#AtoZChallenge 2026 Reflections

Reflections

Sign up from May 4-9    https://forms.gle/x723Xn3Qmb4z9UxM7

Visit others:  https://tinyurl.com/bddtt45b

REFLECTIONS

We look back at our achievements, the blogging challenge we faced, and every comment made and left for us.  We can return to the blogging aspirations that may have gotten away from us—or create entirely new ones! Hopefully, the challenge has given you motivation to keep blogging and to support others in our blogging community. 


Our team theme this year was: A is for Aspirations: Blogging hopes, dreams, and goals

Do you feel like our team's posts from this month met your expectations for that theme?

While you reflect on your blog's April Challenge posts, please consider this:

• How do you feel about the Theme Reveal? (Especially if this is not your first year doing the Challenge.)
• In what ways does the reflection post help you?
• What experiences have you had in the past, or hope to have this year, with the Road Trip?
• Does the HTML on the badges/ graphics page help you?
• Did you meet your blogging goals in April? 
• What were your top five favorite blogs from the challenge to visit in April this year?
• Did a co-host (J Lenni Dorner, Arlee Bird, Zalka Csenge Virág, John Holton, Jayden R Vincente, or Ronel Janse van Vuuren) comment on your blog during the challenge? 
• Is there a comment you received on your blog in April that is your favorite?
• Who were your top comment-leavers this challenge, and did they do the challenge?
• Is your blog open to comments from everyone, or only comments from those who "sign in" to the platform? 
• Do you feel this helps or hurts your blogging comment goals? 
• Are there any other blog hops you regularly take part in?
• Did you discover anything interesting because of the Challenge? 
• Will you plan to do the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge in 2027, and why (or why not)?
• Will you recommend this blog hop to others?
• If RoadTrippers only visit one of your Challenge posts, which would you suggest and why? (This question is also the prompt if you create a RoadTrip post.)
• Do you plan to visit the A to Z site every month? 
• The site gets many hits, even in the off-season!
• Did you refer someone to hope to win a guest post spot?
• What else could the team offer you to persuade you to encourage others to join the challenge?
• The following WINNERS - please reach out atozteam@googlegroups.com (alternative: atozteam2018@gmail.com) : Lisa (ThisAndThat),Joyce (From This Side of the Pond), Timothy Stone (Coffee, Code, and Chronicles),Balaka Basu (Trina Looks Back), Josana (Tell Me Another)





2025 June to 2026 February view stats for the A to Z blog

April Blogging from A to Z Challenge 2027 SIGN-UP information:
March 29 - April 10

<a href="http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="#AtoZChallenge 2027" border="0" height="200" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvMeKIXWkTyYcDXnrrrCoN9Ryefb2isghp_sYanU0DoYK2DnGu9LDXsH8BbOlc1XxVU6n5e0HzDyOFft8WeiOei7ZYbbT2qbdobGSiTW_oMCUeygc8_ux5QHmLvYUC94_1VENVuRG53a1T0qyCm05pmHhGUAumbuQsgXib4WNqlCVccBS4Af-SpLdT604A/s320/1.jpg"/></a><br>April Blogging from A to Z Challenge 2027 SIGN-UP March 29 -April 10 <a href="http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/" target="_blank">a-to-zchallenge.com</a>
April Blogging from A to Z Challenge 2027 SIGN-UP March 29 -April 10 a-to-zchallenge.com

2027 Theme Reveal: March 15-20
2027 Reflections: May 3-8
2027 RoadTrip: Opens May 10

Winner Badge

<a href="http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/" Target="_blank"><img alt="WINNER badge #AtoZChallenge 2026" border="0" width="192" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTzN0SJhpLKNmwjbGQJ5Ytwr8IOUSK_AE6zXN8cubyqeRs2WXyPCCoO2BoLvKP-O1KlotcC9miDyb6B0uUXiK0H9b9842FoZYgJFn9L7b4X_ErI61wl-ySdC7ZX0-JrCRvvFGkWadKaakiW91YKNXniFW8tmxCIIUhyphenhyphenpUauIoX4PwfbEwFGwhO5ZRdXy2O/s320/atoz%202026%20winner%20badge.png"/></a>

---

Please follow us!

bloglovin.com/blogs/blogging-from-a-to-z-april-challenge-3294742
http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com
@a.to.z.challenge     @atozchallenge   @atozchallenge.bsky.social
Our hashtag is #AtoZChallenge

Roadtrip 2026

Opens May 11

Yearning #AtoZchallenge

MASTER LIST https://tinyurl.com/mu5vjy48

Our team theme this month is “Aspirations: Blogging hopes, dreams, and goals”.

Does your blog create a yearning for readers to return, hoping for more posts from you?

If not, do something about it! Share something to compel readers to return.

Are you yearning for the next A to Z Challenge? Did you do well this year? 

---

Please follow us!

bloglovin.com/blogs/blogging-from-a-to-z-april-challenge-3294742
http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com
@a.to.z.challenge     @atozchallenge   @atozchallenge.bsky.social
Our hashtag is #AtoZChallenge

X is for Xenodochial #AtoZChallenge2026

MASTER LIST https://tinyurl.com/mu5vjy48

Our team theme this month is “Aspirations: Blogging hopes, dreams, and goals”.

What does this word even mean?

It means "friendly to strangers". It is sort of an archaic word, of Greek origin, but in this case it fits the letter X, and our theme, very well. It refers to being welcoming to new arrivals, strangers, and visitors, and extending courtesy and trust to them. Which is essential in any community, online or offline. In the A to Z Challenge context, it can mean commenting on new blogs, encouraging new bloggers to join, sharing, commenting, helping others with practical advice. We might not know each other yet, online or offline, but welcoming new people into the community means that the blogosphere can not only survive, but thrive.

Find new bloggers in the challenge! Read Theme Reveal and A posts to see if they mention joining for the first time, or returning after a hiatus. Make sure you comment on their posts and support them. This challenge has been much larger in past years, and it is still a thriving community. Let's welcome everyone! :)

---

Please follow us!

bloglovin.com/blogs/blogging-from-a-to-z-april-challenge-3294742
http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com
@a.to.z.challenge     @atozchallenge   @atozchallenge.bsky.social
Our hashtag is #AtoZChallenge

W is for Wishes

MASTER LIST https://tinyurl.com/mu5vjy48

Our team theme this month is “Aspirations: Blogging hopes, dreams, and goals”.

I have a dream: No AI scraping my hard work to create AI generated generic slop that fills up the internet.

But we’ve moved past the moment where we could kill the Terminator to stop Skynet from taking over. Now we must adjust. Or stop.

My wish for blogging is that people will stop using AI to write their content for them. This isn’t a race. Blog because it’s fun; because it fills you with a sense of accomplishment; because you want to share your views with the world.

If you’re a slow writer, plan your content ahead. You can schedule your posts once you’ve written them. No need to rush.

What are your blogging wishes? Do you have dreams for your blog?

---

Please follow us!

bloglovin.com/blogs/blogging-from-a-to-z-april-challenge-3294742
http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com
@a.to.z.challenge     @atozchallenge   @atozchallenge.bsky.social
Our hashtag is #AtoZChallenge

Uplifting Blogging #AtoZChallenge

MASTER LIST https://tinyurl.com/mu5vjy48- There's still time to HOP to every blog! 📣

Our team theme this month is “Aspirations: Blogging hopes, dreams, and goals”.

Uplift yourself, your blog, and the blogging community! 

Empower your readers. Share how you have triumphed over challenges. Reflect on how a difficult situation became an opportunity for personal growth. 

When we achieve our goals, we transform our dreams into purpose and direction. This gives us a more satisfying life, increases self-esteem, and boosts confidence. It sets us up to conquer future challenges.

Spend time engaging with your fellow bloggers. (That's what blog hops like this are for!) Support your fellow bloggers by sharing links to their work with your followers. Strengthen the community by being welcoming and inclusive. Ensure bloggers feel emotionally safe in our community. Collaborate with fellow bloggers to bring readers together. 

What about blogging brings you the most joy? 

---

Please follow us!

bloglovin.com/blogs/blogging-from-a-to-z-april-challenge-3294742
http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com
@a.to.z.challenge     @atozchallenge   @atozchallenge.bsky.social
Our hashtag is #AtoZChallenge

Scheme #AtoZChallenge

MASTER LIST https://tinyurl.com/mu5vjy48

Our team theme this month is “Aspirations: Blogging hopes, dreams, and goals”.

Scheme
"A scheme is a structured plan, system, or arrangement for achieving a specific goal, often involving multiple steps or people."

A Design Scheme is about the look of your blog. The best way to know what a good design scheme for a blog is, is to look at lots of other blogs. Participating in this blog hop will expose you to a long list of active blogs, each with bloggers eager to connect. See something you especially like about a blog? Ask the blogger about it! Most bloggers will appreciate the compliment and be happy to share their knowledge. 

Sidebars are common on blogs. Found usually on the left or right side (very few blogs opt for both, as it makes posts feel small and boxy), sidebars often link fellow bloggers and followers, show badges of a blog's favorite, mention blog views, and may show related products. 

The amount of HTML or coding required to create a good design scheme depends on the host. Popular choices, such as Blogger and Wordpress, tend to have simple options for easy creation. Knowing how to resize an image is a useful skill, though several websites can do it for you. (The average width of a blog post is 600 pixels wide, whereas a sidebar is usually 200 pixels wide.)

Play around a bit with your scheme. Make your blog a reflection of your aspirations. 

---

Please follow us!

bloglovin.com/blogs/blogging-from-a-to-z-april-challenge-3294742
http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com
@a.to.z.challenge     @atozchallenge   @atozchallenge.bsky.social
Our hashtag is #AtoZChallenge

R is for Recognition #AtoZChallenge2026

MASTER LIST https://tinyurl.com/mu5vjy48

Our team theme this month is “Aspirations: Blogging hopes, dreams, and goals”.

We all like to be recognised for our work, for our achievements. Whether it is our writing skills, research skills, art skills, or day to day work, all bloggers like to see the reactions of others to what they post. We love comments, likes, shares, and other kinds of feedback. Some feel more meaningful than others; some fellow content creators' opinions are more important to us than others.

What sort of recognition do you treasure the most? Personal comments? Shares? Blogging awards?

What sort of recognition do you like to share to uplift your fellow bloggers? Comments? Posts dedicated to other bloggers? Follows on social media?

If we all support and uplift each other, blogging can be an amazing community. Take some time to recognise others' work, and share your own!

---

Please follow us!

bloglovin.com/blogs/blogging-from-a-to-z-april-challenge-3294742
http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com
@a.to.z.challenge     @atozchallenge   @atozchallenge.bsky.social
Our hashtag is #AtoZChallenge

Q is for Quality

MASTER LIST https://tinyurl.com/mu5vjy48

Our team theme this month is “Aspirations: Blogging hopes, dreams, and goals”.

When I started blogging over a decade ago, I had no idea what I was doing. I simply wrote whatever came to mind and uploaded it to my blog. There was no quality control, merely quantity.

These days, I put a lot more thought and effort into my blog posts. My goal for my blog is to have evergreen content that people can read and enjoy years after the posts have been published. I have a specific control list to make sure that each post is of the quality I strive to serve on my blog.

Because I strive for quality, not quantity, it takes a lot more time to write a blog post. But these posts have parts that can be extracted and repurposed. For example, I use parts of my folklore posts for my podcast. This feeds into my goal to have my blog’s content as accessible as possible.

What are your goals with your blog? What is the level of quality you reach for with your posts?

---

Please follow us!

bloglovin.com/blogs/blogging-from-a-to-z-april-challenge-3294742
http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com
@a.to.z.challenge     @atozchallenge   @atozchallenge.bsky.social
Our hashtag is #AtoZChallenge

Objectives #AtoZchallenge

MASTER LIST https://tinyurl.com/mu5vjy48

Our team theme this month is “Aspirations: Blogging hopes, dreams, and goals”.

Blogging objectives, a few examples:

• Post quality content that readers will comment on, want to share, and will return for more
• Add value to the "conversation" by being unique and original
• Aim for the "blogging sweet spot" of 300 to 1500 words
• Include at least one image per post
• Connect with other bloggers
• Encourage comments by asking questions at the end of posts
• Have a blogging schedule (weekly, monthly, anything so people know when to expect posts)
• Showcase what makes YOU vital to your blog (why a robot can't replace you 🤖)
• Know your audience
• Blogging requires dedication, patience, and continuous effort!

What blogging objectives would you add to this list?

---

Please follow us!

bloglovin.com/blogs/blogging-from-a-to-z-april-challenge-3294742
http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com
@a.to.z.challenge     @atozchallenge   @atozchallenge.bsky.social
Our hashtag is #AtoZChallenge