How Blog Hops Keep the A-Z Spirit Alive Year-Round

 How Blog Hops Keep the A-Z Spirit Alive Year-Round

    Participants of the annual Blogging from A to Z Challenge are well aware of the April Rush, followed by the post-April Sigh of Relief. Along with that relief though, how many of us hear that little voice in the back of our minds, asking, “OK, now what?”

    For me, the answer is blog hops, those online networking events where bloggers collaborate to promote each other’s blogs through shared themes or topics. The A to Z, according to the organizers, is “first and foremost a blog hop” itself.

    Many blogs go quiet after April. Blog hops are just what we need to keep our blog alive between Aprils. These small weekly, or monthly, sparks are like small creative appointments, giving structure, a reason to show up. You keep your writing muscles warm and your blog remains visible year-round. When April rolls around again it feels less overwhelming! In addition, blog hops can be a great starting point to help new bloggers find their footing.

    Participating in blog hops keeps the momentum going. They keep us motivated to continue writing beyond April, and keep us connected to other bloggers, bringing us a sense of community. You may even make friends! Some will remain online friends, others may become pen pals (or email pals), or even real-life friends.

    There is bound to be a blog hop, or several, to interest you. A short list of the basic types are:

• themed hops
• niche hops
• photography hops
• writing prompts, prose and poetry
• open-topic hops
• community-building hops

    I enjoy the weekly niche hops of Sunday Stamps and Thursday Postcard Hunt, which align to my collecting and bring me hours of engagement through research.

    Photographers may enjoy sharing photos of the sky on Fridays at Skywatch Friday, where dozens of sky shots are shared from around the world, or a photo in black and white for The Weekend in Black and White. Writers get inspiration from word prompts for prose or poetry. You’ll never be at a loss for words to write with blog hops, even 13 words is enough for Thursday Thirteen! Weekly too often? Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day is a monthly hop to share what’s in your garden mid-month.

    You may find yourself so caught up in blog hopping you want to host your own. I do! I inherited Shadow Shot Sunday (simply a photo of a shadow) from the previous host.

    There’s a hop for every interest, so joining one might be the thing that keeps your blog alive between Aprils.

- Lisa https://thisandthatablog.blogspot.com