My First Blog Challenge! - The Sunshine Blogger Award

Today, I'm thrilled to announce that The Moonlight Wanderer has been nominated for the Sunshine Blogger Award, a blog challenge where nominators tag nominees and ask them 11 questions to answer. Autumn (Shades of Art), Willow (The Faithful Wanderer), and Abigail (Story Anchor) have each come up with unique questions, and have tagged me to answer. I'm going to answer all 33 of the questions, since, hey, it's my first blog challenge! If you're interested in reading them, by all means, scroll on! I would be delighted.

Autumn's Questions:

What is your favorite season and why?

I love all the seasons, but my favorite right now is autumn. The leaves changing color, the crispness of the air, the cozy nights — I’m loving it all and soaking it in. 

What do you see yourself doing ten years from now?

One of the hard truths I'm realizing is how mostly everything changes with time, despite trying to cling on. I'm not sure what I would be doing ten years from now, but I like to envision that I would be doing what I love, working at job I love, serving the Lord, and perhaps having a family of my own.

Who is your favorite musical artist? (Someone who is or isn't still alive.)

I love Enya's songs and musical style a lot! So I suppose she's my favorite.

Contemporary Songs or Hymns?

I really love hymns. Hymns have a timeless depth and quality that most contemporary songs lack.

If you had to pick between fiction and non-fiction for the rest of your life, which would you choose? (Bible is exempt.)

This would’ve been an easy question a few months ago, but now that I’m starting to also really enjoy reading nonfiction, it’s hard to choose. I’ll say fiction, though! Fiction engages the imagination in a way nonfiction never could, and still teaches important facts, like nonfiction does.

If you were moved overseas and had to stay put for the rest of your life, where would you move?

Stay put?! I wouldn't like that!! It's my dream to travel all over the world. Maybe in Europe, perhaps Italy or Sweden, though — but honestly, that's just tough to stay put in one place.

In your opinion, what is the most awesome instrument ever? What do you think is the hardest one to learn?

I'm totally biased, but the cello sounds beautiful, and I also love the sound of the piano. Those are the two instruments I play. I’m not sure what’s the most difficult to learn, but I think that instruments that require you to control your breath would be pretty hard.

If you could pick one famous person from the past to meet in person, who would you choose?

This is a very hard question to answer! I would like to meet J. R. R. Tolkien, but King David from the Bible would also be very intriguing to see in person. There are so many people I'd love to meet and speak to!

If you could learn one artistic skill really well, which would it be?

Painting! I just started acrylic painting, and it's really something I've been enjoying a lot. I would also love to get really skilled at sculpting.

What was/is your least favorite subject in school?

I hated typing class in middle school. But — I guess it was really helpful in the long run. Otherwise, I enjoy most of the classes I take!

If you could have been born as royalty, would you have chosen that? And what time period would you have picked?

This is also a tough question! I actually think I'd not rather be royalty. Despite the glamour of their titles, royalty face weighty responsibilities, high-pressure stress, complex conflicts, and dangerous perils. But I suppose if I was born as royalty, and if I were a girl as I am now, being a princess in the Renaissance Era in Italy, the Tudor Dynasty in England, or the Tang Dynasty in China would be my top choices.

Thank you for nominating me, Autumn! These were really creative questions!

Willow's Questions:

Where and when do you write best?

Great question! I write best early in the morning, before the sun has risen and the house is quiet. This doesn't happen often, though; I'm not an early bird. :D I also enjoy writing outdoors in the afternoon when the weather is nice, or on my chair beside the window, after the sun has set.

Favorite blog post you’ve ever written?

The Music of Storytelling: Keys to Writing a Timeless Tale is a post that describes why some stories are popular for a short while, then fade, while others stand the test of time. I particularly enjoyed writing this post because it took a lot of thought and exploration.

What genre do you dislike writing? And do you like reading that genre or not?

I dislike writing science fiction. I don't like reading science fiction much, either. It is just so hard for me to stay engaged. There are a few sci-fi books I like, but not very many.

Why do you write?

Writing brings me joy! I love having words and stories and themes flow out of my head and onto paper. I love having stories to look back to after years have gone by. I love looking at my progress and challenging myself. On top of all that, I love sharing my works with others and spreading joy, truth, and hope through my words.

If you could go anywhere in the world for 24 hours, where would it be and why?

I would love to go to Sweden where I could see the Northern Lights. It would be magnificent.

Do you listen to music when you write? If so, what do you listen to?

Sometimes, instrumental music is helpful to get in to right mood, though I don't usually listen to music when I'm actually writing. Linked below are some playlists!

• Dark Academia

• Light Academia

•  Cottage-core

• Romantic Academia

Favorite book everyone should read?

My favorite book is The Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien. It's a book that explores profound themes of pride, redemption, sacrifice, beauty, time, memory, loyalty, and love. Another book I love is The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, a timeless tale about childhood versus adulthood, the nature of love, and the search for meaning.

What advice would you give to every young writer?

Take your time! You don't need to over-stress about having a ton of impressive accomplishments and publications at a young age. Pushing yourself too hard when you're still developing your skills can result in diminishing your own passion, making it feel like a chore instead of a thing that brings you joy. What's most important is to continue to foster your love and passion for what you do, and to keep doing it, to keep persevering.

Would you rather write inside or outside?

If the weather is nice, I'd rather be outdoors, out in the fresh air and nature. If the weather is cold or wet, indoors is cozy!

What made you start a blog?

I started my blog because connecting with an audience brings me joy. Sharing my thoughts, ideas, and findings with other people is exciting, and it's especially rewarding to hear feedback and others' thoughts on topics that I find interesting.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

In five years, I see myself in college, diving deep into subjects that fascinate me and exploring the world around me. It's hard to envision exactly what college will be like, but it's exciting to imagine.

Thank you, Willow! These questions were very thoughtful, and I loved answering them!

Abigail's Questions:

What was the last book you read and how do you rate it?

The last book I read was the novel Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes. It was a really thought-provoking story, and I would rate it 4-stars out of a 5-star scale.

Tea, coffee, both, or other?

Tea! :)

Are you purely a blogger, or do you write outside of that? 

I do write outside of blogging! I write poetry, non-fiction, and fiction, primarily historical fiction and fantasy.

How long have you been running your blog?

I started my blog at the end of June 2024, so it's been about four months already! It's been an incredible journey.

What book or movie series are you a nerd about? 

Great question! I'm very knowledgeable (or perhaps "nerdy" is the better word?) when it comes to Tolkien's works. Ask me anything about Middle-earth, or any of the characters from the First Age to the Third Age, and I'm guaranteed to have a very passionate answer in store for you.

What is your favorite genre?

I'm open to any genre so long as the book is good, but my favorites are historical fiction, high fantasy, and mystery.

If you were able to become any character (whether you read about them or wrote them), who would it be?

What a creative question! I think Maedhros from The Silmarillion would be one of my top choices. His personality is just so different from mine, and it would be very interesting to experience life from his perspective. His story doesn't have the happiest ending, but it would still be intruiging to see what life in Valinor was like, and to meet the other princes of the House of Finwë.

What is your favorite historical fact?

Hmm. . . my favorite historical fact. This isn't my favorite, but right now, most of the ones I can think of aren't very uplifting, so I'll go with this one: During World War II, when an experiment to create synthetic rubber failed, Silly Putty was invented!

Do you have any pets and if so what are their names?

I don't have any pets, unfortunately.

Who is your favorite author?

My favorite author is J. R. R. Tolkien, as you can perhaps tell.

How many books are on your TBR (to be read)?

My TBR isn't actually as enormous as you might think. I have about half a dozen books on there right now, but after I finish a book, I usually pick a new one spontaneously, depending on what I feel like reading.

Thank you for nominating me, Abigail! I loved answering those fun questions!

Bloggers:

@Amelie Johnson - Swordmaiden of the King

@Molly Mcternan - Molly Mcternan

@Jonas Hanley - Inspiration Station

@Hannah Grace - The Grace Space

@Abby Waldal - Inkwell of Hope

@L. E. Levens - Keepers of Light and Legend

@E. G. Runyan - E.G. Runyan

Rules:

1. Display the award’s official logo somewhere on your blog.

2. Thank the person who nominated you.

3. Provide a link to your nominator’s blog.

4. Answer your nominator’s questions.

5. Nominate up to 11 bloggers.

6. Ask your nominees 11 questions.

7. Notify your nominees.

Questions:

1. Would you rather live in the mountains, by the ocean, in a forest, or in a large city? Why?

2. What is your favorite holiday, and what do you love about it?

3. What's something that you hope to accomplish in the next 3 years?

4. Describe the most memorable trip you've ever taken.

5. If you could time travel to any period in history, when would you go?

6. What’s a hobby you’ve always wanted to try but haven’t yet?

7. How do you face negativity or criticism?

8. A quote you love?

9. If you were to spend a day as yourself either sometime in the past, or sometime in your future, which would you choose? And how old would you be?

10. What's something you love to do, beside writing and blogging?

11. If you were to share a less-than-20-word message with the whole world, what would you put in that message?

    
    
    
    

If you're a blogger and haven't been tagged but would love to participate, consider yourself tagged by me. :)

And if you have any thoughts, as always, I would be delighted to read any comments you have!

-Julie