's be serious.... I mostly just want to eat and sleep in!

F-Bombs and Tinkled Shoes

It's time for What's Up Wednesday, a weekly blog hop sponsored by Jamie.  Check out her blog for more details and how you can play along.

What I'm Reading:  I just finished TEETH by Hannah Moskowitz.  It is about a quasi gay merman and some magic fish.  I loved the premise, and I read the thing in just a few short days, but I only gave it three stars on Goodreads.  Why only three, you ask?  Excessive use of the f-word.  I know that this makes me sound like an old fuddy-duddy and a goody-two-shoes and all other sorts of hyphenated insults, but Oh. My. Word.  F-bombs on every page.  Sometimes twice in a sentence.  I totally get how using profanity is a part of writing voice, and it's not like none of my characters cuss, but I found it distracting enough here that it pulled me out of the story.  What do you think about excessive use of swearing in YA?  And what is excessive?

What I'm Writing:  I am still plugging away at my Mary Poppins remake, and I am just past 35K.  It has been rough trying to get writing time in since we have had house guests NON STOP this month, so I will probably need to get a few trips to the library in to finish my 50K by the end of the month.

What is Inspiring Me:  My daughter, who is five, carries around a little notebook and a pen and says that she is an "Are-fur" like Mommy!  Love, love, love this girl.  I can't believe she will be starting kindergarten in just a few short weeks!

What Else is Going On:  We are still in potty training hell.  Took my kids bowling today and my son peed in the rental shoes.  Sigh.

A Partial Request and a Pantless Sucess

Woops, I missed a few Wednesday in there!  It's time for a What's Up Wednesday update!  WUW is a blog hop sponsored by Jaime.  You can get all the details and find out how you can play along by stopping by her blog.

What I'm Reading:  I just finished IMAGINARY GIRLS by Nova Ren Suma.  It took me a few chapters to really get into it, but it turned out to be a delightfully creepy and very well written read.  The relationship between the sisters, Ruby and Chloe was what really got me hooked.

What I'm Writing:  What I'm writing is a sh#t-ton of words!  LOL.  Am I allowed to say that?  I am particiapting in my third Nanowrimo, and so that is the main reason I have miss the last few updates, because all my writing time is going to drafting my new WIP.  It has been a lot of fun so far!  I am writing a MG humor, a retelling of Mary Poppins.

What's Inspiring Me:  My CP Jennie.  She is killing it on the word count lately, and I can tell she is really loving her WIP.  Also, I got my first partial request this last weekend, so that was pretty exciting.  Opened an email expecting a rejection and BAM, they want more.  Pretty cool.

What Else is Going On:  My family has entered the seventh circle of hell other wise known as POTTY TRAINING.  My two and a half year old son has been running around pantsless and adorable for the last three days, and he is acutally doing really well.  As long as he is naked.  If you put underware on him, bad things happen.   My friends say this is great progress, but I have to wonnder if you can really consider your kid potty trained if they can't wear pants or leave the house.  Hmmm.  Hope you all have a great week!