I would like to thank fellow blogger Sue Archer for nominating me for the Versatile Blogger Award. Her blog, Doorway Between Worlds, is about communication, with an element of sci fi and fantasy mixed in. I have enjoyed reading her posts about writing and fiction, as I continue my own slow journey toward completing a fantasy novel. When she nominated me for the award, she also nominated fourteen other blogs she found interesting. So now, I’d like to pay it forward by nominating fifteen blogs that I follow and enjoy.
These blogs are focused on a variety of topics, ranging from writing, to current events, to travel. Having such a rich collection of blogs populating my WordPress Reader is quite a blessing, because every time I open my Reader, there are fascinating new insights waiting for me. They are all worth checking out and following by email.
A Brain Scientist’s Take on Writing – Livia Blackburne writes about writing and blogging, from a scientific perspective. She has also published a few fantasy novels. This is one of the first blogs I started following, and it gave me the idea to blog about the themes of my writing (e.g., cartography), rather than solely blogging about writing itself.
Andrew Knighton Writes – With equal parts humor and insight, Andrew blogs about his writing (he has published several novels and short stories) and also discusses mechanics such as plotting and character development, which is very helpful for any aspiring writer.
The Krakren’s Wake – Another fellow writer, with a focus on fantasy. He has posted quite a lot of character art from his books as well.
The Bully Pulpit – This blog covers too many topics to list, including politics, history, and literature. It includes many interesting video clips of interviews and speeches, as well as JR Benjamin’s distinctive views on the topics.
Harsh Reality – This is one of the most prolific bloggers I follow. He is seemingly always updating with posts on every topic under the sun, never failing to spark an argument or a conversation with his many followers.
Knite Writes – Another wonderful writer blog, which also promotes other indie books.
Coffee and Conversation – Kenneth Justice is a blogger who has a habit of sparking fascinating discussions with strangers on current events and philosophy. Like a roving college classroom, he travels around enjoying coffee and conversation with people, then posts his reflections on his blog.
Don Charisma – This popular blog contains many intriguing photographs and pieces of writing. Don posts a lot of beautiful photographs from Thailand, making me miss the time I spent in Southeast Asia.
Second in Rome – The writer of this blog is self-publishing his first novel, GRID, which is available on Amazon this month. He blogs a lot about fantasy and science fiction, including humorous takes on well-worn tropes from these genres.
The Nerd Nebula – A blog run by a few self-described nerds on all things nerdy in pop culture, including videogames, science fiction, comics, and more.
Lulu’s Bookshelf – Lulu reviews many books, some of which are a little under the radar, so it is a great chance to discover something new.
All About Canadian History – This blogger posts often about Canadian history, including many interesting old maps, and I’ve enjoyed learning more about my neighbors to the North.
Dan Alesso’s Blog – A teacher, Dan blogs about history and cartography, two of my favorite things.
Travel Between the Pages – A blog that welcomes submissions on travel, writing, and art, including, my personal favorite, maps.
Travelling Histories – Dave, a PhD candidate at Cambridge, blogs about his thesis topic, which is about reading Sherlock Holmes as travel writing, with a wider scope that includes cultural contact.
Finally, to accept the award, I have to provide 7 random facts about myself:
1. The first thing I wrote was a fairy tale called “Suzy and the Goblins” in second grade.
2. My favorite herb is cilantro.
3. I can’t whistle.
4. In college, I once participated in a male beauty pageant/ talent show called “Mr. BC”.
5. I have spent most of my life in the United States, but I spent one semester studying in Athens, Greece, and one year teaching English as a Second Language in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
6. I’ve tried learning six different languages (Spanish, Russian, Latin, Greek, Vietnamese, and most recently, Cantonese), but I can’t speak any of them fluently.
7. My favorite movie, the one that I’ve seen more than any other, is The Big Lebowski.
You can find out more on the Versatile Blogger Award here.