Unique Blogger Award

I was nominated for this award by the amazing, lovely CathyTea, who writes SO MANY great, insightful, and joy-inspiring stories that I’m sure anyone can find something they like from her CathyTea’s Simlit Anthology! Check out her blog, and her award-post to see some other nominees too!

And Tango was also nominated by the amazing livinasimminlife, whose rich, detailed worlds, great drama, and likable and intriguing characters make for awesome stories certainly worth the read. You can check out her award post here, and her blogs are Livin a Simmin’ Life and The Kassiopeia Fullbright Mystery Series.

Thank you so much, Cathy and livinasimminlife! I’m honoured!

And the rules for this award are:

1. Share the link of the blogger who has shown love to you by nominating you.
2. Answer the questions.
3. In the spirit of sharing love and solidarity with our blogging family, nominate  8-13 people for the same award.
4. Ask them 3 questions.

So then, the questions:

By CathyTea:

1. What are you grateful for at this moment?
   Of the good moments that make life worth living for everyone. Of nature and the wonders it holds. Of the kind of culture and art that shows how wonderful humans are. Of the wonderful people I’ve had and have the fortune to know and to be friends/family/loved ones with. Of the fact that I’m lucky enough to live in such a nice place. And of my mostly good health and the fact that I’ve already experienced so many things, and that I (hopefully) have time to experience so much more.
2. What’s one of the greatest challenges you’ve faced with your writing?
   Hmm… there have been, and still are many challenges, but I’m going to say that one of the most challenging things has been actually getting my writing out for anyone to see. It has taken a lot of courage, a lot of struggling with thoughts that my writing isn’t good enough for people to see, and just a lot of getting out of my comfort zone in general. Even now, after way over a year of blogging, I still feel anxious and scared whenever I post a chapter.
3. In your experience, what’s one of the most rewarding aspects of writing?
   Getting ideas out and the feeling of personal accomplishment. The feelings and thoughts that writing can inspire in both the writer and reader. The fact that through stories one can interact with so many people, even thought one isn’t going to even meet most of those people. And I also love the discussions that writing can inspire, and the friendships and loves that can be born through it.

By livinasimminlife:

1. What is your favorite Sims game moment of all time?
   Woow, nooo idea. I’ve been a simmer for so long I can’t remember… no, wait! I got one! The moment I realised that SimLit was a thing (back in my TS2-days). That made the game open up to me in a whole new way – and I’d loved it even before that!
2. How would you describe your writing style and process?
   My process is kind of all over the place. Sometimes I plan and write things down, other times I just play with ideas in my head. Sometimes I hold long conversations between my characters while I’m sitting in a sauna (or somewhere else, but the sauna is the best place for that in my opinion). Sometimes I draw pictures to get the creativity flowing. And then I just write. Then I edit. And edit again. Then I write some more and edit while writing.
   My writing style is at least trying to be somewhat whimsical and occasionally meandering. I focus a lot on the inner landscapes and thoughts of the characters as well as natural – though sometimes weird – dialogue. I usually write what I see in my head and then try to put it into words that flow well and look nice. If I can add in a creative or clever metaphor, simile or some other spices, I’m happy.
3. Who or what inspires/motivates you to write SimLit or write in general?
   I think my love for writing started out from just the desire to create and to get these ideas out of my head – I’ve liked coming up with stories for as long as I can remember. I love the possibilities words hold, and I love playing with language and thinking up stories and maybe even sharing them with someone. As for who inspires me, well, my favourite writers and their amazing work, of course (Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, and Don Rosa first come to mind). The other SimLit authors inspire me a lot as well with their amazing stories, their hard work, and their creative uses of the game. As does the lovely, inviting community that has been built around SimLit.

And then, my nominees, which there aren’t enough to fill the 8-13, but I do have four more reads I’d like to give a shout-out to:

Angel in the Darkness by Marialein – This is an Ambrosia Challenge -based story with quite dark twists, intriguing plot, complex characters and plenty of emotional moments that make this definitely worth checking out!

Dear Bully by eowynstarr – This is a very touching and believable story about a bullied girl and her struggles in life. It’s very well-written and tackles what I feel is a very important and tough subject gracefully.

Orphan Challenge: Harkins Family by cshaner – A story about orphaned sisters trying to survive and build a new home. That alone is an interesting premise with lots of potential for drama and emotional moments, and this story definitely delivers on all of that! The characters are likable, and the drama that has been unfolding especially in the more recent chapters has been great!

The Benders by friendsfan36 – A story about a dysfunctional yet loving family. friendsfan has a great sense of timing and comedy. The story has shifted from more light-hearted and fun into very emotional drama while still keeping the good heart and great timing. Both the story and the development of the characters and writing have been a delight to follow.

And then my questions to these awesome people:
1. What has been your favourite writing-related moment? 
2. Where do you find peace?
3. What are your strengths as a writer, in your opinion?

Also check out my other award-posts if you want to see more stories I love.
Liebster Award
Animal Award
Sunshine Blogger -Award
The Versatile Blogger -Award

Maybe someday I’ll start re-nominating the ones I’ve already nominated instead of lazily linking to my previous posts…

Anyway, have a lovely day!