I’ve Never Actually Been Nominated for Anything Before

Well, that’s not 100% true. I was nominated any time there were extra chores to be done (only child = primary target) or sometimes emails tell me I’m nominated for at least $250,000 but I think there’s something fishy about them. But to be nominated for something substantive and I actually appreciate-that is a rarity!

The irascible SoloRein (haha, jk, I’ve been looking for an opportunity to use that word) has so eloquently nominated me for a Sunshine Blogger award. I had the wonderful opportunity to meet Sol (@SolHom) at DFWCON this year and I look forward to seeing her yet again next year. She’s become a valuable Beta Reader for me and I hope I at least provide a little of that value back to her. So on to what this is all about! From her site:

“The Sunshine Blogger Award is given to those who are inspiring and bring sunshine into the lives of their readers and fellow bloggers through their blogspace and/or their social media.”

And while I have no doubt someone vastly more qualified than I will win (is there a winner? Who knows, doesn’t matter), I thought it would be fun to participate, after all, this is what it’s all about. Here’s how it works:

• Name drop and link to the blog of the person who nominated you.
• Answer the eleven questions from the blogger who nominated you.
• Nominate up to eleven wonderful bloggers and write (or borrow/steal) eleven questions for them to answer.

So here we go (who doesn’t love talking about themselves? Me! So this is gonna be weird!):

1. What do you snack on while you’re writing?

Anything I can find. I like Doritos but they’re dangerous. If I were to eat them while I wrote I’d go through a bag a day, so I reserve them for weekends only. Sometimes I will eat peanuts, sometimes whatever is left over in the fridge. More often than not, I have nothing to snack on at all.

2. What’s your favorite location for maximum creativity and productivity? How often are you able to visit this setting?

My desk, in my house. It is here I have nick-nacks to play with when I need to think, it is also pretty quiet. I can’t work in public, even with headphones. There is too much going on and too many people moving/walking around. I work best in my own environment at home. Here I can write for 8-10 hours if I need to.

3. What is that one weird trick you can do? You know, the one you’d kind of like to forget, but your friends always bring up at parties after a couple of drinks?

I can name every Transformer released from 1984 until 1988 if I’m asked (it never happens) or I can recite the entire script of the 1986 Transformers Animated Movie if asked (also never happens). Though I’m not sure if these apply because no one ever asks me to do it and I don’t think I’d like to forget it. Other than that, I don’t really have many “tricks” per se. However, if you get a couple drinks in me I’ll start throwing out financial advice like its no one’s business. I don’t really know why.

4. Tell us about the project you’re most proud of completing.

Well, I am quite proud I’ve written three books despite the fact they haven’t been published yet. Other than that, I guess I’d have to say I’m most proud of the Transformers convention I created from scratch and hosted back in 2013. (Jeez, again with the Transformers!) We had nearly 1000 attendees, and I am proud to say everyone had a wonderful time and congratulated me on such a successful show. Unfortunately I didn’t want to devote my life to holding conventions, so it was a one time thing, but something I am very happy to have done.

5. Which clique did you hang out with in high school? If you could go back, would you hang out with the same crowd or choose different friends?

Hehehehe. I didn’t have a clique, I had three so-so friends. My graduating High School class consisted of 24 people, we weren’t large enough to form cliques, everyone interacted with everyone else on a daily basis. And if I could go back I would vehemently refuse, I am happy to leave High School in the past. Every time I start wishing time machines existed I think about High School and realize that, nope, I’m happy living in a world where time moves in a fixed line (probably).

6. How have you improved the world during your lifetime?

I’m not sure I have, that is a big part of why I write. I no longer want to be merely a consumer of culture, I want to add to it, no matter how small my contribution. Other than that, I rescued a dog, he lives here now, he’s very happy. So that’s something.

7. Teleportation. Would you do it? Why or why not?

All day long. I would own the teleportation company cause I’d be using it so much. I love traveling, but I hate driving…so yeah, puts me in a weird place. I guess I’m impatient.

8. What is your favorite stupid joke?

Two men walk into a bar, the third ducks.

9. What charitable organization do you think more people should support?

Animal rescues and animal shelters. They are at the mercy of our society and it is our job to ensure our own selfishness doesn’t destroy the lives of innocent animals and wildlife.

10. What is one topic you would never be able to write about? Why?

This is going to get a little gross, but a woman going through her menstrual period for the first time. Not only do I not want to write about it, but I have absolutely no way to understand what that is like. Not to mention doing any sort of research on the subject would probably land me in prison. Everything else in our world I could probably stand to cover if I really needed to.

11. Name three things that are always in your fridge.

Vegetables

Soy Sauce

Monster Ultra Energy Drinks (gotta stay awake to write!)

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And that’s it! A big thanks to Sol for nominating me! Here comes the part where I list my own eleven questions. Urge…to….steal….growing….must….resist…

1. What is your most embarrassing secret? Haha, no, kidding. If you weren’t a writer, what would you be doing with your life?
2. Do you use any special tricks in your writing? Anything you’ve figured out over the years that helps in some way?
3. What does your ideal writer’s space look like?
4. Do you enjoy killing off your characters if the mood or circumstance requires? Why or why not?
5. Do you have a routine or something you do when you get writer’s block or get stuck somewhere?
6. What is your favorite type of book to read? Doesn’t necessarily have to be genre, just something about a book that will always draw you in, no matter what.
7. If someone were to ask you: “Should I become a writer?” what do you tell them? Why?
8. How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
9. What is your favorite “non-writing” activity?
10. It is 10,000 years in the future. Humanity is a burning husk. Somehow your work has survived and aliens have translated it so they can read it, but they only have enough power to translate one story. Which story would you choose to survive humanity for another civilization to read?
11. Hollywood wants to turn your book into a movie, BUT in the process they want the right to rewrite it as they see fit for the screen without your input. What do you do?

Now for the fun part, I get to nominate others. I am glad I can nominate as few people as I like because I don’t know that many writer-bloggers (yet)!

First I’ll nominate Katherine L. Evans over at KLE. We had the opportunity to meet at DFWCON (seeing a trend?) and I can absolutely say my life is better for knowing her. Sometimes you find people who just get you, and she has been an invaluable friend in the few months I’ve known her. She’s also a very talented and prolific writer!

Second will be Katherine’s sister, Asher Lee, another DFWCON buddy and very talented author not to mention all around awesome person. Not only is she uncommonly generous, she holds what seems like an unending stream of stories.

Rounding out this holy (or is it hellish?) trinity will be Becki Fornwalt AKA Novelarnia. Guess where we met???? Becki is such an upbeat and confident person, I wish I could get an IV of her infectious energy every day. She and I have tossed ideas back and forth for a couple of months now and I can’t wait to see what her next project looks like.

Fourth up for nomination is my pseudo-mentor: Jay Requard. I met Jay through our local Writer’s Group back when he was the head organizer. Jay has a passion for this work like I’ve never seen and he now works for an Independent Press while still managing to find the time to write (note: I DID NOT meet Jay at DFWCON, but yeah he was there anyway :/)

Fifth….hmmm. This is where I would normally nominate Sol herself. Can’t do that though, but it still counts in my list! Consider yourself re-nominated!

Number Six will be Laura Maisano! Come on down! I’ll give you three guesses where I met her…Laura has her shit together let me tell you. Check out her website for more info, but…yeah. Very inspiring. 🙂

Nomination number Seven goes to Nicole Wilson. I had the opportunity to meet her (where else!) in Texas but I found out she will also be attending the Writer’s Digest Conference in NYC this year as well, so I look forward to reconnecting again.

Number Eight is Misty Mikes. I wish I’d had more time to get to know her during the conference, but at least I manage (or try) to keep up on Twitter.

Nine is going to be Kimmie Easley, who is someone I would describe as a good soul. Along with her partner-in-crime Sarah Bale (you need a blog Sarah!) she was one of the first people I met at DFW due to their awesome intro-social. A great person and fantastic author!

My final nomination (I think 10 is a good, round number) will be Theresa Glover. Someone who, like Jay, I met through our local Writer’s Group, she has recently joined the organizing committee and puts out some truly amazing work.

Wow, okay so I got more than I planned on! Great. If only 10% of the people nominated respond, it will be interesting regardless because these are all very awesome people! Also, not all of these sites are exactly blogs, but I only know so many people! (Technically this site isn’t a “blog” either, but I like writing random thoughts every now and again).

Cheers!

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