The Liebster Award?!

First and foremost, thanks to Ingrid of Experiments In Fiction for the nomination. I have no idea what to do with this. ❤

Before we begin, for any newbies like me who haven’t heard of the Liebster award, it’s essentially a recognition from one blogger to another. This nomination made me feel really special, so I’d like to pass that forward to other deserving bloggers.

The Rules:

1. Thank the blogger who nominated you and provide a link to their blog
2. Answer the 11 questions given to you
3. Nominate 11 bloggers
4. Ask your nominees 11 questions
5. Notify your nominees once you have uploaded your post

Please check out Ingrid’s blog; I’m especially fond of the poems but there is something for everyone there. Definitely worth a read and a follow. Find them here: https://experimentsinfiction.com/

Their Award Nominations post is here: https://experimentsinfiction.com/2020/07/30/award-nominations/ in case you want a quick look at the other bloggers they nominated; a lot of good blogs to expand your horizons.

Without further ado, my nominations…

The Magpie Fancier. Books, tea, and aimless rambling. https://themagpiefancier.wordpress.com/

Virtual Marionette. Your eyes, my lines. https://shreyascribes.home.blog/

World of Harley. Fun for the whole asylum. https://worldofharley.wordpress.com/

Lifesfinewhine. https://lifesfinewhine.com/   

The world through my lenses. https://deeplyrootedbymehak.wordpress.com/

Shreya Vikram. Blurring the lines between poetry and prose. https://shreyavikram.com/

The Adventures of Samuel. https://sirrahleumas.wordpress.com/about/

Wings and Fables. The world was hers for the reading. https://wingsandfables.wordpress.com/about/

The Bipolar Writer Mental Health Blog. https://thebipolarwriter.blog/

Midnight Harmony. https://midnightharmony.com/

Your Mental Stability. Sanity comes from stability. https://yourmentalstability.com/

Ingrid’s Questions, with my answers:

Do you believe in God? Why/why not?

I don’t know how to answer this question. Faith is a complicated topic to me. There are so many different versions of God, and so many reasons to write them all off as the human mind desperately trying to find external meaning. Still, I believe that there is more to this world than we can see. I believe that it is foolish to write off the existence of things we don’t understand, just because our current science cannot verify them. I believe that everything I have ever needed, I’ve been miraculously given, against all the odds.

Why do you write?

Why do I breathe? To me, writing is the ultimate form of expression. Like many others, I fear and crave being known. That’s what writing is. It’s separating myself from my fears just enough to confront them. Writing records a timestamp of who I am when I’m writing. It’s a trail I can follow back to a time my memory has abandoned. It’s freedom. I write things I can never speak aloud. I express myself on a page the way I never could in real life. I don’t remember when I started writing or why; it’s always been something I just did. Looking back, my worlds were a place I could escape to when the world around me didn’t make any sense. Now, I write for the same reason I breathe; to live.

Do you prefer the mountains or the beach?

I love both. My beach would be a chilly, rocky place. Instead of lounging in the hot ball of rage that is the summer sun, I prefer collecting shells and searching rock pools, and forgetting that you really should wear shoes in the rocks. I love the air and the scenery that come with mountains. And the views make you feel like you’re in another world. I don’t think I could ever choose between the sky and the sea.

Do you prefer the countryside or the city?

Again, both have their merits, but I prefer the countryside. There are so many people stumbling over each other in a city, and I’m afraid of getting stepped on and crushed underfoot. Not to mention the rolling hills and open horizon. I’m lucky enough to live in a town with a lot of greenery, but the sky at night in a countryside? Nothing can compare with millions of stars winking you to sleep. Even my allergies couldn’t keep me away from that.

Is world peace achievable?

I’d like to think so. But everyone has their ambitions and desires. World peace can’t happen until people learn that their wants aren’t more important than other people’s needs. We in the Western world are often too egotistical and self-centered to think about other people’s problems like they actually matter. If someone is too different to us, they may as well be from another planet. We can’t even accept that people can love who they want, or that not everyone looks the same. I’d love to say that people are inherently good, but it’s difficult when you still see so much hate spewing its filth across the world.

If you could choose one superpower, what would it be?

Is “adulting” a superpower? It certainly feels like it. Superpowers…flying could be fun, but I don’t have the coordination to dodge crazy kamikaze pigeons. I don’t think I’d want to talk to animals; what if my cats really are trying to kill me? I’d rather not know.

How about the power to make decisions? And self-confidence is definitely a superpower, right? I’d love to be able to heal people. But there are so many moral quandaries that comes along with superpowers. You can’t save everyone, so who do you choose? Do you hide your identity to avoid being hounded constantly, and end up saving fewer people?

Do you know what. I’d take walking through walls whenever I want. I have a four year old, and she is a light sleeper. Our door creaks, a lot. So I’ll walk through walls so I don’t disturb her when I leave my room in the night. Maybe make it a phasing thing, like just step into the astral plane, so I don’t have to worry about creaky floorboards too. Done.

Who is your favourite cartoon character?

Avatar: The Last Airbender is a cartoon right? Uncle Iroh. A wholesome character, clearly suffering from depression but pushing through each day with a smile. His patience and understanding kills me, especially when you can see how much he is hurting. And Leaves on the Vine? I’m already crying.

Do you have another job apart from writing?

Currently on furlough, but I do have a “day job” alongside my dabbling in writing. I’m a Hire Desk Manager, for a Plant Hire company. Essentially, I hire out machinery to construction workers and landscapers. A lot of customer service, dealing with sales people, and swearing. Mostly swearing.

How do you balance writing with other demands on your time?

Right now, Covid is kind of helping me out by cutting out one of the demands on my time. As for the others, I don’t balance things very well at all. It isn’t the time, it’s the right state of mind. My daughter isn’t at nursery now, so I flip to feeling guilty that I’m ignoring her (even though I’m not) if I try to write during the day, and the words stop. Writing a blog post like this is a lot easier than editing my WIP, or writing a new chapter. I’m lucky that her dad is so supportive and understanding, and lets me lock myself in my room when I want to write.

Do you prefer sweet or savoury food?

Okay, really feeling like I should have chosen the “decision making” superpower. Again, I have to say both. Pastry is my greatest weakness, in any and all forms. Sweet or savoury, doesn’t matter. I love the combination of sweet and savoury flavours, but I couldn’t choose one over the other. Without savoury, sweet would be bland. And I wouldn’t have any teeth left.

What is the most important lesson you have learned in your life so far?

The most important lesson? I’ve learned a few, and I can’t say what’s most important in general. Today, though, it’s that my opinions are valid. Maybe that should have been obvious from the start? But it’s been a hard-learned lesson for me. Being able to express myself, and disagree with people, is new to me. I’ve had a lot of very controlling people in my life, and my opinions were never treated as being valid. If I had my own ideas, I was accused of being influenced by someone else; I couldn’t possibly have come up with that original thought on my own. It must be someone else, turning me against them. Desperate for approval, I let that happen. I laughed at jokes I didn’t understand. I barely spoke, so I wouldn’t upset my friends. Learning that I can have opinions of my own, and that they are valid, is a massive step for me (even if I still stumble and trip sometimes).

My questions:

1. Do you have a writing ritual?

2. What kind of music inspires and influences you?

3. How do you procrastinate, and does it help you?

4. What is your favourite season, and why?

5. What would you say your spirit animal is?

6. What is your greatest strength?

7. Do you have any recurring dreams?

8. How do you approach your fears?

9. What do you enjoy when viewing the blogs of others?

10. Do you have any pets? If not, what pets would you want?

11. Who are some of your heroes (real life or fictional) and why?

BONUS QUESTION: If you are a DnD 5e fan, what class would you be if you were thrown into Wildemount?

I’d love to see your responses, so please share with me; I’m bad at keeping track of my email updates!!

Keep writing,

Onyx

Hello there! If you made it this far, consider hitting that Like button, or drop a comment to let me know what you thought. Please try to take a look at some of the blogs I nominated; I guarantee you’ll find something you enjoy in their posts.