Nothing ventured, nothing gained, eh?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When Mitchell Allen nominated me for the \u201cVersatile Blogger Award,\u201d he quipped, \u201cBut seriously, I think overall in the scheme of things winning a Versatile Blogger Award is not important. Let\u2019s get our priorities straight. I think we all know what\u2019s really important in life \u2013 winning a Hugo.\u201d That got me thinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anyone who knows me at all knows that can be a dangerous thing to get started. As if last year\u2019s Surviving the Blog Contest wasn\u2019t enough, Mitch\u2019s comment gave me a new goal to reach for \u2013 winning a Hugo Award. Crazy, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But what\u2019s life without crazy goals and a few \u201cfrienemies\u201d to egg you on and challenge you with a little competition? Mitchell and I found ourselves on opposing teams in Surviving the Blog, a “Survivor” style blogging contest that lasted a grueling 10 weeks, so it seems only natural to go for a rematch. I wrote back, \u201cRace you to the Hugo, Boss!\u201d and took off running, gleefully, laughing maniacally, down the back alleys of the Internet, hoping not to get caught by the SFWA\u2019s imposter police.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And lest anyone think I was merely tweaking Mitchell Allen\u2019s nose, I set up this site in order to very publicly toss the gauntlet at him \u2013 a gauntlet that I assured him was made of velvet and lined with steel and lots of brass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We invited the marvelous Marian Allen to join us in our quest to reach the Hugo Nebula. And for a year or more, the three of us sailed the stars in our pirate ship – having a lot more fun than competition. Fun remains our focus to this day, and though we put into port for a while, we never really went our separate ways. With a new ship, we’re ready to sail the night skies again in search of our own place among the constellations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n