Fixing the Versatile Writer Award

Last week Steven Green gave me the Versatile Blogger/Writer award, and Richard Bon re-upped it with a shout-out. This marks at least the sixth time someone has been kind enough to think of me in their listing: I’ve previously received it from Marianne Su, Larry Kollar, Stacey Turner, Mari Juniper (who is apparently alive?) and Helen Howell.

It's been interesting to receive this award so many times. I mean, it's flattering. It's damned flattering, and thank you, it's staving off suicide, but it's interesting because over time the Award-game has lost all its game-properties. Now you just pass it on.

Well I'm not just passing it on, my friends. If winners can remove rules, then this winner is adding some. In honor of my sixth receipt, I’ll pass this on to six sundry bloggers, but they must answer six sundry questions.

1. What's the last sentence (from any of your work) that made you feel pride in writing?

2. What’s the last work of fiction that left you envying the creator? In what way did you envy he/she/it/them?

3. In your entire life, what have you most catastrophically failed at cooking or baking?

4. What field of science most frequently inspires you?

5. What task most recently frightened, grossed you out or otherwise intimidated you, such that you got someone else to do it?

6. Who is your favorite dead author? Or, if there is no single such person, name six of your beloved dead authors (in no necessary order).

As for the six writers I’d like to label Versatile this morning, in no necessary order:

-Laurita Miller

-TS Bazelli

-Craig Smith

-Lisa Vooght

-Carrie Clevenger

-Mark Kerstetter

If my six sundry targets answer the questions, then I guess I’ll have to as well. Since I have a writing convention next week, it’d be a great way to return home, and something fun to do on the train back. I’m only sure about #3.