The Very Inspiring Blogger Award

Before I get started, I really must thank James for nominating my blog for the Inspiring Blogger Award.  I’ve only just met James on-line recently and it is always a genuine pleasure when anyone likes, comments and follows my blog.  Being nominated for an award is most appreciated.  James works on the fabulous ‘Weave My Tale‘ website which is dedicated to helping not just authors who are just starting but also those who are a bit further down the writing road.  I wish had found him years ago, I can tell you.

Here are the guidelines for the award:

• Thank and link the amazing person who nominated you.
  List the rules and display the award.
  Share seven facts about yourself.
  Nominate 15 other amazing blogs and comment on their posts to let them know they have been nominated.
  Optional: Proudly display the award logo on your blog and follow the blogger who nominated you.

So here are seven facts about this blog:

1. I started writing whilst still at Uni, I attended a creative writers class at a Star Trek convention led by Ron Moore of TNG, DS9 and Battlestar Galatica fame and Brannon Braga who did Voyager and Enterprise.  Within weeks I won my first creative writers competition!  Just as importantly, I found a way to get invited to the various Star Trek and other hit movie premiers in London.  Good times!

2. I wanted to write a blog for many years but didn’t think I had much to say that would interest anyone.  I’m not saying that I do now but I did think it would help my writing skills and assist me in authoring more books and maybe do some freelance writing.

3. Despite some posts being linked to by professional news and features websites, I’ve never been Freshly Pressed.  Do I care? No way!  Really?  Of course not, both know I would be screen-grabbing that big moment as if my life depended on it!

4. It was always my goal to write a mix of subjects on my blog.  I know most people favour writing a blog revolving around one speciality but I always found that too limiting.  How can I write just about one thing when there is a whole world out there.  Besides which I think writing about anything and everything makes for a better writer.  The problem is finding a good mix and having something worth reading.   My blog majors in history, travel and culture and minors in opinion and ‘stuff”.   Despite all that I do get days when I wonder what to write and have a little voice in my head that say “You see, I told you that you should have dedicated your blog to 1001 Mongol torture techniques.  You’d either have no followers or millions of them but at least you wouldn’t be stuck with what to write”.   Someone once said to me that my blog was like Wikipedia except more accurate and a lot funnier.  That’s really what I am going for.  Here are my top posts ever (except for the Home Page).

5. Through writing this blog I have made 2 or 3 really excellent friends and lots of other friends and interesting people.  I’ve been contacted to write for publications, sold books and even changed my career into something I enjoy i.e. writing and tours.  I always wonder who is reading my blog so everyone do feel perfectly free to just drop me a line and say ‘hi’.    I’m always amazed at how many people come from around the world.  What do I write that is of interest to people in Lesotho in southern Africa or French Guiana in South America? I love France and Germany but am still surprised so many readers come from there.

From the map above it looks like I have readers from all but about 10 countries in the world and several of these are dictatorships.  Central Africa looks like a hard to crack area for me.  If no one visits me from there soon don’t be surprised if I do a big feature on best restaurants in the Central African republic.  Maybe another on the leader of North Korea.  Aside from creating an international incident, it would do wonders for the hit count.  Does anyone else remember the WWF wrestler Mr. Perfect?  Sadly he is no longer with us but in the 1990’s he used to do all these little video vignettes where he was the perfect footballer or the perfect basket baller.  I reckon doing something like that for The Supreme leader has potential and I’m sure he would just love it too.

6. I spent days reading the hundreds of comments about the four posts I wrote when my mother unexpectedly died.  It remains one of the most incredible moments of my life knowing that people I never met took time out to write to me.  Thank-you to everyone whether you are still reading me or not.

7. I compare my time blogging rather like the film Ghostbusters.  The receptionist would sit bored with no calls and then after a while, all hell would break loose.  For a long time I waited for any likes at all, then there were a few and after a while my second hand iPod Touch (now iPad Wahoo) would never stop beeping at me.  These days it seems the like Mr Stay Puff is just rampaging over my life and I’m liking that.

Now I have to nominate 15 other blogs for the award.  This is very hard to do as though I don’t comment on many I do follow a lot.  Here are my 15 nominations:

1. Echoes of The Past   This is a lovely little blog about old buildings, usually churches in rural parts of Britain.

2. Gnome Lover   Jenni runs this often hilarious blog about the trials of life whilst producing excellent recipes and lots of other things.  She also loves sci-fi.  If you ever meet Jenni, do tell her how much I want that painting of the peacock on her wall.

3.Amy Reese Writes  Amy writes a blog that is a mix for mine and Jenni’s  Always interesting and fun to read.  One of my first blogging buddies.

4. Ekaterina Botziou  It’s easy to imagine that Ekaterina lives out her life in some kind of My Big Fat Greek Wedding mixed with a touch of Groundhog Day.  A really talented writer, very amusing and the nicest person you can imagine.  I won’t mention that she has been in Downton Abbey and John Carter of Mars.  She is going places and nominating her is my little way of holding on to her coat tails!

5. Stretching Into Infinity – The first blog I ever followed and one that I still enjoy.  If looking at amazing street photography from around the world is your thing then you should check this one out.

6. Save The Royal Navy – Everyone knows I like my history and all things military.  This blog is great for anyone who is interested in the current Royal Navy and its name comes from the fact that our government keeps cutting back its military budget whilst forever sending it out to do its work whilst giving extra money to things like bankers or even £120 Billion (£4,500 for each family) on waste.

7. A. H. Gray – Author and historian who specialises in my family region in North East England.  If you like Vikings and really old Anglo-Saxon stories then it’s well worth a read.

8.Oh the Things We Shall See     Skye works on several blogs, this one is a photographic blog that mixes great imagery with inspiring verses.

9. Boyer Writes  Nancy really writes a great blog, kind of like mine on a good day when all the pigs are flying and fingers are crossed and I have a vague idea of what I’m writing.  Except that Nancy is like that day in and day out.  Great subjects and very professionally written.

10.A Map Of Time – Jenga keeps A Map of Time all ship-state and Bristol fashion as this beautiful blog primarily covers maritime history in North America but also other places too.  I’ve spent many a time nosing around here and always learn lots of new things.

11. Look Left – This is a political blog which I have long followed and occasionally contributed to.  Written by Jack, a very talented writer with a left-leaning persuasion in UK Politics.

11.View From Saris world This is a bit of a literary and history geek sort of blog which I always enjoy reading as the posts are always well written.  My favourite recently was about “Saying Goodbye to books”, something I’m sure all us bookworms can relate to.

12.The Dangerously Truthful Diary of a Sicilian Housewife –  I like this blog a lot, its written with quite a lot of tongue in cheek humour and yet you get the feeling it is all based on fact.  I’ve been dabbling with the idea of buying a totally ramshackle old farm house in Sicily which is how I found this great blog.  Plus it reminds me of the funny characters I enjoy meeting on the Sicilian TV show, Inspector Montalbano.  Don’t end up like Caterella, pull up a chair and enjoy. Avanti!

14.History Kicks Ass – Let Nadine take you through some wonderful bite size moments of history.

15. Docommawrite Alex or Alexandra as I no doubt infuriatingly insisted on calling her for over a year has a wonderful little blog.  Each time you visit it’s like opening a present of untold delights.  She does great writing, is very inspirational and recently started her own Yoga company in and around Boston.  If you want to laugh or just feel happy then go see what she does. She is my little blogging sis!