OMGYay:

Yesterday, Blizzard posted the results of the 2011 writing contest. Full of trepidation for the inevitable disappointment, I opened the link and began scanning the results. Still weak with flu and bitter from the loss of Massive Online Gamer, my eyes passed by the stranger’s name listed as grand prize winner and moved on to the second place finalists.

“The Future of Lordaeron” by Tyler F.M. Edwards.

Oh. Well that’s something.

I will now receive a war chest full of Blizzard books autographed by Chris Metzen, their cover artists, and the Creative Development Publishing team.

But far more important than the physical loot is the fact that Blizzard actually liked my story.

Considering I’ve been a huge fan of their games since I was six, this is pretty exciting. Coupled with my disappointment over MOG closing, it’s been quite an emotional rollercoaster the last few days.

In some ways, this is a very big deal. This is the first significant recognition for my fiction since I started writing five years ago. In other ways, this means very little. It pays nothing, it’s unlikely to lead to any other opportunities, and it does nothing to help me put food on the table.

So while this is very exciting and a good day for my ego, I try to keep it in perspective. My struggles as a writer are far from over.

Some time soon, Blizzard will be posting the winning entry and excerpts from my story and those of the other finalists. Once they do, I will post the complete story here for anyone interested in finding out what the future of Lordaeron has in store.