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Thursday, April 2, 2020

Blogging Beginnings ( #AtoZChallenge )


  My A to Z overview starts out with some of my past memories from blogging and my journey from that first post until now...

#AtoZChallenge 2020 badge



Blogging Beginnings






         Way back in September of 2009 I was at a sort of crossroads of life.  My job of 18 years had ended earlier that year and having difficulty finding another job I was pondering my next step.  It was at that time that I started running across ads about starting a blog to make lots of money.  Rather than send in the $99 to take the advertised blogging course, I instead researched the topic on my own which led me to Blogger.  Starting a blog was easy though it took some time to learn the ropes.  In fact I'm still learning.

          Having been interested in writing since I was a kid, blogging seemed like the ideal creative outlet for me.  And I started out with a lot of enthusiasm for my new found outlet of blogging.  Initially I spent the better part of every day researching and writing my blog posts, exploring other blogs, and trying to come up with ideas of how to promote my blog to gain readers.    Early on I discovered that to attract readers I needed to visit other blogs and leave comments.

           The principle of reciprocal commenting and establishing blogging communities was the spark that inspired the first Blogging from A to Z Challenge in April of 2010.  This event caught on in a bigger way than I had expected and in that first year an amazing community of bloggers was built around the A to Z Challenge.

              Over the succeeding years we've seen bloggers come and go.  A handful of dedicated bloggers have participated in the Challenge since the beginning while many more have followed along to support the efforts of the A to Z bloggers.  That support fuels those of us who take on this yearly Challenge--just the encouragement we bloggers hope for.  That is the purpose of the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge:  To expand interest in our blogs and to become better bloggers while connecting to others who have a similar goal.

             Some of my enthusiasm for blogging has waned since the earlier days of my adopted "career" and I don't put the same efforts into the endeavor as I once did, but I don't see myself stopping blogging.  For now I'm coasting in a sense, but I still see an explosion of functionality waiting for my blog.

           How about you?   How does your blogging experience compare?    Do you think you've found the real potential in your blog?    What lies ahead for you in regard to blogging?


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47 comments:

Kathy Waller said...

I enjoyed your post. I've been blogging since 2009, too. When mine was new, I had no idea what to do with it. Now I blog because, like the A to Z Challenge, it's fun. I look forward to reading more of your posts.

Ashmita from Chaoticsoulzzz said...

I don't think I have found it yet... Though making sure the hustle goes on...

Ashmita from chaoticsoulzzz.com

Romi said...

I've been blogging on and off for about 17 years. I've started, and deleted several blogs. I've been studying English as a foreign language, and blogging in English is a good way of practicing writing and interacting with people from different parts of the world, whom I will never see in person.

On my Way Home

Gonz said...

I actually began my blog as a campaign journal, but it certainly has evolved from only that to include so much more.

Following my own A to Z, I present to you Bant and the sigils you can get there.

http://codexanathema.com/2020/04/02/b-is-for-bant/

ladyleemanila said...

I started blogging 4 years ago while I was doing my online course in academic writing. I posted some of my essays and joined some of the challenges posted by some bloggers. I still enjoy writing poems and stuff. Have a lovely day everyone!
https://ladyleemanilablog.wordpress.com/2020/04/02/what-do-you-see-23-keep-reading/

The mommy blogger said...

Blogging started as a hobby and a way to share my emotions and opinions with the world. I have participated in A2Zchallenge last year for the first time. This is my second year, and exactly a month back I moved from a free blog to owning a domain name, I am yet to find full potential of my writing skill I am sure.

DO visit me I am writing this year about interpreting dreams.
It B for Babies today
http://mywordsmywisdom.com/baby-in-your-dreams-what-does-it-mean-atozchallenge/

Ronel Janse van Vuuren said...

I like how you've stated the purpose of the A-Z Challenge :-)

What I'm hoping to get out of blogging, is to build a community of like-minded individuals. Which leads to this year's A-Z theme on my blog.

An A-Z of Faerie: Brownies

Susan Sanderson said...

I started my first blog in 2012 to do a writing project. Sue's Trifles the following year was blogging for fun, following my own interests. I had only just started it when I took part in my first A to Z challenge. Arlee and his "minions" were a great encouragement. I also have another blog, where I share my photos. https://suestrifles.wordpress.com/ is where my A to Z posts are.

Marg said...

I've been blogging since 2005 although I did take all of last year off. And yet, I haven't ever participated in this challenge. I am intending to do so this year!

Frédérique - Quilting Patchwork Appliqué said...

I've been blooging since more than 10 years (2005), starting to make a journal for myself. But the real fun is to share with others ;) I'm on Facebook and Instagram too, but blogging has not the same purpose, so, still blogging ;))
A to Z Challenge

kaykuala said...

Hank had the Beginnings of participation in the April Challenge in 2014 and had since continued right up to today in 2020

Hank is here:
https://imagery77.blogspot.com/2020/04/it-was-way-back-to-2014.html

Hank

h2hsc2020@gmail.com said...

Hello,

I'm new to the blogging world. I started in January 2020 although, I've been writing posts and putting them on my personal site for years. Funny how that works - never thought of myself as a 'blogger'!

I guess though, I misunderstood the A - Z part of the challenge. Monday I wrote something I'm passionate about that started with the letter - A. LOL Although it did follow the 'word of the day', I just didn't incorporate it into my post. Today, as I begin my post - I will definitely include the daily challenge.

I'm excited to be a part of the A to Z Challenge this year.

I look forward to reading many new posts as well as following many of you. I hope you will do the same for me. You can find me on Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, and Instagram.



Have a wonderful day!

Sharon E. Cathcart said...

Today's entry in Facts About Pompeii:

B is for Bathhouse

Tamara said...

I am sorry you lost your job.
Like any not so great situation though there is a silver lining. It led to your taking up blogging. I hope you find much pleasure - and most importantly you'll find nice like-minded online friends in the process.

My B is for Bern, Switzerland's capital, and a look at how our government is organized. Mostly, though, nice sightseeing pictures :-)

https://thethreegerbers.blogspot.com/2020/04/a-z-2020-switzerland-bundeshaus-bern.html

pilch92 said...

Nice to learn about the start of your blog. I have been blogging for almost 6 years and I love it even though I have yet to make money.

Cathy Kennedy said...

I started blogging in 2010 to promote my first and only children's book. That didn't go as expected but I did discover a wonderful community in Blogosphere and decided to stick around. It wasn't until 2013 I was introduced to this blog fest and have been here ever since totally addicted. Happy A2Zing, y'all!

Cathy's Pinup Girl #AtoZChallenge Art Sketch Series (B)

Glenda Cates said...

I don't know where my blog may lead or even how much longer I will blog. But it has been a God send as I wanted to stay home with my son when he was born which was 12 years ago. But I do enjoy it and love meting new people through challenges like these.

Angie said...

I had started a book blog in 2011, but I stopped in 2017 because I just got burnt out. Posting felt more like a HAD to rather than a WANT to. Then I started my movie blog last year just for this challenge, and it's been much more fun. Low key, less pressure. I have no plans for it other than this.

https://whatwouldangiewatch.blogspot.com/2020/04/bears-2014.html

Janet said...

I've been blogging for about 7 years now and started because I wanted to try and make some money showcasing my crafts and using affiliate links. I haven't made much money although the A to Z has brought me together with some very wonderful people and I have made a few sales. Mostly I think I continue because I like to make people smile and I hope my words do that. So glad I found this A to Z. This is my 5th year. Here is B for Boston:

Janet’s Smiles

aggiekesler said...

I began blogging in 2011 and while I’m not a regular blogger, I do enjoy a good challenge.

My theme this year is memoir, and my 2nd post is “Bicycle” for letter B. Enjoy!

Bicycle

Narayana Rao K.V.S.S. said...

I am happy with choice of my theme for the challenge. The content being assembled will be useful for a long time.

BMW - Industrial Engineering Activities and Jobs

Deborah Weber said...

I enjoy learning what draws people to blogging. I've been at it for about ten years, and I think what keeps me at it has shifted over the years, just as we clearly do ourselves. But one thing is certain, once I found out about the annual challenge six years ago, I've been hooked. So much fun - so much to learn, so many folks to discover, some many connections! Continued thanks always for your part in it all!

Anne M Bray said...

I started my first blog in 2008, a place where I post(ed) sketches:
http://anne-m-bray.blogspot.com/ (not an A-Z)
Since then, I have way too many, in different categories. I use them as mostly visual journals of one sort or another.
I don't care about monetizing them, nor do I worry about posting on a regular schedule. The schedule thing is more what happens on my Instagrams.

Here are my A-Z 2020 blogs:
Back ends of trucks (4th year)
https://annembray.wordpress.com/
“Stitching the World” A-Z (embroidery project)
https://repeatsamb.blogspot.com/

Narayana Rao K.V.S.S. said...

Do you think you've found the real potential in your blog?

Yes. Blogging made me communicate with the world genuinely and make a difference to the knowledge content in two disciplines - Industrial Engineering and Management. I am connected to so many persons from so many countries. It would have been zero but for the blogging that I started in 2005 and still continue to write with enthusiasm.

Anonymous said...

i'm still working to find my niche and audience.

B is for BREWSTER (Family History)

KatyTrailCreations said...

Do you think the world's present changes will cause blogs to change as well? I do but I'm not sure on the how yet. Looking forward to see what happens. So many brilliant minds out there in isolation with nothing better to do right now lol

My link for the "I Don't Sit on Babies" theme is:
https://katytrailcreations.com/2020/04/02/bibs-bedding-burpcloths-letter-b/

Joy Weese Moll said...

My blogging ebbs and wanes, too. It never quite stops because I host a weekly link party for content centered on the British Isles.

I keep having ideas for how I might make my blog a bigger part of my life and the internet, again, so I'm glad to have events like the A to Z challenge to energize it once in a while.

B is for Books

Carrie-Anne said...

I started my current main blog in 2011, after losing my Angelfire site in autumn 2010 thanks to a mentally unstable blogger and her sycophantic friends reporting me for a post in which I, against my own better judgment, used that blogger's name. That post wasn't a personal attack on her, but used her creepy blog as a jumping-off point to discuss a wider topic. I lost my entire blog, almost a decade of work, and was unable to rescue all my posts during my frantic cache and archive searches in the months following. I'm lucky I was able to recover several hundred. As a result, I almost always stay away from controversial topics and loaded language on my blog now.

Aditya Sinha said...

Very true. I have also been blogging since almost 10 yrs. And it has just developed me at each stage. Lovely Post.

Enjoy the Cuisine - Bhutte ka kees

https://facetsofadiregionalcuisine.blogspot.com/2020/04/b-for-bhutte-ka-kees-from-mp.html

asha said...

In our current situation, I feel like emulating Emma, and scream from the terrace of our locked-down house - "We call BS" The intended audience, you know who you are! B for BS https://hopelesslyyhopefull.blogspot.com/2020/04/bs.html

Aditya Sinha said...


I must add on here, I started my blogging from Sulekha and then moved to the blogger. It has been fun all the way, but the satisfaction in the beginning was much bigger and the bonding much stronger.

And here is the five sentence Fiction - Beauty

https://facetsofadishortstories.blogspot.com/2020/04/beauty-five-sentence-fiction.html

Enjoy

Pr@Gun said...

Enjoyed reading your blogging journey. I started blogging to just digitally write my thoughts which were otherwise in my diary. With time made some good friends with the same thought process is what I have earned in all these 8 years.
My B post - https://praguntatwa.com/b-that-came-in-our-life-last-decade/

Aditya Sinha said...


Talking of my journey through poetry, the blogging through this ten years has really gave a new dimension to my thought process.

And in the poetry section - A reflection on childhood - B for Blood Relation

https://facetsofadienglish.blogspot.com/2020/04/blood-relation.html

Mary B said...

I got serious about blogging in the fall of 2014, and haven't looked back. Blogging is what keeps me sane during the rough days.

Literary Gold

Jingle Jangle Jungle

Julie said...

I started blogging in 2016 when I was pretty burned out at my day job. I've been a little on again off again as life has sometimes gotten in the way. I love (and sometimes hate) that blogging always presents an opportunity to learn or re-learn as the case may be. This is the second, or maybe third time I've tried to do the challenge, thinking third time is a charm and I will finish this time. For B I give you a simple bread recipe.
https://www.screwyism.com/simple-homemade-rosemary-bread/

Aditya Sinha said...


And last from B , but not the least , instead the most close to my heart - Bewafa Aansoo...

https://facetsofadihindi.blogspot.com/2020/04/b-for-bewafa-aansoo.html

I am sure , you would love this.

Anjana said...

Begin of blogging indeed is a story in itself for every blogger. I started scribbling few lines and called them as poems which was my first form of writing. Inspired by a friend, started writing blogs and thoroughly enjoyed the journey of writing and reading so far.
My blog post for today is - https://anjus.home.blog/2020/04/02/bariatric-care/

Ira Mishra said...

I entered blogging in 2006 simply because I loved to write and it seemed like the best place to just be yourself.... Sometime in between life just caught up and I let my blog take the back seat for few years... Till a dwindling interest in my corporate life and it's daily trysts led me to get back to my old hobby of writing again... Can relate to your journey :)

Here goes my poem for letter B

http://livelife2dfullest.blogspot.com/2020/04/b-for-beauty.html?m=1

sonia lal said...

I stopped blogging for a bit but I have started again. It takes time to do and I don't always want to.

J-Dub said...

I started blogging in July of 2016 as a way to fill the void when my youngest was going away to college that August. I needed something to do with all my free time. B is for blessed to have found this wonderful community of bloggers.

Shaggerspicchu said...

I am a bit confused! Sorry this is my first a-z challenge and can't seem to find any clear instructions. We are just supposed to put the link to our post on your post each day? Do people comment on other people's blogs too? In other blog challenges I have participated in, there is a rule that you have to comment on 3 other blogs each day as well. Is that a thing here as well?

Thanks for organising and here is my B post
https://shaggerspicchu.wordpress.com/2020/04/02/b-is-for-bubbles/

Charan Deep Singh said...

your blogging beginnings sound similar to many of ours.

B for me has always been about books. Today's letter B is about books that reflect today's Corona Virus Induced Lockdown Blues and dystopia. In this post I talk about George Orwell's Animal Farm, H G Wells'The Time Machine and Yuval Noah Harari's 21 lessons for 21st Century. Read my post Books in Lockdown here

Lady In Read said...

While I hope to do way more with my blog than I am presently, right now it is all about sharing my love for reading and books. Being Present In The Moment

Dr Genevive Angela said...

I too have started blogging some time in 2009 but with regular job and home, I was not able to give much time, somehow I managed and decided to use that space for myself whenever I want to express myself. I joined A-Z April challenge and found it interesting to post every day for a whole month. I was glad to interact with so many. I started visited other bloggers and learnt about their experience... I am still in process of learning.

Wendy said...

Blogging is simply a hobby for me and a way of recording what's going on in my life. I started years ago and went through a couple of platforms before arriving at blogger.

Buttercup said...

Really enjoying your posts. I started blogging in January, 2009, too. Never thought I'd still be doing it, but so glad I am.

Seeking Serenity and Harmony said...

I am new to blogging pretty much. It will be interesting for me to ask myself these questions down the road. Thanks for the challenge!