Like everyone else, I was assuming LD had won this one long ago.
Congrats to finally getting your due!
The truth is, I think my last AAR was written before this initiative began, so I had nothing on the go that allowed me to qualify.
But now that I'm here, thanks for the shout out coz. It's appreciated.
Relaunching
The Free Company was the result of a lot of arm twisting by persons unnamed and a plot by The_Hawk I couldn't pass up.
It's allowed me to revisit characters I created some 7 years ago, and through the magic of writing, grown old with over the years, to the point where many of them feel like family. It's allowed me to interact with some of the great talent on these forums, both past and present, and to feed off of their creativity. And that's what character creation is all about. Creativity. Human beings with strengths and weaknesses, loves and hates, moments of success and times of utter despair.
I make no bones that AARland was the sandbox where I honed my craft before striking out into the world of publishing. It was here I gained the confidence to pursue a dream I had for many years (since the invention of cuneiform, some would suggest
).
The graphic novel based on my very first sale
The Marsh God, found here in the GD forum, is posted as a testimony of my beginnings on these forums. For without AARland and the supportive contributions of its members I probably wouldn't have gained the confidence to submit my work. Writing here has provided me the opportunity to work on the nuances of character creation, something I utilize on a daily basis as I pursue my professional writing career.
So thanks for the recognition. I accept it in the manner it was given. With gratitude.