Sydney Salter's Blog, page 34

Guest Nose L.K. Madigan

Today it's my pleasure to welcome L.K. Madigan, debut author of Flash Burnout. I'm really excited to read this one! L.K. says:

In FLASH BURNOUT, the main character is 15-year-old Blake, a guy who doesn't spend much time thinking about his appearance. In one chapter, he comes back from winter vacation with a monster zit … but that's really the only time he suffers over a physical "defect."

It was liberating for me, not only as a writer, but as a recovering teenager, (!) to not pay attention...

Work-In-Progress: 22,089 words

I'm finally getting into the swing of things with the writing, now if only I could get the rest of my life to cooperate!

Ordinary Superpowers

So I have this thing, a small power of sorts, that I call Line Luck. Yesterday, for example, I walked into the post office and found absolutely no one in line. But when I turned around to leave, there were ten people waiting all of a sudden. This happens to me a lot in grocery stores, movie theaters, Starbucks, etc. I wish I could fly, turn everything I touch into chocolate for 10 seconds a day... but at least I often avoid waiting in line.

What's your ordinary Superpower? What Superpower do ...

Work-In-Progress: 13,199 words

I found a nice chapter-every-two days rhythm this week & I reached that 10,000-word celebratory hot chocolate mark. (If you're seeing this on Facebook, go to www.mybignose.blogspot.com to see the vlog.)



Now off to write chapter six so I can sneak off to a matinee movie with my husband...

In My Mailbox (11)

Yesterday I took my 8th grader to buy her Halloween costume. Her choices? Slutty vampire, slutty Little Red Riding Hood, slutty GI Jane, slutty Leprechaun (that one came with "kiss my pot of gold" panties), slutty--well, you get the idea.

I couldn't help but feel grateful for the one little gem that arrived in my mailbox this week:

Nothing Like You by Lauren Stasnick
A seventeen-year-old grieving the loss of her Mom lets a one night stand become an ongoing thing.

I loved this book. I'm grateful f...

Contest Winner!

Congratulations!!!!!

Luvdaylilies is this week's contest winner!

Skin Deep

I'm usually pretty good at avoiding kiosk pitches at the mall. But somehow last weekend, I found myself letting a guy slather cream on my forearm. He talked the whole time about how the cream would slough off all the unsightly dead skin cells on my face. The 24 karat gold in the mixture would penetrate seven layers deep. Blah, blah, blah.
When my arm turned bright red as it reacted to all that gold, apparently, he turned to my teenage daughter. This cream would clear her unsightly...

Work-In-Progress: 5,420 words

So I'm getting off to a slow start... Here's this week's vlog.



I rewarded myself with a mocha for hitting 5,000 words, but I hope to write much more this week. And then I can reward myself with some significant chocolate!

In My Mailbox (10)

I found myself in need of creative inspiration this week. Starting a new novel is so scary when you have books on the shelves getting public comments... And I've had trouble shutting out all that noise in my head.

So here's what arrived in the mail:
Art & Fear by David Bayles and Ted OrlandThis book "explores the way art gets made, the reasons it often doesn't get made, and the nature of the difficulties that cause so many artists to give up along the way."
Why I'm excited:A fellow 2k9...

Guest Nose Lauren Bjorkman

Today I'm excited to welcome Lauren Bjorkman, debut author of the serious hilarious YA novel, My Invented Life. Many, many laugh-out-loud moments!

Here's Lauren:

I never loved my nose. My bridge is too prominent, and I have freckles. But when a close friend of mine in high school seriously pondered a nose job (and she is gorgeous!), I hated that she obsessed about it! So when I have negative thoughts about my nose now, I banish them the best I can :D.

Roz in My Invented Life has issues...