Attack of the Blog Awards

Yes, yes, another blog award within two weeks. I know - I'm being naughty. But, honestly, when the wonderful Liam tagged me, and left me such marvellous questions, who was I to say no?

The actual award is, according to him, the Shine On Award.

However, being rather pressed for time, not to mention very tired, I shall avoid the pain of having to hunt out the award's picture, or copy over the rules. We all know how these things work by now, anyway. Let's cut to the chase.

* * *

(1) Has a piece of music ever given you a headache?  If so, what was it?  If not, what was the closest thing?

Anything with excessive bass and / or techno-electronic overtones will do it for me. Especially if the beat is horrifically repetitive. I'll sit there, with my head pressed against the nearest solid surface, hoping the the artist's trousers are infested with fleas for the rest of eternity.

(2) Do you like pens, pencils, or word processor better?

I like to try and swap between them when I can, though I always hand-write with a pen - pencil leads snap far too easily. But, as I only use biro pens (I can't write with anything else due to the fact that my ingrained pen-holding technique means that I smudge ink all over the place), it's hardly a major sacrifice.

I like Word Processors best, though, because I'm one of those unfortunate souls who will suddenly have a brainwave for a chapter they wrote two weeks ago, and it's far easier to work in these spouts of genius when I don't have to tear pages out of notebooks.

Note: I'm still a terrible notebook hoarder. Because I'm sure I'll need them one day.

(3) Out of the last five books you’ve read, what character was your favorite?

Well, I've not been doing an awful lot of reading outside my school syllabus lately, but when I've had a spare moment I've been reading Anne McCaffrey's "Dragonriders of Pern" series (which are fantastic - an absolute must for any dragon enthusiast!) 

Of the myriad characters, I'd have to say my favourite has to be F'nor. Anyone who's read the books will know exactly why. To anyone else: wisecracking, easy-going, extremely competent, yet ridiculously unafraid of his terrifying brother and sister-in-law. His amazing girlfriend Brekke comes in a close second.

(4) Out of the last five movies you’ve seen, what character was your favorite?

I haven't watched a movie in so long . . . but suffice to say that the Thenardiers from "Les Miserables" will always have a special place in my heart. Not that I sympathise with thieves and child abusers - let's be honest, who really gives a toss about Cosette anyway? - but these two are just so utterly without morals, scruples, or backbone that they just make me laugh. And make me feel an awful lot better about my own occasionally squicky life choices.

(5) What’s your favorite genre to write?

Fantasy. Because I'm an obsessive worldbuilder, loremaker, ancient weapons enthusiast, and borker of the laws of nature. Because I do what I want.

(6) Is that your favorite genre to read?

This is a hard one - again, I'm a fantasy nut, because I love the detail and lore of the worlds (no better form of escapism, a mon avis). That said, I love a good sci-fi, provided the science element isn't too heavy, and my inner history nerd adores a good historical novel. And if it ain't got a few plot twists, you won't catch me sniffing it seriously.

To put it bluntly - anything with an adventure, an engaging cast of characters, a few delicious plot twists, and preferably some nice weapons for me to drool over.

(7) When was the last time you wished your library bought more good books, more often?

I actually cannot remember the last time I visited the library for a purpose other than ensconcing myself in a five-page essay. I have no idea.

(8) Do you write with music or not?

It depends. Some scenes demand my total concentration, and thus silence. But, sometimes, I like to have some music going in the background - mostly soundtracks that fit the mood of my novel. I fuelled the novel I just completed, my NaNovel "Ikarus", with the "Sherlock Holmes" film soundtrack . . . and some German sea shanties.

They are relevant. Honest.

(9) Do you outline?  If so, what method do you use?

I use what I call the "milestone" strategy. I'll set out a few key points in the story that I know need to be reached, or events that need to happen, and then let the story take itself there. Sometimes I will plan a scene out in advance, but only very rarely. I'm a very flexible plotter.

And no, this is not because I'm a creative free spirit who hates restrictions upon my genius. I just can't stick to outlines - even if I wanted to. They will always be tossed straight out of the window by the second or third chapter.

(10) About what book or movie are you the geekiest, especially in public?

Anything and everything Tolkien-related. Seriously. With "The Hobbit" suddenly spurring a resurgence in the fanbase, it's just too easy for people like me to get very excited. Because, let's face it, we've been very very dormant since "Return of the King" came out all those years ago. 

Fans shouldn't be repressed like that. It does things to us.

* * *

And there you have it, folks!

With regard to tagging and creating new questions, I'm also going to be a huge cop-out, namely because today and tomorrow promise to merge into a rush of travel and exhaustion, so I shall simply leave you to repeat Liam's lovely questions.

Who's tagged? Why, all of you who'd like to have a go! Because, let's be honest, we all enjoy these. Even if we really shouldn't.

I shall see you all soon!

~ Charley R

Sisterhood of the World Blog Award

Charley, I thought you were going to write up today's post last night?
Charley, why did you distract yourself by reading a book instead?
Charley . . . what are you doing with that rolling pin?

Apologies. I should have known downloading a Conscience was a bad idea.

Rules

• Acknowledge the person who passed the award to you and provide their link. 
• Include the award logo on your blog. 
  
• Answer the ten questions posted below.
• Make up your own ten questions for the next people.
• Nominate blogs and link those you have especially enjoyed reading. The number you can select is up to you.
• Notify each individual that you have nominated them

Yes, yes, I know, I broke my rule about doing blog awards. But how could I not follow up on the precedent of Miriam Joy, who passed the award on to me? 

Besides. I like quizzes with questions that go beyond my favourite colour and least favourite brand of South American fizzy drink.

1. If you could relive the experience of reading one book for the first time, which book would it be?

Probably "Inkheart", by Cornelia Funke. I've read the story in so many wonderful locations, but the earliest I can remember was when I was on a skiing trip in Bavaria. Being pulled in by such a wonderful story (it's still one of my favourite books to this day) in such a wonderful place means "Inkheart" carries so many wonderful memories. I'd love to revisit the moment when they began.

2. What’s on your to-read list?

Haha, oh this question is terrible! Even cutting out the books I need to read for academic study, there are hundreds of books on my "I really really really really want to read this!" list, not to mention a million more I want to re-read because it's been such an age since I last read them.

3. How did you discover the internet? (By which I mean as more than just an information source–as a place to ‘be’.)

Probably by stumbling across sites by accident when I was wandering laconically through cyberspace, attempting to escape the tauper of my Facebook page. This happens far more than you'd think.

4. What colour is your quilt/duvet cover?

Which one - I have three! Presently, my duvet is white, with multicoloured spots. When this one goes in the wash, I have one that is stripey green, white and blue. At home, I have one with multicoloured flowers. Do. Not. Ask.

5. You have the choice between shaving your head or having your eyebrows waxed off. Which are you going to go for?

Shave my head, without a second thought. I tried waxing my legs once . . . I will never wax anything ever, ever again.

6. Someone has asked you to make a choice and you’ve been dreading that question for months. What is it?

"Which university are you going to put for your first and second choice on UCAS?"

Anyone who knows anything about UCAS will know my pain. 

7. Write three sentences prompted by any objects you can see to your left. Bonus points if it’s funny.

Would you think I'm mad if I told you I've only just realised that I have three brands of mouthwash on the shelf? I bought them each one by one to try out, and experienced such serious discomfort that each time I was determined never to put the stuff in my mouth again. 

I think we all know how this is going to end.

8. Story time! I know all three of you use Tumblr, as I’ve seen you there myself. Tell us about anything you’ve found in a tag that has surprised you, whether in a bad way or a good way or a ‘what the hell was that’ way. But let’s stay away from graphic descriptions; we all know that Tumblr can be a little NSFW sometimes.

A Tumblr tag that confused the heck out of me? Alright. Two words.

"Captain Sparklebutt".

9. What is the best present you have received in the last six months? Who was it from?

. . . And only a month since Christmas. How could you do this to meeeeeeee?

Well, going purely on the spur of the moment, I think it's a three-way tie between my new headphones (which are amazing and sound-proof and comfy and make me look really cool), my copy of "The Silmarillion" (which I have been wanting since I re-read the book all those years ago) and an enormous jar of jelly beans. The proper ones. They are practically my very own Silmarils.

To all who understand that analogy . . . you know exactly what will happen if you attempt to steal any from me. 

10.   Give us one sentence that sums up your current state of mind. It can be a quote, a motto, or you can make something up. It doesn’t have to be in English if it’s a quote, but translations recommended

"Where there is darkness, let me bring your light,

And where there's sadness, ever joy."

As mentioned in my previous post, I've been doing a lot of cuddling and comforting. Because, let's be honest, I'm not that good for much else - I feel like I ought to make an effort to bring some smiles to people. 

Right, enoug philosophising - time for some om-nom-nominations!

1 - Nevillegirl, from Musings from Neville's Navel. Because she is awesome and I think she'd enjoy this.

2 - Cait and Mime, from The Notebook Sisters. I suspect they've done one of these before, but I feel like giving it to them again.

3 - Pure Grace, from My Unicorn Has Wings. Because I'm pretty sure she'll have some wicked answers.

Anyone else, of course, who fancies giving it a go, feel free! Who am I to inhibit the spread of bloggy funtimes?

Now, time for my questions:

1) As a child, what was your biggest fear? How did you overcome it, or does it still haunt you?

2) What is the first thing that springs to mind when I say "potato"?

3) Take a trip to Australia, or win a million pounds?

4) What was the first book that made you cry? 

5) What is your opinion on pigeons?

6) Would YOU trust anyone who told you that you were destined to go on a great quest and save the world from destruction?

7) If you're leaving home for a long period, what is the one item you ALWAYS take with you?

8) Have you ever made a wish on a shooting star? What for? (Or, what would you wish for, should you spot one?)

9) Name the first character you ever considered your favourite in a book, film, or TV series.

10) Tell us a question you asked that you wished you'd never learned the answer to, but not the answer you received.

And a bonus one: What is the purpose of a rubber duck?

And there I shall leave it - BIG thank yous to those who read, and apologies - I'll endeavour to get back to proper posting very soon! 

Have a good weekend, all!

~ Charley R

A Very Inspiring Award

An award? For me? Aww, NevilleGirl, you shouldn't have! Thank you so much.

Yes yes yes, I know this goes against my usual Awards Policy - that policy being "politely decline, then slay all attempts by the award's interloping agents to breach the walls with fire, blood and a toaster."

But I made an exception today. And not just because the award has a nice pretty picture. Being inspiring to someone is not easy - especially when you're as pedantic and pernickety as I can be - and thus I think it's important to let people know that they inspire you. I've been honoured with being told I "inspire" people a couple of times, either by supporting their endeavours or doing something that made them want to do similarly, and it's a wonderful feeling to know that you've done something good for people.

So, today, I'm going to do that too.

The award runs as follows:

1. Thank the blogger who nominated you.
2. Place the award on your site
3. Share 7 random things about yourself.
4. Nominate 15 blogs. Let them know they’ve been nominated and how to accept the award.

Parts one and two here have been completed to my satisfaction . . . now . . . let's delve into the Fact File. It's a little old . . . I hope it's still decipherable.

FACT THE FIRST: The being known as Charley intends to conclude her full-time secondary education at the thirteenth educational venue she has attended (infant education omitted). 

FACT THE SECOND: The aforementioned Charley takes great joy from occasionally referring to herself in the third person during innocuous conversation. Studies suggest this is because she enjoys seeing if anyone will notice or, preferably, join in.

FACT THE THIRD: To this day, Charley maintains a lifelong mistrust of the number nine. Neither she, her parents, or anyone else, is sure why.

FACT THE FOURTH: Despite priding herself on a consistently strong grasp and use of language, Charley frequently fails to leave the "a" out of the past-tense spelling of the verb "to lead", frequently leading to confusion over whether she means "led" or is referring a the dense metallic element.

FACT THE FIFTH: If asked, after much deliberation and reference to the subjective nature of the question, Charley would define herself as a "cat person".

FACT THE SIXTH: Charley is prone to existential crises. Especially as a result of lessons spent studying religious and theological issues.

FACT THE SEVENTH: Despite being no expert on avian species, Charley maintains a peculiar fondness for crows. Seagulls, however, are like to suffer similar treatment at her hands as they would from a small terrier (studies suggest this may be the result of a slightly traumatising chip-thieving incident perforated by the aforementioned).

And now, nominations . . . fifteen nominations!

Some rules are made to be broken. This one probably isn't, judging by the high-grade material and fairly sturdy consistency, but my mace has never been much troubled by that.

I hereby declare that my nominations go to ALL MY FOLLOWERS!

Because every single one of you inspires me. You read my posts, you give your opinions, you sometimes agree, you sometimes disagree, you add things to what I've said, you suggest things I didn't see. I read your blogs, I see your posts. They make me think, they make me laugh, they make me cry, they inspire me.

You inspire me.

~ Charley R

The Toujou Blog Award!

The fact that I can hardly spell the award is a bad omen, non?

I know I'm one of those bloggers who is mostly sworn off awards for the time they take up, but at the moment I'm ridiculously pressed for time, so I thought one of these might be fun for you all.

I hath been giftified this little lovely from Seana J. Vixen (whose name is almost as hard to spell for me as the award itself - curses!). Thankfully, by the gift of Copy and Paste, the rules aren't going to give me such grief:

The Rules:

1. If tagged you must tag five others, giving each a quick sentence as to why you ALWAYS read their posts, and tell them that you've tagged them.

2. If tagged you must post your five favorite words. I know, I know, most people do facts, but facts are hard to think of so...

3. If and only if you want to/can be bothered to/have time to you can put up five questions for the people you've tagged. If and only if you want to/can be bothered to/have time to you can ANSWER the five questions your tagger set. If you want to answer questions but your tagger left none, answer your own questions :)

Hmm. Fascinating.

Let's give this a go then:

THE FAMOUS FIVE:

1 - Cathryn Leigh - Both on an off-line, she's one of my bestest friends-I-haven't-met-yet. We talk about everything, we laugh about everything, and even the figments of our imagination have started uniting in order to dispose of us when we're not looking. She's awesome. 

2 - Liam (who hates awards and will probably kill me)- You name it, the man can make it funny. Shopping lists, instruction manuals, even the ingredients list on a can of tuna. His Phils series, which he posts on his blog, are simply fantastic.

3 - The Notebook Sisters - I'm not sure I can nominate them separately, but if I could I wouldn't want to have to choose. As bookish blogs go, theirs is one of my absolute favourites. Fantastic reviews, and awesomesauce link-ups, are a bonus.

4 - Miriam Joy - My incredibly awesome and over-commited co-author. She puts me to shame on her writerly productivity, and how deep and meaningful and awesome and well organised her posts are. Go look. You will not regret it.

5 - The Director - I always get incredibly happy when I see a post of hers, because I know it is going to be brilliant. She even let me read through an early draft of her novel (which I loved) and is sending me a package (which I have yet to receive, but am still ridiculously excited for). I love this girl. So much.

THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF WORDS:

This is a ridiculously hard one for me to do, as I tend to have new words every other week as I learn new ones and mindblank on blatantly obvious ones, but here are my current favourites.

1 - Merrily (stick it in front of anything and it makes it ten times more fun.)

2 - Havoc (I blame too much Shakespeare for this.)

3 - Breach (Shakespeare again . . .)

4 - Sesquipedontist (means "a person who uses long words". Wonderfully self-descriptive this.)

5 - Tangerine (just . . . tangerine.)

Quiz Me!

Seana didn't make any new questions for her blog, so I just stole hers. Because I do what I want.

1. Which fictional character do you think you're most like?

Emilia, from Shakespeare's "Othello". She's a tough girl, and bitingly witty at times, but even she can be too soft-hearted and trusting for her own sake . . . especially when it comes to her husband . . .

I'm hoping I'll make a better choice in marriage, though.

2. What is your guilty pleasure?

I dance around the house singing Disney songs when I'm home alone. "Be Prepared" from "The Lion King" is currently top of the proverbial pops.

3. Name your three utter essentials.

Books. iPod. Internet access.

All for obvious reasons.

4. Which famous person would you most want to kiss?

Tom Hiddleston. Without a doubt.

He was the best Prince Hal I have ever seen. And you all know what I'm like about Loki.

And he's absolutely adorably sweet in real life.

How could I resist those gorgeous eyes?

5. What would be the best ever present?

People emailing me to tell me how much they enjoy the books I write. Possibly pestering me for more.

The End! I hope you've enjoyed this - or, at least, enjoyed ignoring it, if not. Aside from the font mangling, I certainly enjoyed myself, haha!

~ Charley