Look Out! I'm a National Award Winner!

Photo credit: Suzette Martinez Stranding, award winning author, syndicated columnist, workshop presenter and speaker, and TV show host.

The National Society of Newspaper Columnists: Organization for writers of serial essay, including columnists and bloggers, in any medium awarded me a third place in the General Interest: Online category of their 2021 contest. I am so delighted!

When I submitted two 2021 posts from this blog, I wasn’t fully aware of the level of competition. We’re talking successful freelance writers, syndicated newspaper columnists and Pulitzer Prize winners. I found that out when I attended the 2022 conference in Birmingham, Alabama this June.

Nicest people you’d ever want to meet! Truth-tellers all, seriously accomplished and way more fun than a barrel of shrinks. Mingling in the hospitality suite, a friendly guy approached me, took a look at my ID badge —Daniela Gitlin, MD—and asked, “Are you from Maryland? Or wait, are you an actual doctor?” Who wouldn’t laugh? “Congratulations on your win!” he said.

A while later, I was having fun talking with Dave Lieber, multiple national award winning DallasNews watchdog, playwright, and author. “By the way,” he interrupted himself, “Congratulations!”

“Thanks! I admit I’m amazed,” I said.

“Don’t be.” He grinned at me. “Now, you can call yourself a national award winning writer.”

I laughed. “Come on.”

“Yeah. What a crock. You’re a nobody,” chimed in the devil on my right shoulder, that killer of buzzes, good ol’ Imposter Syndrome.

“No, seriously,” Dave said. “The NSNC is a respected national organization. They gave you an award. That makes you a national award winner. Q.E.D.”

There was no denying his logic. I chuckled. “I’ll have to get used to the idea.”

“You do that,” he smiled.

Hmph, Imposter Syndrome said sourly. I stuck my tongue out at him. In my mind, of course.

Read my award winning posts here and here.