Good afternoon felinity assembled, Daddy Kiril here, the girls are busy napping.
Not the best of weeks, the one just ended...
My old vacuum cleaner died and I have to try to replace it...
And that was before the news I got on Thursday, or how the weekend rain made my already on their last legs shoes even worse so that I have to really find a new pair (new model, actually, as this one's been discontinued), or what happened on Friday the 13th (My bike, locked out front of my work, had its brakes damaged beyond repair by someone with a shopping cart, or three, so now I have to get them replaced).
Back to Thursday...
I pride myself as a poet and storyteller and have hopes of publishing beyond my blogs someday...Upping my game (And that of the cats as well, heh, heh) in new ways is part of the reason I am looking into relocating my blogs to Wordpress, the most popular platform for blogs and blog commenting, and one so many bloggers I know and admire use....
I took a huge step, in January, by daring to submit a poem and a short story to the 2015 Cat Writers' Association Communications Contest (Now in its 22nd year) for the first time, even though there was little chance of my being able to attend Blog Paws 2016 in June (I DID make the 22nd thru 26th a vacation time, anyway)....
The poem and related story, I wrote, were 2 of the best pieces of creative writing I've produced in my 13 years of blogging.
As I wrote in January on my blog, and Elvira shared here...
I am not ashamed to put them up against the work of anyone else out there and submit them as prime examples of my creativity and what it and the cat blog has to offer to a wider audience (If I had to submit traffic stats with my submission the fact I have little in the way of an audience and traffic would be glaring) and as something worth publishing in book form.
I've only been paid money for my writing once (other compensation has included product) and am not sure how I can monetize my blog considering my traffic (I think miniscule traffic is why Science Diet and Purina never followed up after our one time working together).
I submitted a short story that encompasses a ballad and a 4 part story originally posted on this blog in August 2014 (To read them begin here) and I submitted the ballad separately as well.
For the purpose of submission I edited the ballad post to better work as the start of the submitted version of the short story that the poem leads into.
The original tale was enhanced by photos I took to help tell the story and I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed taking them.
It was one of the last times I used that camera, for a major project, before it was damaged beyond repair.
I hope to finally get a new camera, this year, so I can return to posting the unique photos my blogs are known for and not have to rely on a cell phone camera, to try to do so, any longer.
The Certificate of Excellence Winners/Muse Medallion Award Finalists in 37 categories were announced, Thursday morning, from among nearly 300 submissions.
Submissions that scored 90 or higher (based on averaging from three judges in each category) became finalists and earned the coveted Certificates of Excellence.
The top score in each category will win the coveted Muse Medallion.
Congrats to all the nominees, especially those who I call friends and who have encouraged my creativity!
The Poetry Category has 5 finalists.
The Short Story Category had only 1 finalist.
Sadly, I failed to make the cut for a Certificate of Excellence, in those categories.
I will probably never know how close I came to getting a score of 90, in either category, whether my submissions rated a Good, Bad, or Ugly point total, or know why.
How many submissions there were to the Short Story Category would be interesting to know, as well.
Yes, it hurts that something I put so much effort into creating and take great pride in sharing, though few even read this blog, was not considered worthy of even a certificate...
but I am not going to give up on my creative efforts and dreams, as I slowly begin to take new steps.
A Blog Paws 2016 Nose to Nose finalist, Melissa of Melissa's Mochas, Mysteries and Meows, wrote something, the other day, that I agree with...
"Blogging sometimes feels like a very solitary endeavor and it's easy to feel like a small fish in a large pond. Many amazing bloggers never get the recognition they deserve."
I can take some solace in the fact that I was not alone in not receiving a certificate and this is true every contest year. I imagine it took some folks years before they earned their first certificate or medallion.
Congratulations are in order, as well, to the 2016 nominees for the Blog Paws Nose to Nose Pet Blogging and Social Media Awards, also announced Thursday.
I have pet blogging friends who are regular nominees and past winners of this award and know the hard work they put in to their efforts...
To be nominated and to win are among the highest honors in the pet social media world, along with the CWA awards, and are bestowed across twelve categories to some of the most talented pet writers and bloggers writing today (48 finalists across these categories).
Don't be Afraid to Push Yourself
Was a Higher Power out to send me a message of encouragement?
In November I wrote a month-long series of blog posts, on my personal blog, about never giving up and persevering thru all that life throws your way.
2016 is not even half over and there is next year and the year after that, and...well, you get the idea...
Keep on writing about and sharing, your cats.
Find reason to submit next year and beyond, when the creative muse enables you to create something you feel is worth submitting.
****UPDATE - 5/17/16****
An era in Texas history has ended....Houston Hairy has died.
Texas Tuesday #7: RIP Houston Hairy
****END UPDATE**
****UPDATE - 5/20/16****
"Those of us who write, understand that we have to keep writing, recognition or not! Just keep going. It has it's own rewards!"
Thank you Donna @ Soul Survivor for leaving the 4600th comment on this blog since it began on New Year's Day 2010!
****END UPDATE****
Absolutely, Kiril, "Never give up! Never surrender!" Just keep doing the very best work you (and the ladies) can possibly do, and remember that the most meaningful recognition is the recognition by you that you've done your best. Everything else is icing on the cake. Now that I'm catless, I appreciate your ladies more than ever. :)
Posted by: Marian Allen | May 16, 2016 at 03:45 PM
>the most meaningful recognition is the recognition by you that you've done your best
Very well said!
After that point, it's up to others folks and their very subjective opinions.
:)
Posted by: jaspar | May 16, 2016 at 06:16 PM
My human says that the CWA Contest is tougher than a lot of people think! She was a judge for three categories this year (she does it every year), and one category, NOBODY got a CofE! Which meant that out of the three judges for this category, none of the entries managed to average enough points to qualify. And these were submissions from really good writers too - it just wasn't their best work. And every year, my human has entered what she thought were really good articles and stories, and they didn't get a CofE. Even the second Dear Sparkle book didn't get one, and that was put out by a major publisher. So yeah, just keep on plugging away and look for more outlets for your writing too. You just need to keep putting yourself out there!
Posted by: Summer | May 16, 2016 at 06:44 PM
hay ewe gals, we noe yur dad hada crap azz week & yea it sux knot two get a "nod" for hiz werk....but pleez tell yur dad we N joy reedin thiz blog... N haz sinz we furst found it ~~~~~ N for what itz werth....Dr Seuss....rejected bout....28 times.... bee for he found a publisher.... trooth ~~~~~ ♥♥♥
Posted by: da tabbies o trout towne | May 17, 2016 at 12:30 PM
Well we fur sure understand da hurt. We also didn't get any nominations, awards or certificates. And what's more were basically told that as long as we use any kitty speak we probably never will. We find dat to be very short sided and discriminatory as we feel our writing is just as good as dat of others and sometimes better than some written in purrfect human English. We take purride in our work and never hit da publish button unless we think it's good enough. So we're sorry you didn't get noticed and sorry 'bout all da bads goin' on, but we think you do a great job. Keep on keepin' on, dat's what we're doin' and someday...just maybe. Sendin' purrayers.
Luv ya'
Dezi
Posted by: Deziz World | May 17, 2016 at 06:43 PM
Please keep writing because you enjoy it and I am sure you will get recognition. We do need to find a way to get you more traffic to your blog. Once people know you are here and read your posts, they will love them. I am sorry about Houston Hairy.
Posted by: Ellen Pilch | May 17, 2016 at 08:58 PM
We're sorry to hear about your bad week, and not getting recognition you had hoped for from the CWA. Just keep going, Kiril. Pursue your passions, and keep putting yourself out there, okay? Good things will come!
Posted by: meowmeowmans | May 17, 2016 at 10:31 PM
Those of us who write, understand that we have to keep writing, recognition or not! Just keep going. It has it's own rewards!
Posted by: Donna @ Soul Survival | May 20, 2016 at 07:47 AM