My online friend Jo Robinson of Africolonial Stories has given me the Versatile Blogger Award. π Because fulfilling the conditions of the award is somewhat space-consuming, my story today is a micro-mini, like my monthly Hot Flashes.
Thank you, Jo. I love your blog; I love your writing; it pleases me beyond measure that you think well enough of me to grace me with this.
Award
by Marian Allen
They didn’t unveil it until after they had announced the winner and I came onstage to accept it. It was a lamp. The stand was a woman’s leg in fishnet stockings, the lampshade looking something like a very short skirt.
The crowd roared approval.
Taxidermists are a weird bunch.
~ * ~
Rules:
- Thank and link to the person who gave you the award.
- Tell seven facts about yourself.
- Pass it on to seven other bloggers.
- Link to specific posts on their blogs so they’ll be notified by pingback. I’ve also notified my recipients by commenting on specific posts, since I read them every day anyway!
Since Monday is usually Writing Day on this blog, I’m limiting myself to writerly facts. So here we go.
Seven writerly facts about me:
- I love “Mary Sue” fanfic. In fact, I prefer it to any other kind. I’ve written some Star Trek TOS, some Pretender, and (in tandem with daughter #4) a Pretender/Early Edition crossover. My fanfic is camped out at my old abandoned WEBLAHG.
- Writing exercises are AWESOME.
- Research is DOUBLE AWESOME.
- When I first put up a website, I made it myself by writing html code in Notepad plain text editor. I had a dial-up connection.
- I started inventing stories as a child, started writing them down in junior high, won honorable mention with one in high school, had my first professional publication as an adult.
- My first sale was to an online magazine called Bovine Free Wyoming with this flash fiction. My first professional-pay sale was to Marion Zimmer Bradley’s FANTASY Magazine; it was a horror piece called “Nightchild”. I sold two to her, the second (“The Dragon of North 24th Street”, now the final story in my collection THE KING OF CHEROKEE CREEK) appearing in the magazine’s final issue alongside an interview with Terry Pratchett.
- Although I write almost everything on computer, pens and loose-leaf paper delight my heart.
I hereby pass this award along to some of my fellow Story A Day participants:
So there you have it. Go forth and enjoy!
MY WRITING PROMPT TODAY: Award
MA
Chris Verstraete
May 6, 2013 at 7:42amSo.. there is a dark side in there after all? thanks for the award! Will post it during the week.
Marian Allen
May 6, 2013 at 8:38amA dark side in ME? Knowest thou not my nickname is MomGoth?
Emily Witt
May 6, 2013 at 7:50amHaha, I love the punchline at the end!
I remember writing HTML in Notepad. Ah, the good old days. So glad I can just type a blog post now, pick a theme and not have to do anything fancy.
Also, I totally hear you on the pen and paper!
Marian Allen
May 6, 2013 at 8:41amYeah, Emily, I lost the urge to code around about HTML4. My coding was never elegant. Down and dirty, just enough to make things work, and I never checked the appearance in any browser but the one I used. heh!
Holly Jahangiri
May 6, 2013 at 8:42amOh, dear God.
That’s TWO, this morning. Next one, you owe me a new monitor. Although, you could tell me another story about me, and I’ll take care of the monitor. Yes, that would do nicely.
I’m sitting there thinking, “Really? A Christmas Story? Marian, are you – oh, cripes!”
Marian Allen
May 6, 2013 at 8:44amWatch your language, young lady! I just happen to have a cake of Lifebuoy here….
Holly Jahangiri
May 6, 2013 at 9:10amHey, I changed it to “cripes” what more do you want?
Marian Allen
May 6, 2013 at 9:15amHeeee!
Holly Jahangiri
May 6, 2013 at 9:19amNope! Can’t have hiiiiiim, heeee’s mine! All mine! π
Marian Allen
May 6, 2013 at 9:20amWhoooooooo?
Holly Jahangiri
May 6, 2013 at 9:27am@Marian Allen – Good owl imitation, Marian, I’m impressed!!
Marian Allen
May 6, 2013 at 9:45amI do a cuckoo all the time; I thought it was time I branched out. Birds … branches … Pay attention, son! I keep tossin’ ’em out and you keep missin’ ’em.
Maryann Miller
May 6, 2013 at 9:28amI’m impressed with anyone who writes their own code. Not me. Ever!!!!
Marian Allen
May 6, 2013 at 9:48amOh, Maryann, early HTML was pretty easy, as long as you could remember to close your attribute tags. Otherwise, the whole site was in italics or blinking red. But they kept updating the coding and deprecating what I’d already done, and then went to java and css and … I think Holly still does all that stuff, or CAN if she wants to.
Jane
May 6, 2013 at 9:44amGood morning, Ladies.
My coffee is safe, but the cat in my lap….she’d better watch out.
Marian Allen
May 6, 2013 at 9:49amAlas, Jane, you’ve stepped into bad company today! lol!
Holly Jahangiri
May 6, 2013 at 9:48amNo need to use a Foghorn on me, Marian – I hear ya loud and clear. π
Kiril Kundurazieff
May 6, 2013 at 10:01amOh my!
Elvira Mistress of Felinity & I (Nikita Cat) are so very honored that, in the short time you have known of us, you feel we are worthy of this award.
It means a lot coming from someone who has seen her stories published elsewhere & written books, too.
It serves as inspiration & encouragement &, as the 1st award we have been given as a team, as a cool validation of our efforts.
The Opinionated Pussycat
MY own 6th Day story is now up! “The Award”
Marian Allen
May 6, 2013 at 10:06amI’m following the adventures of Aubrey with great interest, and so is Miss Katya. Have fun at your Paws event!
Bob Sanchez
May 6, 2013 at 3:17pmHey Marian, you packed a lot of story into just a few lines. Nice work, gal!
Marian Allen
May 6, 2013 at 5:31pmThanks, Bob! Thanks for dropping in. π
Marta
May 7, 2013 at 12:34amThank you again! And I love the taxidermist line. In my house we like to watch the show Oddities. Have you seen it? Often a taxidermist or two on that–and they are weird, but in the best possible way.
It’s too late for me to properly respond to the award tonight. But I will!
Keep writing.
Marian Allen
May 7, 2013 at 7:14amI haven’t seen it, Marta. It sounds like something I’d like, though. π If you don’t have time to respond to the award, don’t worry about it. I passed it on to you because I love your work. I’d rather see more of your stories. π