Gorgeous, but this blogger's fiction

By ALAN PERROTT

How would you feel if, at the end of her movie, Bridget Jones tore off a mask, thrust out a hairy hand and rumbled, "sorry Darcy mate, there's something you should know"?

Well, meet Natalie Biz, author of New Zealand weblog, Bizgirl: international librarian of mystery. Despite the gorgeous photo on her site, "she" is actually a happily married man living somewhere south of Auckland.

His convincing conjob saw "Natalie" last night claim the coveted Best Personal Blog award at the Netguide Web Awards 2004 at the Hyatt Regency Auckland.

"I was stoked, completely stoked, to be nominated," he said before hearing of his win.

"It's taken a while, I created Natalie Biz about seven years ago, but she's got a life of her own now.

"I've borrowed a few phrases, like 'woohoo', from women I know, but I still just write as myself."

The award was judged by Kevin Maney, author and technology writer for USA Today.

Of Bizgirl Mr Maney said: "Blogs are all about allowing the mindset and personality of the writer to come through. Bizgirl does this, and more. I enjoyed reading her entries because they are witty and fun and full of personality. It seems a little like a New Zealand version of the Bridget Jones diaries. The layout and organisation are crisp and easy on the eyes."

While "Natalie" has outed himself to a few friends, he would prefer to keep his identity quiet to avoid awkward conversations with people who have featured in his storylines - in contrast to most blogs, Bizgirl's antics are almost total fiction.

an extract from bizgirl this week:

"Josh and I met for a coffee on Saturday morning, having called a truce to some pretty petty mind games that had been going on over the course of the week. He commented favourably on my new World blouse: a white cotton number with short sleeves, a high neck and festooned with the most fantastic little-yellow-duck print. His praise of my garment choice melted any resentments I may yet have been holding against him. When he asked whether I'd like to head out to Island Bay to check out the primary school fair, my plan A - which had been to go home and write up the rest of my Friday afternoon meeting with Artemis - went out the door. It was a beautiful spring day in Wellington. We caught the bus out to the southern coast suburb of Island Bay, and traipsed up to the primary school where Josh had received his childhood education. On the playground where some miniature cars were doing loop after child-pleasing loop, Josh showed me the exact spot where he'd pooed his pants in terror when called to answer a question that required him to demonstrate a working knowledge of the difference between left and right, a knowledge he did not have at that fateful moment ... "