Sydney Salter's Blog, page 31

SCBWI New York: Conference Wisdom

Libba Bray opened the New York conference & she's just as funny in person as she is on the page (Going Bovine has many funny scenes). She told us to "strive for small, unexpected moments that surprise you."

She also told us to find the gritty bits that allow readers to connect with characters. I loved that because I hate reading about perfect characters, being so far from perfect myself.

Libba warned us that trying to please other people with your story is "madness." I also think that you can't...

New York Part One: Non-Conference Fun

I never think about how quiet my neighborhood sounds until I'm in New York, twenty-three stories in the sky and still hearing honking taxis and rumbling garbage trucks (I love watching all the people and zippy yellow cabs). This year my room overlooked Grand Central Station.
Before the conference started, I put on my most comfortable shoes and headed off to The Metropolitan Museum to say hello to some of my favorite Renoir, Monet, Gauguin, and Van Goghs, etc.--plus the mummies and all those me...

Off To New York!

I'm packing my bags...


Trading in my ratty sweats...



For cute little outfits!


Yay!

I'm attending the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators conference, having lunch with my editor, meeting with my agent, and signing books with some of my favorite authors at Books Of Wonder, January 28th from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Please stop by if you're in New York:

JT Dutton (FREAKED, STRANDED)
Albert Borris (CRASH INTO ME)
Fran Cannon Slayton (WHEN THE WHISTLE BLOWS)
Ann Haywood Leal (ALSO KNOWN AS HARPER)

Winner!

Congratulations!



Susan is the winner of Bobbie Pyron's THE RING!
Watch for a new breakup post and another giveaway next week.

2009 Debutantes Helping Haiti Heal

The 2009 Debs have banded together with The Leaky Cauldron Fansite to Help Haiti Heal. This weekend, donations will be taken for the cause, with prizes given away to random, lucky donors.

More information at the Leaky Cauldron's announcement page.

And the Helping Haiti Heal Website here.

If you're on Twitter, please mention the event and url:

"Help Haiti Heal - win fantastic prizes! Sat. from 2pm to 6pm EST! http://bit.ly/5603s6 #hhh"

(#hhh is going to be the TweetCode so that we stand a chance ...

JE MacLeod's Thoughts on Heidi Montag's Surgery

JE MacLeod, author of Waiting To Score, posted a really thoughtful post about plastic surgery, body image, and self confidence on her blog today. Her inspiration were these photos of The Hill's star Heidi Montag who recently had several plastic surgery procedures done at the young age of 23. Here are the photos, but make sure you check out JE's blog post: http://jemacleod.livejournal.com/158148.html


I'll just add that it makes me incredibly sad to see beautiful young women obsessed with their ...

Things On My Desk: A Retrospective

Over the years I've kept fun objects on my desk to remind me to stay on track with my writing goals. When I first started submitting my work, these guys reminded me not to fear rejection:
Eventually, I learned not to feel "chicken" about submitting. As I got busier and took on the job of planning conferences and workshops for SCBWI, a friend wished me luck in keeping "all the monkeys off my back." So I couldn't resist:
I'm pretty good at staying organized now. Collecting rejection letters...

Breaking Up With Bobbie Pyron

Here's a great breakup story from Bobbie Pyron, debut author of The Ring. Leave a comment and win a signed copy!

It wasn't the first time I'd slashed someone's tires. I sat hunched beside one of his back rear tires and flicked open my Swiss Army Knife. I pushed the point against the rubber, took a deep breath and closed my eyes.

This was my first time in Mill Creek Canyon since he'd broken up with me back in the fall. He'd said those four putrid words, "I need some space." Those words were quic...

Contest Winner!

Congratulations to Amy at Addicted To Books!

Amy won Alexandra Diaz's debut novel Of All The Stupid Things . Thanks to Alexandra for sharing her breakup story. If you'd like to share your story, email me at sydneysalter AT mac DOT com. If you're an author, I'd love to donate a copy of your book!

Could Frankenstein Pull Off High Heels?

OR She shook her long, shiny blond-streaked hair, and laughed with her friend. Her short gold dress hugged all the right curves, showcasing her long slender legs. And she wore glittering, strappy high-heeled sandals. Gorgeous, right? Almost...
She sounded like a Clydesdale clomping across the marble tiles in The Venetian Casino. Worse, she lurched like Frankenstein's monster as she walked with stiff legs and hips, thudding the toe of her shoes onto the floor.
She didn't know how to walk in h...