Best Character Writer of the Week: Lord Durham

[asd21593]

Congrats, Doge Robert!

[Doge Robert]

I really, really tried to find words that would properly describe what I felt, when I recieved this award. But to be honest, words simply failed me. A month ago, this very same award was given to me by Volksmarschall and I was both awed and humbled to recieve an award for my writing, when my story had barely even begun.

How am I to react then, when a mere month later, my story STILL barely begun (I am at a grand total of roughly 25 pages in Word), I recieve the same award from yet another great writer, whose works I follow with immense joy and pleasure? I honestly do not know any words to adequately describe, the extreme shock, the absolute awe, the complete failure of comprehending that such an honor could be granted me.

I tried to be eloquent in my thanks a month ago, communicating the deep honor I truly felt at recieving the award. But being recogniced by yet another of the great writers and one, whose level of skill I barely even dare hope to one day achieve, now that is not only mindboggling in all senses of the word, it leaves me speechless. Some may claim that I have written quite a bit already, but look more closely: All I have really done, is try to explain what I cannot honestly put into mere words.

I stared at my screen for a full 10 minutes or so, my mind stunned blank, unable to really believe it, when I recieved the message from Atlantic Friend, in my AAR.. I didn't even dare reply, since somehow I was certain it was against the rules, or I was simply dreaming or some other unexplainable factum, which would somehow reverse time and undo what was written before my eyes.

I am deeply and truly grateful for this award. I am humbled and awed by the immense compliment this is and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
My story means very, very much to me and to have it recognized in this way, not once, but twice, leaves me with a feeling that from this point onwards, nothing is truly impossible. These words do not even come close to fully explain the breadth and depth of how I feel, but I am afraid that this is as close I will get with mere letters.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Rob

[Le Jones]

Congratulations Doge, and well done on the most gracious acceptance post ever. A well-deserved award.

[stnylan]

Congratulations

[Qorten]

Congrats Doge Robert!

[asd21593]

Congrats, Doge Robert!

[volksmarschall]

Congratulations Doge, a well-deserved honor indeed!

[Doge Robert]

Thank you once again to all of you, who have posted here. As I have been, so I still am: Deeply and truly humble and grateful for the immense honor I have been shown by being granted this award not just once, but twice. I still lack the words to properly express just how much this means to me, but what I lack in words, I have tried to make up for in action.

For recieving this award is but half of the total equation and the other half is by far the hardest and a great responsibility to put on the shoulders of any one person: Choosing one's successor.

I have roamed AARland for a story, which seemed to me, to capture the spirit of this Award. And if I have learned anything, it is simply this: The number of talented writers on this forum is not only staggering, it is beyond belief!

I praise myself lucky that I did not have to find a successor for the brother-award for this, namely the WritAAR of the Week, for they must choose from ALL the stories on this forum, while I at least, scant comfort it may be, only had to choose from those, who incorporated "living", "breathing", characters. This, not surprisingly, is hard enough, for among our countless writers, it seems that quite a lot have chosen the narrative approach and thus incorporated people into their stories...

I find myself breathless and even somewhat beaten after browsing so many good AARs, trying to decide who was the better Character Writer. How can I, mortal as I am, choose just one, just one among the many, to recieve this award after me?

The answer is: I can't... Not really... But I had to.

So instead of listing every single narrative AAR I've been reading this last week and the powers that be knows, I would really like to, I have decided to abide by the rules and list just one: One who I feel is not just a very talented writer, but one who has managed to set a special kind of tone in his AAR, using these same characters.

In said AAR, the tone is light almost to the point of being humorous, without ever really reaching that point. At the same time, it is deep and intense, showing us great levels of intrigue, mostly hinted at or hidden just beyond the horizon, to let us sit breathlessly waiting for the next update and.. hopefully... the answer to the riddle..

What really made me decide upon this AAR, among so many deserving, is the way the story somehow switches from Narrative to Historical, using one to underline and lift up the other, making characters come to life, be defined and stand out, without ever getting too close to the person at hand.. Letting us feel a tantalizing familiarity, yet not a sense of knowing every levels of depth in any person..


It is a young AAR, barely reaching five pages yet and still, the potential is staggering and the skill of the writer beyond reproach. What the future will bring for us in this story, I can barely imagine, but one thing is certain: It will be great.

At this point, you are probably loosing your patience with my ever-present need to elaborate and thus, while being excessively self-restrictive , I give to you my nomation for Best Character Writer of the Week:

Flyingdutchie and his ItalAAR

Congratulations.

[Enewald]

gratz!

[Qorten]

Congrats Flying Dutchie!

[Thundergate]

Congrats Flying Dutchie!! You're soaring high!!

[FlyingDutchie]

Guess now is my time to be at a loss for words. Winning an award as prestigious as this one. Never expected it...
In the beginning I merely wanted to create a short story of Italian conquest (hence the deceptive title of short campaign), spiced up with some intrigue. Mostly to practice my writing and my English before writing a bigger AAR. Never expected to win awards with it...

Thanks Doge for this award and thanks to anyone who took the time for my writing. I will continue to work hard to prove myself worthy of these awards.

[Woody Man]

Congratulations

[Lord E]

Congratulations FlyingDutchie

[canonized]

Congratualtions FlyingDutchie and a belated to congratulations to all those who I've missed while I was on my trips: Felicitations AF and Well done and excellent speech Doge Robert !

[Hardraade]

Congratulations FlyingDutchie!

[FlyingDutchie]

Thanks everyone.

As for the new writer of the week, I nominate XHR. His excellent AAR Ostfront 1941 gives scarily realistic portrails of the German generals and higherups at the time. Such an AAR deserves this prize IMO.

So congrats XHR.

[Woody Man]

Congratulations XHR, great job

[XHR]

Wow, thank you very much, FlyingDutchie! What an honour to be chosen while I struggle to get out my weekly updates despite the RL challenges
As all of you very well know writing an aar is time-consuming and can be difficult at time so these trophies are very welcome and are quite motivating!
The depiction of the many generals and Nazi-leaders is indeed difficult and I struggled with some issues in my aar that I want to tell you about. As I started writing my AAR I was somewhat determined to avoid mentioning "AH" too often but found that rather difficult. I have put down a few pages with different characterizations for some of the generals but it is somewhat difficult to keep in mind when creating strategies in game (as I tend to roleplay a lot, sometimes even from a general's pov) or when writing about these men in different situations.
The side-story about the spy "Werther" is a little different, as it has much fewer characters, but that one is still quite "young" as far as my story is concerned.
I will try to dive into my character-writing a little deeper in my future updates as the big "Operation Thunderstrike" of the Wehrmacht is well on it's way.

Make sure to check out my epic struggle against Soviet Russia - and thanks again, FlyingDutchie!

[Enewald]

No Leiden Des Jungen Werthers incoming?

Gratz!