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The Onion once had an article about the Fonty Awards (for best typeface) that I giddily thought was real for a few days. Once I realized it was just a joke I retreated to my office and refused to come out for a week, eating nothing but Ho-Ho's and Ruffles potato chips, washing them down with gallon-size bottles of Starbucks Frappuccino.

But, even proofreaders-turned-writers sometimes get awards. Like most people behind the scenes in publishing, I write (and then I edit myself to death).

Sadly, I'm egotistical enough to include a small list of my small prizes and small awards for my small writing. Just so you can see that I, as a fellow writer, feel your pain.

Also, in November each year, I participate in the National Novel Writing Month challenge. I get to write a 50,000-word piece of junk in 30 days! Give me a good deadline, and I'll stoop to it. Actually, this yearly foray into insanity has become the backbone of my novel writing, forcing me to get half a novel done once a year. The theory is then to finish the rest and edit it during the rest of the year until the next November. The addition of a deadline, albeit a silly one, has helped me change from a writer churning out a short novella every fifteen years to blowing through an entire, longer novel every year since 2004.


Sales and Publication

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April 2008: Devotional published: Daily Devotions for Writers, Infinity Publishing. (January 27 entry.) Book available here:
http://www.bbotw.com/product.aspx?ISBN=0-7414-4594-8


December 2007: Article sale: "Gigabytes and God" to Today's Christian

June 2007: Article sale: "Yore Spell-Checker Stinks" to Spirit-Led Writer


Awards

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June 2008:
1st Place
Daily faculty roast contests


2nd Place
St. Davids Christian Writers' Conference
Category: Personal Experience Feature
Title: "Men, Manna, and God"


3rd Place
St. Davids Christian Writers' Conference
Category: Humorous Poetry
Title: "Household Chores"


April 2008:
1st Place
Mercer One-Day Writers Conference
Category: Story Beginning
Story Beginning: "Mrs. Needlemeier's Novel Idea"

Honorable Mention
Mercer One-Day Writers Conference
Category: "I Knew I Was a Writer When..."


November 2007:
National Novel Writing Month (http://www.nanowrimo.org)
Title: "Mrs. Needlemeier's Novel Idea"



June 2007:
1st Place
St. Davids Christian Writers' Conference
Category: Adult Fiction
Title: "The Scarlet Letter Opener" (chapter 8 in a cozy mystery)

This win entered me into the St. Davids Hall of Fame for the Adult/Young Adult Fiction category.

1st Place
St. Davids Christian Writers' Conference
Category: Personal Experience Feature
Title: "Gigabytes and God"

1st Place
St. Davids Christian Writers' Conference
Daily faculty roast contests

April 2007:
Honorable Mention
Mercer One-Day Writers Conference
Category: Childhood Memory
Title: "The Skating Rink"

November 2006:
National Novel Writing Month (http://www.nanowrimo.org)
Title: "Black and White and Blood All Over"


June 2006:
1st Place
St. Davids Christian Writers' Conference
Category: Humor
Title: "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Cement, But Were Afraid to Ask"
This win entered me into the St. Davids Hall of Fame for the Humor category.

1st Place
St. Davids Christian Writers' Conference
Daily faculty roast contests

April 2006:
2nd Place
Mercer One-Day Writers Conference
Category: Story Beginning
Title: "Good Men Doing Nothing"

February 2006:
Top 4 Runner-Up
Operation First Book contest (sponsored by Tyndale House and Christian Writers Guild; judged by author Jerry Jenkins)
Title: "Do-It-Yourself Widow"

November 2005:
National Novel Writing Month (http://www.nanowrimo.org)
Title: "Black Soul Choir"


June 2005:
1st Place
St. Davids Christian Writers' Conference
Category: Humor
Title: "Dear Santa"

1st Place
St. Davids Christian Writers' Conference
Category: Adult/Young Adult Fiction
Title: "Do-It-Yourself Widow" (chapter 1)

2nd Place
St. Davids Christian Writers' Conference
Category: Personal Experience Feature
Title: "Pennies in the Couch"

Several 1st Place honors
Daily faculty roast contests


November 2004:
National Novel Writing Month (http://www.nanowrimo.org)
Title: "Do-It-Yourself Widow"


June 2004:
2nd Place
St. Davids Christian Writers' Conference
Category: Humor
Title: "Tightening Your Belt"

Honorable Mention
St. Davids Christian Writers' Conference
Category: Adult/Young Adult Fiction
Title: "Gray Area" (chapter 6)

1st Place
St. Davids Christian Writers' Conference
Daily faculty roast contests

April 2004:
Top 20 Semifinalists
Operation First Novel contest (sponsored by Tyndale House and Jerry Jenkins' Christian Writers Guild)
Title: "Gray Area"

June 2003:
1st Place
St. Davids Christian Writers' Conference
Category: Adult/Young Adult Fiction
Title: "Gray Area" (chapter 4)

1st Place
St. Davids Christian Writers' Conference
Category: Humor
Title: "Rash Behavior"

3rd Place
St. Davids Christian Writers' Conference
Category: Personal Experience Feature
Title: "Gullible's Travels"

2nd Place
St. Davids Christian Writers' Conference
Daily faculty roast contests

April 2003:
1st Place
Mercer One-Day Writers Conference
Category: Life-Changing Moment
Title: "Say 'Ahhh!'"

September 2000:
1st Place
BrassRing.com's online national essay contest
Category: Humor and Technology
Title: "Brave New World, Scared Old Mom"

Junior High School, circa mid-1970s:
1st Place
Two winning limericks on potato salad for a local deli company
Used in two separate local radio ads
Yes, I'm serious. Potato salad.