Reader Appreciation Award

I have been tagged for the Reader Appreciation Award.  I owe a big thanks to Johana Vera of  Bookworm's Multiverse for passing this one on to me.  Her blog is great, but I had to follow her the second I saw the awesome name she'd chosen for her blog.  I mean, seriously, how could a blog name be any better than that?

• Identify and show appreciation to the blogger who nominated you.
• Add the reward logo to your blog.
• Tell your readers seven things about yourself.
• Nominate 5-10 of your favorite bloggers for this award.
• Inform your nominees you nominated them.

So, I have to come up with seven things to share about myself.  I share a lot on this blog, so finding seven new things to share may not be as easy as it sounds. Nevertheless, I will give it my best!  This time, I'll try to keep this list of facts related to my writing.  This is a writing blog after all!

1. For someone who has a passion for writing science fiction, I have little confidence when it comes to describing the more technological aspects of my stories, such as spaceships.  So many science fiction shows have their iconic ships, and I feel like the ones I put in my stories feel generic in comparison.  Maybe I'm setting my standards too high, and in the end, I care far more about the quality of the story I'm telling.  Still, it would be nice to design something cool and memorable.
2. I think better when I write a story with a pencil and a notebook first. That's how I write my outline and key scenes.  The act of forming the words with my hands does something for my creative side.  Writing can be a very physical act for me in that way.  Writing by hand also has the added benefit of forcing me to look over every word a second time as I type the story out.  This gives me a chance to catch my mistakes.
3. When I write an action scene in a book, I gain insight on how it will work by acting it out.  I always make sure no one is around to see me do it, because I don't want anyone to witness my pathetic attempts at mimicking ninja kicks and knockout punches.  I am not a fighter, but I play one in my living room to an audience of me, myself, and about a  thousand characters that live inside my head.
4. I know I've mentioned this periodically, but I'll still say it here.  When I write a key scene for a book, I often hear a song in my head that I feel fits with the mood or the events taking place.  I feel like I'm making a movie in my head, and I need all the elements that go along with that.  For me, music is one of the most crucial pieces of the puzzle.  If I can find the write piece of music to inspire me, the scene practically writes itself.
5. Lately, when I find myself absolutely stuck on a WIP, I try to find another writing project to focus on for the moment.  It helps me circumvent the gears in my head that can't seem to turn out what I need.  It's better to be creating something than sitting frustrated over something that just isn't working for you.
6. Writing is the way I explore the world.  I write characters who live very different lives than I do, primarily because I want to learn what it's like to live in someone else's shoes.  I've never been a man, but I've tried out the male perspective.  I've never been the athletic type, but I've written athletic characters.  I am not gay, but I've written from the POV of characters who are.  For me, this exploration through my writing adds to the rich tapestry of my life.  I write science fiction, because I can envision diverse, exotic worlds and the impact of futuristic technology on human interactions.
7. I constantly question whether I'm a good writer or not.  I do not, however, question whether I am a writer.  I know that I am a writer.  I've always been a writer.  I only wonder whether I am good enough to achieve my goals, and I need to know how I can continue to improve.

All right.  I need to pass this on to 5-10 people.  In the interest of saving myself time, I've chosen 5.

1. Laura @ Stranger Than Writing
2. Laura @ My Baffling Brain
3. Christine Rains
4. Krista McLaughlin
5. Mina Lobo @ Some Dark Romantic

And that's all I've got for now.