All right... RcDuggan is indisposed right now, but he asks if I would mind picking his successor.
When I infrequently get to pick these, I often go back to some of the Forum stalwarts -- people who the Forums owe so much to, and yet who perhaps tend to be overlooked because everyone knows they always leave comments. Perhaps they don't get awards because everyone assumes they've gotten the awards frequently, or recently. I did notice one of our stalwarts who hasn't received the award since 2005! Actually, there was more than one.
But I resolved that I would pick a younger, more recent commenter this time. Indeed, in looking through the list of folks who I know deserve the award, and who either have never been awarded before, or who haven't in the past year or so, I found dozens of people -- serious posters and fans -- who have yet to receive this award. Who to pick?
And yet, when I stumbled upon one revelation, I realized that I could not pick a younger poster for this round -- all will have their day in the sun.
I realized that there is one old-timer (no insult intended, certainly) who has been here since 2001, and who is definitely a stalwart. In fact, who might easily be considered a Founder, of sorts, and who still maintains a presence here today, who has NEVER received the Fan of the Week Award!
Naturally, this must be rectified.
Now, this man has not actually posted very much in AARs recently. In fact, he may never have. I can't tell with certainty. He tends to hang out in the AARs and FanFiction General Discussions threads. He's posted nearly 50 times in one thread, and regularly brings up issues of importance for the whole Forum and community.
What he's into is writing -- bigtime. He writes ABOUT writing, for the benefit of the other writers here, largely because he is one of the precious few published authors on the Forum! Because of that, he is often found encouraging other accomplished Forum writers, as well as those whose talents are still developing.
He spends much time encouraging the very best writers to submit their work for actual publication, just as he has.
And he is a tremendous BELIEVER in the Forum Community. He, having come from here, and honed his talents here, has grown beyond the Forum, and yet returns to his early writing home in order to be a fan to the other writers here who have the talent to do just as he has done.
I am speaking, of course, of the author of the Delacroy and Free Company stories, and I'm sure very many other stories here and elsewhere.
Our new Fan of the Week:
Lord Durham!
Bruce, please come accept your award, and tell us about your Forum odyssey! Tell everybody what you're up to now (hint:
Another Delacroy story), and say what you will.
And then, of course, please choose your successor for the Fan of the Week Award, in one week's time!
Congratulations,
Lord Durham!