Sunday, August 14, 2011

Favorite blog posts from my Livejournal blog

I recently changed over to blogger, and since there appears to be no easy way to transfer a livejournal blog (or any blog for that matter) to a blogger blog, I've decided to scan my old blog posts and choose some of my favorite posts.
2010

Ending one, Starting another: Top 10 (er, 12) of 2010

parking lot confessional story prompt

BLOODSHOT EYES, BUSTED BOOTS, BOOKS AND BIRTHDAYS

My Bullying Story- in support of Young Adult Authors Against Bullying

SCBWI Asilomar Conference report

It's been a great two weeks

 

2009

It's been a supercalifragilistic autumn!

photo video - hope this works...

Susie Stinkadora

SCBWI L.A. - FINALLY blogging about it

Hippos with shoes

Top 10 Reasons To Finish Your Novel

small views on death and heaven

One pair, two pair, three pair, seven...Shoes for Me, 2011!

2008

Just in case you needed a laugh

Rutgers Conference and Surviving October

2008 Barbara Karlin Grant award

lots of activity

Independent Bookstores

Follow up notes really DO matter!

2007

A little good news: Barbara Karlin Grant Letter of Commendation

Say No to Pea Soup

If you are interested, feel free to read my other posts at http://writearoundsue.livejournal.com/.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

This is my new blog. I have 2 posts.

I've blogged for several years, but just set up this Blogger blog. Forgive me for the limited number of posts! I am trying to figure out how to transfer my blog posts with another provider over to Blogger, but the process has been wonky. Clearly I'm still figuring it out. Silver bullets welcome! Seriously - I need help. I may live in Silicon Valley, but that doesn't mean I have engineers on speed dial. 

If you know an easy way to transfer a blog, I'm all ears. 
Cheers!

Finishing the Bridge

My family just went camping for 3 days in Sequoia National Forest. We saw a mule deer, a garter snake (not poisonous, much to my 8 year old's dismay), lots of water (rivers and waterfalls), magestic mountains that seemed to rise out of nothing and never stop, sequoias that wouldn't fit in my camera lens, and a black bear. I'd never seen a bear up close, and fortunately, this one was quite a ways up the hill from our campsite. But I've now checked it off the list, too. 

But one of the best things I saw was before we even arrived at Dorst Creek. We were stopped at one of those construction points along the road where they have one lane closed, and they put up a temporary light, so that one lane of traffic can go through. Then your light turns green and it's your side's turn. 

We were in pole position at the red light. I watched an older man pull over, get out of his car with a small piece of cardboard, about 9"x12", and prop it up against the construction sign. He put his hands on his hips, adjusted the sign a bit, then stomped back to his car. On the cardboard, scratched in black pen was "Finish the Bridge!"

My husband and I laughed, recognizing that this bridge must have been under construction for an eternity - and still is - and this is a local guy about as sick of this section of road as he can get. 

It got me thinking about unfinished things. Unfinished projects...unfinished manuscripts. I have a novel I've been working on for a year now. It's more like a chapter book, but I like to call it a novel because I feel like the word 'novel' can give people the impression that it is very, very long, and that is why, of course, I have not finished it yet. The truth is, I'm just not applying myself to it like I should be. I'm the lady in the orange vest on the side of the road, directing traffic, sipping on a strong coffee, waiting for someone to finish the book for me. I mean, the road. Did I say book? 


I thought to myself how great would it be if I had someone standing over me, watching me write my novel, occasionally putting a sign up: Finish the book!


I think that I would. And I think that I will.