Just my two cents on this touch and go subject...
I think the Kerths are wonderful, and while I'm in awe that I would be mentioned personally on this thread - I highly doubt that I'll be taking home a Kerth this year - there's just too much good competition (it's like with the Superbowl... I've come to realize I may live and die without seeing my team in there - hee hee.) And I am so totally okay with that - the Kerth thing, not the Superbowl, that really hacks me off.
I write as a way of relieving stress. I have a few health problems that prevent me from doing a lot of other things that I might enjoy doing - but so far my ability to type hasn't been impeded any
. And I get great satisfaction from being able to write stories and share them on these wonderful message boards.
What I enjoy most of all is fdk on my stories - good, bad, public, private, or otherwise. That's what makes it rewarding for me. But even if these boards didn't exist and there wasn't a way to get fdk, I'd still probably write because it's therapeutic... and if nothing else, maybe I could still entertain my beta readers.
So anything beyond that... is just gravy. I have my own personal opinions on who I think should win a Kerth - and my own favorites... okay, so maybe I'm a little partial since I beta one of the writers... but still.
I like the comment about walking on eggshells. This is a respectful community where we come to share exciting and interesting news but also to discuss our favorite Lois and Clark fiction. I don't think anyone should be restricted from what they want to say as long as what is said is respectful and appropriate for what's being discussed (ex. no flaming).
If we can get on here and discuss our personal views on where we stand with respects to deathfic and abortion and feminist rights and other stuff... then we should be able to get on here and discuss what stories we've read during the year and think deserve another look or perhaps, dare I mention it, a nomination.
I'll just go ahead and put myself out there on the chopping block and say that I personally would be stunned if both Sue and Caroline don't win "at least" one Kerth award. I think they are extremely talented authors... and I love their writing style and I don't mind saying so. It doesn't mean that anyone else has to agree with me - it's just my opinion (and like my nose, everyone else has one too) and it also doesn't mean that I don't think the rest of the authors out there aren't talented... not in the least. I've always said we have a wealth of talent on these boards... so much so that it's impossible (for me at least) to keep up with everything that's being written. I rely on the fdk threads and what I see other people writing about authors and stories... in fact, that's how/why I started reading Caroline's work (sorry I'm still delinquent on fdk Caroline - been busy).
And on one last note - I agree with Caroline - it would distress me to think that people were discussing my writing in a negative way when I wasn't around to respond or hear what they had to say. I'd much rather they tell me to my face on my fdk thread or in an e-mail (and I've rec'd a few e-mails of that kind).
Anyway, I've babbled on long enough. I was just in a particularly spunky mood this morning and thought I'd add my two worthless cents in...
-- MR
P.S. -- Carol, I love inspector Henderson. What a cool category! I second that motion... I remember seeing several stories with characterizations of him in them this year...
