Quiet, working and *that* competition

Sorry, I've been so quiet. I took the weekend off for a much-needed proper break and headed to the bright lights of London for a show, dinner out with friends and late-night chats over a bottle of brandy.

I've been working flat out the last few days as I race to meet a deadline. There are more in the offing, too.

I just popped over to the 3rd Annual Writing Blog Awards. The winners have been announced. As expected, I didn't make the top 10 (but congrats to those who did), but it was fun in a weirdly masochistic sort of way. And it's attracted new readers (quick wave hello to you all!).

In the finals!

So, this blog has made it to the finals of the 3rd Annual Top Ten Blogs for Writers Contest. My heartfelt thanks to everyone who voted me (er, all five of you...). But don't all hold your breath now, there are 37 of us on the shortlist.

TBH, my chances of getting into the top 10 are very slim. It's a US contest, for one thing - I suspect I may be the only Brit in there. Plus, almost all the other blogs shortlisted that I've looked at seem to be about how to earn more money, find more clients, be more successful... ah, smell those cultural differences! This blog just doesn't cover that sort of thing. It's not that I'm not interested - of course I want to earn more money, have more clients and be more successful. We all do. It's just I see little point in covering that sort of thing when others out there are already doing that better than I could. Most of my fellow contestants are also professional bloggers, which I'm not.

As a Brit, this blog potters rather than pushes, and I like to muse, rant and ramble when the mood strikes. In short, it reflects my working life to a certain extent, which is sort of what I planned when I started DoaW.

Anyway, the gloves are off now. I just hope I don't end up humiliated at no. 37...

A shameless appeal

I was going to blog about some dictionary debate (maybe I still will in a few days) but then a colleague suggested I should be put forward as a nominee for the 3rd annual writing blog awards.

So I went and had a look and thought, yeah why not? But I need nominations - and who better to ask than all you lovely people who keep reading me week in, year out.

So now's your chance to tell the blogosphere about why you think I should be considered. All you have to do is visit the nomination blog post and nominate me in the comments under the post. Don't forget to add my blog URL and why you think I deserve the nomination.

Thank you all, I'm counting on you! Mwah!