So, Apparently I've Won An Award...

...and, of course, there's an expectation along with it. (Don't all awards expect something? A fantastic or hilarious speech, a pretty dress/tux, smiles, more exceptional work: "We love you. Make the rest of your things just as amazing. No pressure.", etc.) Fortunately, this expectation isn't all that bad. I simply don't know what you will think of it...that is the ultimate question writers must face.

I have a cool, long-standing friend (long-standing as in our dads were childhood friends :)) who, as a fellow blogger, has awarded me with the "Liebster Award" (I have no idea what it means...), an award to promote favorite blogs and their writers. I usually don't do these sorts of things, but since keeping a blog isn't necessarily easy, I think this is a nice way to make fellow bloggers feel appreciated. 

So, Kassandra, thank you so much! I'm quite honored. It made my day, really. :) Though, some of your questions are hard. Just saying... (By the way, I couldn't skip your supposed rambles. In fact, I really enjoyed them. Also, I loved your answer for question 7...where you said that you prefer Mr. Knightley. I completely agree.)

Without further ado, these are the expectations of the award:

- Thank and link back to the person who nominated you.


- List 11 facts about yourself.


- Answer the 11 questions asked by the blogger who nominated you.


- Nominate 9 bloggers (not including the blogger who nominated you).


- Ask them 11 questions and let them know about the nomination.


11 facts about me:


(As if you ever wanted to know 11 facts about me.)

#1. My favorite colors are brown and green.



#2. My favorite number is 72. (Don't ask why. I don't know.)



#3. I have studied Ancient Greek for almost three years. (The language. Sometimes people get confused about that for some reason.)



#4. I can't remember when I first started creating stories and worlds in my head, but the first book I wrote was in an old historical paper doll booklet cover at the age of 8 or 9. However, I didn't actually seriously consider being an author until I was 13.

#5. I love vintage or old-fashioned things (pretty much anything dated before 1960) and family history. When my Grandpa told me that my late Granny specifically instructed him that her large antique chest should go to me, I nearly cried. The story is, my Grandpa's mother (my great-grandmother) had inherited it from one of her grandmothers who crossed the plains and possibly even sailed across the ocean with it. So when my great-grandmother passed away, my Granny took it to keep it from being sold. It is probably the oldest thing in my room.

#6. I've kept an actual journal (as in, not a blog entitled "journal" like this one) consistently since I was 11 or 12 and now am in the middle of my tenth (not including my travel journal for my trip to Europe last month).

#7. I love storms with wind, rain, thunder, and lightning. It's refreshing.

#8. My bedroom and backyard are havens for me. Sometimes I even wear a crushed velvet cloak my mom sewed for me six years ago when I wander and pace outside. The neighbors most likely think I'm odd. :)

#9. If I could live anywhere else in the world, it would be in a little cottage in the English countryside. I love England, it's history, it's literature, it's people, and it's scenery.

#10. If I could have any magical ability, it would be to fly. I love the idea of having wings and soaring like a hawk. If you've seen the new movie Maleficent, I wish I could fly like her. Just the idea of one beat of wings to lift me and then to soar smoothly with the wind blowing all around me...

#11. I like to say that I'm a mixture between a Neo-classicist and a Romantic (for definitions of both of those eras in art, see Neo-Classical and Romantic). Those are pretty much opposites, so I also like say that I'm an oxymoron. (Cue Oscar quote: "The doc's right. You're an ox and a moron.")

Kassandra's 11 Questions:

(My answers are in green.)


#1. Which fandom was your very first-est? (fangirl lingo translated into English: Fandom means community surrounding a TV show/movie/book) (Thanks for the explanation, Kassandra. :))

I'd like to say my first major fandom was Jane Austen, the adaptions of her books, and other literary dramas (aka, period dramas). Yeah, I haven't changed much... Though, I suppose that fandom had a lot of competition with both The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. Those three were probably all tied.



#2. Which is the most recent fandom you have joined?

Shakespeare. That's a fairly recent fandom, which is surprising since I read a few of his works years ago. I read a well-written children's book on Shakespeare last summer and since then I've loved Shakespeare as much Jane Austen. I even took a "Magic in Shakespeare" class last autumn at my university because of it...and because my favorite English professor was teaching the class.




#3. Describe one of your original characters in a few sentences.

Let's see, who to pick on...

You know what, I'll copy and paste one of my favorite descriptions.

"He was like an old willow, bent with age, his grey hair like branches flowing in the wind, but wise, as if he could easily speak of the ages of the world. She, on the other hand, was a quaky, tall and sure, with energy snapping around her like leaves in the wind. And yet, I could sense the modest elegance of a small, flowering fruit tree in her as well. Her hair was a dark red."




#4. What is something you loved as a child?

First three things that came to my mind: Stuffed animals, boxes to hide in, and Ewoks.



#5. What was the worst case of feels you ever had? (Fangirl lingo: Feels means a time you were left emotionally distraught over a fictional character) (Oh, that's what it means.)

"Becoming Jane." The pair of them. I was a mess, and it jumpstarted an over-obsession of Jane Austen that lasted most of last summer...and I was even a Janeite before. (Taking a leaf out of your book, Kassandra. Fangirl lingo: "Janeite" means an enthusiast and lover of all things Jane Austen.) That was right in the middle of/during my major Shakespeare obsession as well.



#6. Describe the color of the sky.

Right now? Layered grey clouds with purple and blue streaked in the distance. The kind of sky that brings out the rich colors.



#7. What are some things that you have liked and/or disliked in books you've read?

I like well-rounded characters I can connect and empathize with. I also enjoy good dialogue.

I like giving authors the benefit of the doubt, but two-dementional characters tend to get on my nerves, particularly if they're teenage characters who act too impulsively, disrespectfully, or immaturely.

I also don't like it when they try to make a fantasy world sound different by making long, unpronounceable names for places and people or by making the world overly diverse (Eragon did both). It just sounds silly, but fortunately most authors I've read don't do that.

#8. If you could visit any time period for an hour, which time would you visit and why?

Ouch. I have to choose? That hurts! Though, it is an interesting question. Particularly when you're a history nerd.

The Middle Ages. Definitely.


#9. Ask somebody "how much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood" and write their response. xD *wicked smile*

*Laughter* "That's great! ...Depends on the woodchuck, the wood, and his wood-chucking expertise."



#10. What is something you are proud of?

I'm proud of being from a scholarly family who appreciates learning and education for the sake of learning, who think about and examine anything deeply, and who consider learning and growing and living fulfilling experiences as necessary to truly live.



#11. What "do-ya-wanna-be" when you grow up? What's in your future?

A writer, a wife, a mom, and perhaps a harp teacher. If I have to have a career, I wouldn't mind teaching English literature or something at a university. I used to have a dream of being an archeologist.

In my near future, however, I'm working towards a bachelor's degree in Humanities and am soon going to Jerusalem for a semester studying abroad.

So, I really don't have any other friends to pass this on to besides Kassandra. The friends who I do know had blogs either no longer have them or never post on them, so I find myself faced with quite a conundrum.

Despite this, I will type up eleven questions below. I would love it if you, as in anyone who reads this blog, either copy them and answer them on your blog (and let me know so I know another friend who keeps a blog) or answer at least one of the questions in the comments (and pray it shows up, since the comments can be particular sometimes).

Please? Thank you!

My 11 Questions (for the world at large):

#1. Who is one of your heroes (contemporary, historical, fictional, etc.)? Why?

#2. Name a well-loved book of yours and why.

#3. What's a favorite quote, scripture, or poem?

#4. If you could have any supernatural ability, what would it be?

#5. Do you think morality (what is right and wrong) has more to do with motive, circumstance, or character?

#6. What is your favorite smell and why?

#7. If you could be any animal, real or magical, which would it be?

#8. What is your favorite piece of art and why?

#9. If you could visit any fictional world for a day, which world would you choose?

#10. Describe your preferred weather.

#11. What is the meaning of life?