Blogging Awards

In the real world, the best trophies are ones you can serve mulled-wine in. On-line however, where hot autumn comforts can only be virtual, there's still nothing nicer than being freely selected to receive a digital award for blog-keeping, and I'm very pleased to have been chosen for two of these in the last few days. So thank you Simon Kewin for the Superior Scribbler award and thanks also to Melinda Szymanik for the Kreativ Blogger award. Both Simon's Blog and Melinda's are worth spending some time at. Take wine with you, but please bring the virtual glasses back here afterwards.

These awards do come with certain rules and an obligation to pass them on. If you are here because you have been given an award by me, please go to the end of this post to see the rules for each award, though remember: no one is really obliged to do anything.

First though, to play the game, I have to nominate five fellow bloggers for the Superior Scribbler Award and then seven for the Kreativ one. That's a lot of nominations! It's obviously the case that every blog I follow is award-worthy, otherwise I wouldn't follow it, would I? Anyway, I find I can't select twelve blogs in any meaningful way, so I'll just go ahead and nominate seven people for BOTH awards and hope the Internet Award Police don't break down my door at three am and superglue my lap-top. Here then are the fabulous seven, in no particular order:

The Superior Scribbler Award and The Kreativ Blogger Award

1. To the nine-year-old Bookreader at The Books I've Read, for being at once one of the most interesting people on-line (for children's writers like me) and also one of the scariest (punches are not pulled! Nor should they be).


2. To William Sedgwick at The Fly in the Temple, for being a very talented young man with a great deal more to show and tell than his blog currently suggests. William, I hope this award encourages you to show more of your excellent life-drawing and then write about it.


3. To Anita Saxena at Anita's Edge, for being brave and generous by sharing her writing with us and for hosting amusing collaborative writing games.


4. To Natalie Bahm for extracting lessons on creativity and the art of writing from everyday events and family life, often in a humorous or touching way. And much more besides.


5. To James Mayhew at Dusty Old Books for injecting a little soul into the internet.


6. To Rachel Fenton at Snow Like Thought, for lyrical storytelling, painting and poetry, and for being patient with my facetious comments.


7. To Penny at Planet Penny, for rampant creativity and assorted livestock, and for being the best mother a proud son could have.

Thanks to all of you for the interesting things you say and do, and for sharing them on-line.

Before I post the rules, I see that rule 3 of the Kreativ Blogger award states that I should now provide seven facts about myself that you don't know. Despite risking sending you back to Simon or Melinda's blog, here are seven marginally interesting things that might be of slight interest even as they make this long post even longer:

• So, I have a pet peeve: people starting conversations with the word so, despite there being no previous information to justify it. It's potentially confusing and makes my toes curl. Mind you, I also dislike it when people trail off to an ending with the same word, so...


• I like tea as much as coffee. This seems to annoy people, but what can I do? I also like dogs as much as cats and wine as much as beer. And I shall stand firm on this.


• I don't suffer fools gladly, despite being something of a fool myself. Ah, hypocrisy.


• I sometimes solve part of the crossword in my head, so that when I'm sitting at a café or bar, drinking tea/coffee/wine/beer, I can whip out the untouched grid and effortlessly start filling it in. Ah, vanity.


• I secretly wish I could dress like a Regency dandy, despite not having the wardrobe or the consumptive physic. Or the nerve.


• I was Alexander the Great in a previous life. No really, I was. Or was it Napoleon? No, it was definitely Alexander – you can still see his likeness in my imperial nose and proud Hellenic chin.


• I sometimes lie about my life, and I've even done it in print. Fiction is a hard habit to suspend.

And now, the fun part...

These are the rules for the Superior Scribbler Award:

1.Each Superior Scribbler must in turn pass The Award on to 5 most-deserving Bloggy Friends.
2.Each Superior Scribbler must link to the author and the name of the blog from whom he/she has received The Award.
3.Each Superior Scribbler must display The Award on his/her blog, and link to This Post, which explains The Award.
4.Each Blogger who wins The Superior Scribbler Award must visit this post and add his/her name to the Mr. Linky List. That way, we'll be able to keep up-to-date on everyone who receives This Prestigious Honor!
5.Each Superior Scribbler must post these rules on his/her blog.

And these are the rules for the Kreativ Blogger Award:

1. Copy and paste the pretty picture which you see above onto your own blog.
2. Thank the person who gave you the award and post a link to their blog.
3. Write 7 things about yourself we do not know.
4. Choose 7 other bloggers to award.
5. Link to those 7 other bloggers.
6. Notify your 7 bloggers.