Back in September, near the end of the month, Dee from Dee's Designs nominated me for something called the Sunshine Blogger Award. Thank you so much more nominating me, Dee. It's so fun to have the opportunity to do this!
The Sunshine Blogger Award is a fun award that bloggers pass around to one another as a form of encouragement. It is given to bloggers who are creative, positive, and inspiring. The Sunshine Blogger Award has been all over the internet, to the satellites and back again many, many times, it would seem (I don't know about the satellite part, but you get what I'm sayin' ;).
I tried to hunt down where the Sunshine Blogger Award began, but alas, I could not. Best guess is some fellow creative came up with it to encourage some of their blogger friends, and it's been passed along ever since. Its origins seem to have been lost.
The requirements for the Sunshine Blogger Award are as follows:
Display the award's official logo somewhere on your blog (at the top of this post!).
Thank the person who nominated you (Thanks, Dee!).
Provide a link to your nominator's blog (I linked Dee's blog above, but you can also find it here!).
Answer your nominator's 11 questions (I'm doing that farther down in this post).
Nominate up to 11 bloggers (Keep reading to see my nominations!)
Ask your nominees 11 questions (Keep reading!).
Notify your nominees (You bet I will!).
11 Questions: My Answers
1. If you could pick anywhere it the world to go and the trip cost you nothing, where would you go?
Newfoundland. Not your normal dream destination, but some of my family has lived there in the past, and I'd really like to see it with my own eyes. A trip to Newfoundland is still in the someday category. Don't know when it will happen. Could be in the next month (okay, probably not. I don't have that kind of money laying around!), could be years from now, hard to say.
If the trip cost me nothing, I feel like I ought to pick somewhere more exotic. Hawaii? Going there would be pretty cool. As a backyard-chicken-lover, I'm curious about the chickens simply roaming Hawaii. I'll bet the locals are used to the chickens, maybe even find them annoying, but I still want to see them. Oh—I'd also like to see the tropical vegetation over there. What do people go to Hawaii for? Is it usually for those two things?
2. What's the weirdest thing you've ever eaten?
***If you like figs, please skip on down to Question Three. Just trust me.***
Ooh...I once ate beetles by mistake. My family had this bag of dried figs that we'd been enjoying, until I, curious creature that I am, decided to pull my fig apart and examine the inside of it. Our figs were filled with tiny little beetles! The worst part was knowing that I had unsuspectingly consumed multiple of these little critters before discovering them. I like to joke that it was just extra protein, but it still grossed me out.
(Yes, I know people eat bugs on purpose, but I'd say eating them unknowingly is a different thing!)
3. What book have you read and reread the most?
It's kind of hard to say, because I've read quite a few books at least twice. I'm cheating and giving you multiple answers.
If you've been following this blog very long, you've probably noticed that most of the books I have reviewed thus far are written by Patricia MacLachlan. She had a magical touch on her stories. I think my current favourite book of hers that I have read would have to be Baby. It is incredibly sad, but well worth your time.
Here's where you can find several reviews I've done on Patricia MacLachlan's work.
I've always really loved The Family Under the Bridge by Natalie Savage Carlson. It's a pretty short read that I may end up reviewing on here at some point.
I also really like pretty much any book by Melanie Dickerson. She writes romances set in medieval times. Castles, intrigue, damsels in danger, God-fearing men who turn up to rescue them...Oh yeah—did I forget to mention that Melanie's fiction is both clean and Christian? You bet! I'm very picky about the romance I read, and I always want it with an adventure/mystery element. For example, imagine two people of noble birth disguised as servants fall in love while trying to get their rightful positions back. Doesn't that sound cool?
4. What is your favorite quote and why?
"She wrote what she loved, until she loved what she wrote, and she sent it out one more time." - Unknown
I just recently discovered this quote, and it just feels so...so me. I can relate to it so well. I don't always love what I write, so I write something else until I write something I love, and then I send it out one more time.
Side note: I tried Googling this quote in hopes that I could find the author (I couldn't), and got just FOUR search results. That doesn't happen much anymore in this crazy internet age, although you might be surprised that I've managed to Googled something that comes up with ZERO results multiple times. It's still a thing. Do I remember what I Googled to make the search engine come up empty? Nope. Sure don't. It always amuses me when it happens, though.
Bonus quote:
"I'm writing a first draft and reminding myself that I'm simply shoveling sand into a box so that later I can build castles." - Shannon Hale
I discovered this quote somewhere around a year ago, I think, and I saved it because it is a wonderful reminder that it's okay if your first draft isn't perfect. I'm a perfectionist, and I have a hard time not editing as I go along. Most of the time I do edit as I go along. It's hard for me not to, but there are benefits to learning how to control the on/off switch on your inner editor.
5. If you could make one change to the world, what would it be?
There are so many things I could say. Only God can truly solve all of the worlds problems, and I believe someday He will make everything new. Until then, there are so many things I wish I could change. I wish I could eradicate poverty, teach everyone how to stand up for and protect themselves, essentially just solve everyone's problems. I can't, so I'm going to give you this answer:
I'd give everyone eyes to see beauty in the world, and eyes to see the hope that Jesus offers through salvation.
6. What is the hardest book you've ever read?
Probably The Last Book in the Universe by Rodman Philbrick. I think it was my first dystopian/science fiction read, and I found it extremely disturbing, but also very fascinating. I have generally steered clear of these genres, but it was required for a creative writing course I was taking in school. I'm glad I read it, but it was a hard read that was quite out of my comfort zone.
7. What is your favorite Bible verse and what does it mean to you?
“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." - Matthew 6:34
Matthew 6:34. When I was younger, I constantly worried about things that really didn't matter. Things I knew didn't matter, but that I couldn't seem to shake. Verses like the one below, paired with lots and lots of prayer fixed that problem after quite some time. I still have Matthew 6:34 posted on my bedroom wall as a friendly reminder that I don't need to borrow trouble. God's got this!
8. What is the most fascinating book you have ever read?
Most fascinating? Sunday school answer: the Bible. Kinda true, though. No matter how many times you read it, there are always new things to discover. Most boring book I've ever read? My Driver's Handbook. Gross.
9. What is one of your favorite things to do when you have free time?
*Cough, cough* Ahem. Read. I read so, so much. It's kind of insane. I've been told that good writers are good readers, and I was a good reader long before I began writing seriously. I'm currently very into fantasy/fairytale retellings. You'll likely see books of that flavour being reviewed on the blog in the next few weeks/months. I have some really good ones to share!
10. What is one circumstance when you felt that God's hand was leading you?
I went through something really tough two or three years ago, and I struggled to share it with the people who could help me. I tend to hold things in until I just can't anymore. Then there's a flood, and all's well again, most times. God definitely had my back as I worked up to sharing the things that were troubling me.
Same with my habit of constant worry. I prayed a lot that God would help me quit worrying over things that really didn't matter. It took quite some time, but He certainly answered that prayer.
11. If you died today what is one thing you would regret not doing the most?
Jumpins, Dee, this is a tough one.
Making one last mud pie?
Stealing the last cookie from the jar?
Okay, okay. I'll get serious.
I try to be very intentional about spending time with the people that matter most to me, but it would be very easy to always wish that I could have just one more day with them. This song often reminds me to be intentional about how I spend my time. Your life can change in an instant. You can lose someone you love in less time than it takes to say "I love you," so say it while you still can.
11 Questions:
What's your favourite book (or three!)?
What do you think of self publishing and/or have you self published?
Where does your main source of writing inspiration come from? Some random corner of your brain you just stumbled upon? From the books you read? From music you love? From writing prompts? From your pet three-legged cicada?
Do you have a music playlist that helps you focus/get in the mood while you write?
(I'm stealing this one from Dee...;) What's your favourite Bible verse and why?
What genre do you write the most/what made you choose it?
What genre do you read the most? Is it the same as the genre you write the most?
Why and when did you start writing?
Do you have a dream publication you'd like to be featured in?
What's one piece of writerly advice you've learned to appreciate?
Last but not least, what is your favourite piece of writing you've ever created? It's gotta be a completed project, not a WIP. Poem, short story, novel—you name it, so long as it is a completed project (or not..I didn't properly answer all of the questions Dee gave me).
Nominees:
I hunted through the different author email lists I am subscribed to, but the Sunshine Blogger Award seemed to be conspiring against me—pretty well all of the bloggers I considered nominating have already been nominated in the past couple of months, and it seemed weird to re-nominate them so quickly. That's why I only have two nominees. Perhaps if I am nominated in the future, I will be able to come up with more nominees, but for now, congrats to Alannah Faith and Kaytlin Phillips. Keep writing for His Glory, girls!
Alannah Faith
As far as I know, Alannah Faith from Let's Run Free hasn't been nominated recently, so here's a nomination for you, Alannah.
By all means, take the time check out Alannah's website. I love the story behind her blog name, Let's Run Free. Don't stop writing, Alannah. Hope this nomination encourages you. I know it did me.
Kaytlin Phillips
Kaytlin has been nominated before, I do believe, but I'm nominating her anyway. :) I admire her obvious love and enthusiasm for writing. She's co-founder of Sisters Three Press, where she and her two sisters self-publish their various books. Kaytlin's also founder of Writer's Vision, where I had a blog post republished recently. I guess maybe Kaytlin reminds me a little bit of myself, with her fingers in so many writer pies. Our acquaintance hasn't gone past exchanging a few emails, but I think we could get along quite well. :)