I’ve spent some time thinking about Blog Awards. I’ve been nominated for a few, but I haven’t really accepted any. First, I would like to pass along my most sincere thanks to the individuals who have nominated. You all are the greatest!
Thanks to Irene S. at Books and Hot Tea for the Epic Awesomeness Award.
Thanks to Amra Ismail at Perfect-the-Days for the Sunshine Blogger Award.
Thanks to Eve Messenger at Other-WORD-ly Endeavors for the Dragon’s Loyalty Award.
Thanks also for Alixa at AlixAnonyme for nominating me on the 3 Quotes challenge.
About Blog Awards
If you aren’t familiar with blog awards, they each have their own rules, typically around linking back to your nominator, sharing some details about yourself and your interests, and then sending it out to more people.
I have a mental block where it comes to accepting them. To explain this in the spirit of the blog awards, I’ll share some backstory. (;
I work in the legal field surround electronic discovery, and have for 11 years. In e-Discovery, we collect people’s computers and pull all of their email, often spanning hundreds of employees. I’d then look at these emails. In 2005, Social media was in its infancy, and Chain Letters were all the rage. I’d look at thousands of emails and see the same ten chain letters on everybody‘s computer. Cross companies, cross industries, all levels from operator to CEO. The first week, this was fun. After that, it made me realize how much spam is out there.
I do not think blog awards are spam.
Truly. Some time between then and now, I missed the social media bus, and stopped connecting with people around the country/world (got a post coming up on that later this week). That means I never got the joy of using these types of things as tools to get to know people better, and to help people get to know me. I never learned to connect.
So, I’m going to swallow that block and try to take these nominations for what they are: A way to build relationships with all the wonderful people in the world who make my blog possible with their connections and reading, and I will fulfill a rare accepting three awards in one post, which we will consider the “learn everything about Jon” post. Maybe it’s not what the blog award creators intended, but hey… It’s my blog. A lot of stuff here.
I’ve linked the nominators above.
Nominate Others
I’m now going to call out several of my favorite blogs (not counting the ones who nominated me… Check them out above!)
First, here are the rules for each of the blog awards. Consider yourselves nominated for any and all of these awards you don’t already have!
In addition to the great blogs listed above (and you four may consider yourselves nominated as well!), I really enjoy reading the content on these great blogs:
A Rookie Writer
Ana Spoke
World of Horror (doesn’t really focus on only Horror)
Priceless Joy and Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers
This is Another Story by Yinglan
Too many others to count, but I appreciate you all!
Facts about me / Questions answered:
1. What is your purpose behind blogging?
I want to help chronicle the journey of moving from writer to author, and show others my own hiccups and pitfalls along the way.
2. What is your most popular post? Provide link.
This story I wrote for Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers. I was pretty mean to the protagonist (he’ll get over it), but it was a fun write. What I Always Wanted
3. What advice would you give a newbie blogger?
Visit other blogs. Comment. Give to others what you would like given to your blog. It’s a great way to build your own, but more importantly, it’s a great way to learn what others are doing, especially people who’ve been doing the blog thing a lot longer than you have.
4. What is your most favourite book/movie or both?
Movie: Tough. I’m going to go with The Princess Bride.
Book: The Man of his Word series by Dave Duncan. Original method of magic, and a protagonist that demonstrated unwavering loyalty and absolute stubbornness across 4 books…
5. A place you would like to visit.
A year ago, this would be nowhere. I’m pretty happy where I am. However, as I write more, I learn the value of experiencing life first-hand and would love to visit other places. Nowhere specific, but I want to see more of the world.
6. Do you like horror movies? If so what is your favourite?
Somewhat difficult. I enjoy the Silent Hill series of video games, and so there’s a soft place in my heart for the Silent Hill movie. Otherwise, The Ring is the only movie post-childhood that has bothered me the way a horror movie should (at least up until it’s over-the-top ending). “You weren’t supposed to help her!”
7. From where do you usually gain inspiration for writing?
A lot of it came from a weekly tabletop RPG game. Beyond that, the world around me is always interesting.
8. Have you ever met with a car accident? If so what did it teach you?
Three real ones, actually. First, I hit a lake on the interstate in the middle of the night, and spun out of control, bouncing down the interstate. Second, I was side swiped while making a left out of a shopping center. Third, I had a tractor trailer smash into me from behind, crunching the back half of my car.
I learned that you don’t feel the bruises until the next day. I learned that when the moment hits, despite how fast things happen, you feel like you have an eternity in that moment. I learned that there no matter how much you think you’ve let things go, things will remain with you (years later, I still have trouble making lefts, driving into puddles, and when vehicles are driving too fast behind me). I’ve also learned that when things are happening, there are times you can do nothing about it. So don’t blame yourself. Just move on.
9. What is your biggest dream?
To be a professional, ultimately traditionally published author and see my books are store shelves.
10. If you could time travel, what would you want to change?
Several months before my mother passed away (I was in college), I had a massive argument with her. I accused her of never really supporting me anyways, and that I had to do everything on my own. I was used to it. At the end of the call, she hung up on me. Pride kept me from calling her back, no matter how often my sister told me she was pining over my not calling. I wish I hadn’t lost those months. I wish I had gone to see her more.
As a follow-up to that statement, I did get a chance to talk to her… About a week before she passed, I swallowed my pride and called her. We chatted about 2 hours, but I never saw her again.
11. What is the happiest moment in your life?
Probably when I married the woman of my dreams… Although we eloped, since the actual occasion wasn’t terribly remarkable. So it may have been when we first exchanged “I love you”‘s.
I know the birth of your child is supposed to be a big moment of joy… And it was, but a complicated emergency surgery sort of put terror lights on that night.
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