Liebster Award nomination

I am surprised and appreciative to have been nominated for this blogging award by
Ana Daksina of Timeless Classics at  https://timelessclassics.wordpress.com/

She had some questions for me, and so here they are, with the answers:

How long have you been writing?
Less than a year.

What inspires you to write?
Readers who encourage me. Old wounds held inside. Humor found in daily life. Love of expression through poetry. Time to do it, now.

How do you hope your writing will affect your readers?
Give them a smile, a tear, a sense of fellowship. Give a listening ear to others in need.

Which writers have had the greatest influence on your own work?
J.R.R. Tolkien, Margaret Atwood, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Poe. Ursula K. Leguin.

What kinds of experiences have you had with the WordPress writing community?
Very encouraging, and also very concerning (for some who write out of the desperation in their lives)

What are the greatest challenges you face as a creative person in the world?
The battle with self doubt, and those who look upon creative writing as a play for attention.

What are some of your special needs as a writer?
None, really. My needs are fulfilled through the expression of thought, and through my hope to perhaps help some others who are suffering some kind of loss or desperation.

Why do you think people make one another so unhappy so often?
Part of the vicious circle of unhappiness, I think. We have been made unhappy by someone or some emotional trauma from the past, and we unconsciously act it out.

What do you do to make the people around you happy?
Do things for them when I can. Act as a confidant for some who have come to me with their private concerns and stories.

What question do you wish I’d asked here, and what is its answer?
Are the stories you post fact or fiction? Answer: No comment.

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Here are some of the bloggers I follow that have made me come back, for many reasons, and whom I would like to nominate for this award:

H. K. Nicholas at  https://myredabyss.com/

https://serendipitiousweblife.wordpress.com/

https://thetemenosjournal.com/

Whistling Far and Wee

https://isabellepan.wordpress.com/

https://emergingfromthedarknight.wordpress.com/

https://captainsspeech.wordpress.com/

https://thepraditachronicles.com/

https://allanesinclair.wordpress.com/

https://projectme1st.wordpress.com/

https://thesilentwaveblog.wordpress.com/

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Good fortune to all of you, and here are my questions for you:

1. Have you ever run across a blogger who, based on their writings, seemed to be at risk of self harm? If so, how did you approach it?
2. What are the things that would deter you from reading someone’s blog?
3. If you ever have self doubt about your work, or writer’s block, how do you deal with it?
4. Have you ever taken down a post after having second thoughts?
5. What are the things that have made you do multiple edits before or after publishing a post?
6. Are you smart enough to appreciate some of the puzzling poetry out there, or am I just dull? (Humorous response, please)
7. Do you, or do you not, post stories of a personal nature?
8. Do you, or would you, give your website’s address to a friend or family member?
9. Do you post your work on social media?
10. Do you have a cat? If so, how many?

also, you must follow these guidelines:

ACCEPTING NOMINEES WILL:

1) Create a new post thanking the person who nominated you, provide a link to their blog.
2) Include award graphic.
3) Answer the questions provided.
4) Create a new set of 10 questions for your nominees to answer.
5) Nominate 5-11 upcoming or recently followed bloggers and share your post with them so they see it.