Sydney Salter's Blog, page 42

Guest Nose: Carrie Ryan

One of the things I loved about writing in the world of The Forest of Hands and Teeth is that they're so obsessed with surviving that they don't have any time to focus on looks which is kind of nice. There are definitely times I wish our world were like that!
Oh, the things I've done in the name of beauty! I've wrapped my hair around empty coke cans to try to tame the frizz. I've sat in my office at work refusing to drink water for fear I would have to walk to the bathroom later on painful high h

Guest Nose: Cynthea Liu

If you want to get an Asian talking about her nose, you've asked the right person. Though I'll say in The Great Call Of China, Cece's nose isn't her issue. She's got other things to worry about like connecting with her birth parents. So all the nose-talk, if there had been any, would have been reserved for the special uncut scenes!
But for me as an author, with a very flat nose, I can tell you some funny stories about how I feel about my nose or lack thereof.
First, a lot of glasses in the U.S. ar

Guest Nose: Saundra Mitchell

In Shadowed Summer, my main character Iris trails behind her best friend Collette in the getting-to-the-beauty phase of being a teen. It doesn't occur to Iris to think about the way she looks until her uncle brings her a few faintly fashionable odds and ends from a tag sale.
Among these pieces, Iris finds a fitted, blousy shirt unlike her usual beaten-up Ts. And when she puts it on, she feels different. More obvious; more like Collette, who's still delighted enough with her recent transformation

American Idol: A Best Legs Contest?!?

So how come American Idol judges never tell a guy that his singing was only so-so, but his "butt really looks great in those jeans?" So many times the judges will start a female contestant's negative critique with something along the lines of "you're a beautiful girl." The guys rarely hear those kinds of comments.  
Last night Jeanine Vailes was told by more than one judge that her legs looked great. Hello?!? She's trying to improve her singing. How is that possibly constructive? And how am I sup

Guest Nose: Erin Dionne

Today it's my pleasure to introduce Erin Dionne debut author of Models Don't Eat Chocolate Cookies--a book that deals with body issues front and center. 



Erin says:
Celeste, my main character, is "comfortable" in her skin at the beginning of Models Don't Eat Chocolate Cookies--meaning that she hides in big clothes and downplays her attractiveness because of her size. She wants to blend-in to prevent being teased, so she shuts down and creeps through her days avoiding conflict. It's a terrible way