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Acknowledging others for a variety of reasons. |
My Testimonial My testimonial is an epic tale with something for everyone: action for the guys and romance for the ladies. By the time I graduated from high school in June 2001, everything I had ever written had been written for school, and the only people who ever read what I wrote were my parents, my teachers, and I. In October of that same year, for a reason that will elude mankind for eons to come, I started writing a short story in my spare time at college. I soon realized that I had released a beast that could not be controlled. That monster ran amok, and when it finally ended its rampage, it had become my nearly 60,000 word novel, Quorilax. I wasn’t quite sure what to do with this behemoth, so I decided that I would chain it up and put it on display for all to gawk at. But where? Then a friend told me about Writing.Com (Stories.Com at the time), and now people from Vancouver to Vladivostok and Stockholm to Sydney can gaze upon it. While Quorilax remains my pride and joy, I have added several other items to my portfolio—from the old to the new and the poetry to the prose—and I have made many great friends and read many great works. My wonderful experience here at Writing.Com reached an all-time high this week when I was given my first awardicon on Monday and Preferred Authorship the next day. I write this testimonial on Friday, February 14, 2003, because I feel that there is no better day than Valentine’s Day to say, “I love you, Writing.Com!” Kream of the Kraken There are many superb items on Writing.Com. Sometimes, however, I find an item so well written, entertaining, thought provoking, meaningful to me, or any combination of the four that I feel the need to bestow an award upon it. Here are those special items that I have recognized, listed alphabetically by the author's username.
I don't fancy myself a good judge of poetry; hence, I don't often read it, and even less often do I review it. However, my reaction to this poem was strong. Becky asks the question, “What indeed makes a poem perfect?” The answer would obviously vary greatly from person to person. Some may think style, while others might say conveyance of imagery or emotion. Being a mathematically minded person, I have a great appreciation for order and pattern, and this poem features a clever, unique rhyme scheme. Is it “perfect”? No, but that doesn’t detract from its beauty. Poems are pieces of the humans who write them and will reflect their creator’s imperfections, and that only adds to their beauty.
Charlie is one of my friends from high school and about the only one with whom I'm still in touch. Perhaps I have a special affinity for this saga of his because I shared many of the experiences, but I think that nearly everyone can appreciate and relate to it. Take a trip with Charlie as he shares the story of his romantic relationships and tries to make sense of those turbulent four years known as high school.
The ability to travel into the past and alter history seems rife with paradoxes, but that doesn’t mean I’m not able to suspend my disbelief and enjoy a good time travel story. This piece examines what happens when someone travels through time to stop a crime before it’s ever committed. A common idea, perhaps, but the result in this case was one I never saw coming.
This essay’s title drew me to it. At first, it seems callous to think of the most devastating plague ever as a “blessing,” but this essay makes an excellent case. In nature, destruction often brings renewal, and the Black Death was no exception, inciting change in the socioeconomic, technological, religious, and artistic realms that helped to shape our modern world.
I've entered countless contests on this site, but the Halloween Masquerade was quite possibly my favorite. The prizes were enormous, and so was the fun. The most unique aspect of the contest was that the judges didn't know who wrote the entries, and the contestants didn't know who the host and judges were until the revelation at the end of the contest because they all used Authorized Secondary Accounts, a clever concept that has been used several times since. All was revealed once the contest was over, though. With an accompanying forum, the "Invalid Item"  , and additional prizes being offered for guessing who was behind the masks, this was truly an event. Perhaps best of all, it inspired me to write "Soul Survivor" [13+], only my second short story on Writing.Com and perhaps one of my best works. I was honored to be selected as one of the judges for a second round of the Masquerade the following year.
Good things come in small packages. However, The Manitou Island Series demonstrates that something great can come in a very, very large package. Probably the longest single work on Writing.Com, it continues to captivate me over a million words after it began. Tremendous effort has gone into creating it, and it shows. While I doubt I could oversell the story, I think it would be best to let the Island speak to you for itself. Kraken’s Kommendations Sometimes, for various reasons, it is more appropriate to award an author with a Merit Badge than with an awardicon. Perhaps I wish to highlight an aspect of the author's writing that extends across multiple works, or maybe it is to emphasize a trait that is not a characteristic of their writing at all. Whatever the reason may be, this is where I will exhibit all the Merit Badges I have conferred. Since I am unable to display actual Merit Badges unless they are my own, I will include the recipient, type of Merit Badge, its ID number, and, in the case of a non-recurring Merit Badge, the description that appears on it. Recurring Merit Badges are listed first, ordered by when I started giving them, and the non-recurring Merit Badges follow, listed alphabetically by the member's username. Recurring Merit Badges For "The Amazing Race Club" [E]Foresight PastVoices  : 111043MaryLou : 113934Thumbsucker : 119929Thumbsucker : 123588MaryLou : 131668Thumbsucker : 143392MaryLou : 148094Thumbsucker : 155130Non-Recurring Merit Badges I never even asked, but he devised a great Excel program for my ACRO*BATICS contest that generates letters for acronyms in a better way than anything I could have ever put together. I am in awe of your technical wizardry, Robert. Thank you. The Miracle Treatment manages to impart deep wisdom and entertain the reader at the same time. Its conflict centers on the common theme of immortality but examines the consequences of defying death in a new and unique light. Though the main character is a Christian, one can take something away from this story regardless of religious affiliation or lack thereof. For being the first contestant, and first person in general, to identify me as the W.C. Crypt Keeper in the 2005 Halloween Masquerade, I award you this Merit Badge in recognition of your super sleuthing skills. Congratulations for being the first scrollie to locate the correct item in my portfolio using the three clues provided. Schezar is an extremely talented artist who brought my novel Quorilax to life by producing an absolutely stunning illustration of one of the characters. She rose to the considerable challenge of depicting a being that is an alien, yet is also very "human"; a creature that is beauty and beast all rolled into one. Add to that the speedy, thorough, and friendly service, and I can't imagine being any more satisfied with the experience than I am. Thank you, Schezar. I'm not very knowledgeable when it comes to evaluating poetry, but I know that Elisa's flows straight from her heart to her fingers, holding back little to nothing. She constantly explores new forms, seeking out different modes to express her many passionate feelings. You deserve this honor many times over, Elisa. Elisa puts a great deal of thought and effort into each of her editions of the Drama Newsletter, consistently offering valuable insights and information on a wide variety of topics. Here's hoping there are many more issues to come. This is in recognition of your leadership envisioning, developing, and launching the “Reviewing News and Views” newsletter. May it inspire its growing number of subscribers to become the best, most effective reviewers they possibly can. When most of us think of mythology, the classical pantheons come to mind, but the seldom-explored tales of the Ojibwa people are equally full of intrigue and colorful characters, providing inspiration for the amazing chronicles of Manitou Island. I proudly present this Merit Badge to Wenston, who has given so much of her time, friendship, and gift points for me and countless other people on this site. Thank you for all that you do on behalf of the community and us. Writing.Com wouldn't be the same without you. Kraken’s Kaleidoscope Some excellent artists have used their talents on my behalf. I am a very visual person, so I love images that can enhance my items and/or serve as advertisements in the signature that I attach to the end of my forum posts and emails. Some of these cost me thousands of gift points, but I received others for free, sometimes even without asking! That’s all the more reason to give credit and thanks to them here. I only list the pictures made by current members in alphabetical order by username. brendakay ~LadyBee~     damiana ~*~Damiana Returned~*~  imaginelove Love is a Mommy (no foolin)   kelly1202 kelly1202  legerdemain Leger~   schezar Schezar      soledad_moon Turkey DrumStik      the1stephzen the1stephzen  |
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