V is for Victory Lap (#AtoZChallenge)

We are close to the end! Only a few more letters to go.

Pat yourselves on the back! (Or on the shoulder).

How are you going to celebrate your victory in completing the Challenge this year? Because you deserve to celebrate your accomplishments!

If you finished the Challenge, celebrate it!

If you made some posts, celebrate those!

If you visited new people and made new connections, celebrate them!

Even if it's just a small thing. Tiny everyday celebrations are important. Have fun! :)

S is for Surprises (#AtoZChallenge)

Even with the best laid plans and the best preparation, SURPRISES can happen. Our resilience is constantly tested when we face something we absolutely did not expect or prepare for. Case in point: I thought as I was all prepared for this month... and then my phone went down. And then the internet. And both proved to be a lot harder to fix than anticipated. And suddenly, keeping up with the Challenge became harder.

What do we do when SURPRISE pops out of nowhere? Well, if we are resilient, we deal with it. Here is a piece of advice that was very meaningful to me, and helpful in dealing with "WHAT IF?" anxieties. I'd like to share it, maybe it will help you too:

You CAN'T prepare for everything. You can't have a plan for every possible event. What you CAN do is build your resilience: take care of yourself, build up your reserves of energy, mental strength, physical wellbeing. So when the unexpected DOES happen (and it will), you have the reserves to deal with it.

Some surprises are not fun. But some of them are. Did you come across any FUN surprises during this year's Challenge? :)

I personally was delightfully surprised by a lot of great themes this year.

Keep up the good work, you are doing great! :)

Q is for Querying #AtoZChallenge

Hi!

I’m Brandy, a writer of YA fantasy, thrillers and adult fantasy. And the Japanese proverb above encompasses my own personal definition of resilience: the ability to stand up after being knocked down, and a willingness to put yourself in a position to face the same circumstances, even when you know you might get knocked down again. 

Never have I found this more true than with the experience of querying.

For the writers out there you may associate querying with one of the steps on the path to traditional publishing. This is certainly what I think of. But I think that we all query way more than we realize.

A typical job search parallels querying very closely,

As does using dating apps,

Or, hoping for engagement with blog posts.

In all of these we are selling ourselves, our work, our experience and backgrounds, our interests, packaging them into tidy bundles that we hope will appeal.

And when rejection hits- it hurts.

A lot. 

This is where resilience comes in. 

For me resiliency in querying is based on two factors:

Accepting rejection without internalizing it.  My work is being rejected. But others' opinions on my work is not a reflection of my personal worth.

Reminding myself if a door closes, it probably wasn’t the door for me. I don’t want to work with an agent or publisher who doesn’t love my work. 

I think these translate well to other avenues of querying whether it’s in your work or personal life.

When you’re resilient you have the ability to accept rejection, despite how personal it feels, and continue to put yourselves out there.

If you’re writing that means continuing to query your book, or the next book.

If you’re applying to jobs that means continuing to search for a role you want and not settling for the first opening that says yes.

If you’re searching for connection that means continuing to look.

And if you’re putting yourself out there with blog posts, it means taking on challenges like A to Z, to find the right audience and to make connections with other bloggers.

Sure, I fall down a lot, but I always get back up.

L is for Letters and Memories

Some of you blogging about history and genealogy might be familiar with this genre: A few years ago I started binge-reading published letters and diaries written by women who lived in turbulent times (WWI, WWII, 19th century revolutions and civil wars, etc.). They are a fascinating read, because they rarely focus on the large events of history - they tell us about the day to day life and struggles of individual, average people. These collections are a stunning testimony to RESILIENCE. Holding on to hope, taking care of each other, surviving against all odds. I am lucky enough to have some of these letters and diaries saved from my own grandparents who lived through WWII. They are precious, important stories that should not be forgotten.

Living in turbulent times, it is good to remember the people who lived through all kinds of hardships, and left their testimony, not as history texts, but as stories told in their own voice. They give us hope, teach us empathy, and tell us a lot about what resilience looks like.

If you have book or blog recommendations on this topic, please share in the comments! And don't forget: what you write now, might become similarly precious for people in a few decades... 

J's Jamboree #AtoZchallenge 2023

Howdy! J Lenni Dorner here, your April Blogging from A to Z Challenge team captian, with the letter j post. Time for

J's Jamboree!

(A celebration, possibly international in scope, with a party-like atmosphere.)

🥳🎉🎇🎈📣🎵

Jubilation is a jackpot when working on resilience. Stay jolly while being as flexible as jelly and your resilience in blogging will be justified. A joyful attitude can be felt by your audience.

Be sure to jump to the blogs of others who joined us. Jabber in comments may cause bloggers to dance a jig. Our master list is jam-packed with more than just journalized blogs. Jellyfish don’t have brains 🧠, but bloggers do, so use them to juggle some jim-dandy remarks.

I is for, well, I. #AtoZChallenge

 I is for, well, I.

We're now in the second full week of A to Z, and I want to encourage you all to not lose sight of why you're doing this challenge. I won't speak for you, but I will share with you the reasons I am participating.

1. I want to encourage others to challenge themselves.
2. I want to challenge myself to get back to writing again.
3. I want to share my blog with the world.
4. I want to find more blogs I love reading.

What are some of the reasons you are participating?

G is for Giant #AtoZChallenge

G is for Giant

Sometimes things that we think are

GIANT

today turn out to be little tomorrow. 

E is for Energy

People who are especially enthusiastic and dedicated to what they do (whether it is work, a hobby, a cause) tend to overlook the fact that your energy is a finite resource. Some of these things sound self-explanatory, but they are worth repeating:

1. Just because you technically have the TIME to take on another task, doesn't mean you have the ENERGY to do more.

2. The best way to be prepared for unexpected situations life throws at us is to have RESERVES we can use to problem-solve. That means, even if you can't prepare for everything (I know, my anxiety hates this too), you'll be prepared to have the ENERGY to deal with stuff.

3. This also means that REPLENISHING your ENERGY is not laziness. Rest, recharging, and self-care are vital.

4. Sadly, replenishing energy takes more time than you think. And since many of us work in situations where taking days off is not easy or even always possible, this makes ENERGY an even more precious resource. To have, and to spend.

What does all this have to do with resilience? The better you learn to spend your ENERGY, the more resilient you become in the face of unexpected challenges. And also, knowing what you are willing to spend it on makes you better at drawing boundaries, and valuing yourself. And that is very important.

Which is why it is especially awesome that you decided to spend so much energy this month on participating in the Challenge! Posting and visiting. Don't stress about numbers. You're doing great. Just have fun :)

C is for Candy #AtoZChallenge 2023

Resilient candy. 

My area of the world is near the Just Born candy factory in Bethlehem, PA. Local stores are flooded with Peeps. What can these marshmallow candies endure?

"Peeperiments" (Peep experiments) include various acids, water, and microwaving. (💥 I don't suggest trying the microwaving test. It's fun to watch, but not to clean.) Could Peeps "survive nuclear fallout"? Probably not. If they are kept in an airtight container they will last for up to two years.

Sources:

tastingtable.com

ajc.com/news
candyblog.net/blog/
peepresearch.org

📚
On a personal note, as evidence of my own resilience, the second book in my Existence series was released TODAY!
Proof of Existence is on Amazon- amzn.to/3ZZ1WM6. There's a giveaway for a blanket or character name on my blog.



Will you celebrate #PeepsDay tomorrow, April 5?
What candy do you think is the most resilient? 

 B is for Beauty

There is beauty in resilience, don't you think?

Whenever I see a rainbow after a storm, I'm reminded of the resilience of nature. The beauty that is encapsulated in this simple act of nature makes me think of other beautiful and resilient things in nature. I always think of all the animals who had to literally weather the storm. There is beauty in imagining the emerging of the animals from their shelters as the storm lets up and the sun begins to shine again.

As we embark on Day 2 of our A to Z Challenge, let's all remember the beauty in our resilience as writers, as bloggers, as people. 

Tell us about the beauty you find in resilience!

Copy of the MASTER LIST 2023 #AtoZchallenge

Here's something new we're testing in 2023

Jayden has created a way for the spreadsheet FOR THE MASTER LIST 2023 to be visible here on the site.





This is not your personal copy. You won't be able to reorganize the entries. You can't change "no" to "yes" as you leave comments for others. 
You CAN see if anyone noted "other" with their theme category, and see which sites are "adult," by scrolling left and right. (see the image pointing out where the bottom scrollbar is located). 

Depending on feedback, if this method is popular with our blog-hopping participants, we will make a post like this for the other forms too. The form will update until April 9. (It can take Google up to five hours to refresh. If you sign up and don't see your info on the list on this post by then, please contact a team member. We're locked to the top of the list for your convenience.) 

Please, let us know if you enjoy having the completed list on a post on our site.

Get your own copy of The 2023 OFFICIAL MASTER LIST: https://tinyurl.com/3we8aa84 (File, make a copy -- be sure to keep it updated!)

Theme Reveal is now Closed #AtoZChallenge

  

Thanks to all those who signed up for the Theme Reveal for the A to Z Challenge!
If you missed signing up, have no fear. The Master List opens on Sunday, March 26th! In the meantime, check out these blogs who are going to be participating in the A to Z Challenge! Feel free to make a copy of the list so you can check off the ones you've read. Remember to leave your link on others' blogs so we can all get to know each other a bit through this challenge.

We are all looking forward to being on this journey with you!

A to Z Challenge Theme Reveal Event 2023! #AtoZChallenge

 

HTML Code for those who use it:
<a href="http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/"><img alt="AtoZChallenge theme reveal 2023 #atozchallenge" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkr3wdI26Y-LmUdQrbS17XYvEjUForcMR4X2Iea6jX7--sfb009bWjqrUpUDGDYNNlc_Oq4KWkdDlgGuB0LFWCXfAVsN5dk4P9IMX50FlbQEqR7Go4H1qhquytH3iuse0uGHw0J3UvtJ1TbXaCJl7Tb22vR5VX1BiiWzYoy6B7ui6DN-kVTlPTkdPB/w400-h175/Theme1b.jpg" width="400" height="175"/></a>

It's that time of the year again, bloggers! 

Welcome to the 2023 A to Z Challenge Theme Reveal!

***Note: This is a separate event, for those who want to announce their A to Z theme. You will still have to sign up for the Master List to participate! The Master List opens on March 26th! There will be a post!***

If you are planning to do a theme on your blog in April, this is your chance to share it with all of us!

Step 1: Write a Theme Reveal post and publish it on your blog. Tell us what theme you chose for yourself this year!

Step 2: Fill out this form (link) to sign up! Make sure you put in the direct link to your theme reveal post, not to your blog in general! And don't forget to take a look at our list of Categories!

Step 3: Head over to the list of participants (link), and visit others to see what themes they are doing! If you take a copy now (File> Make a Copy), be sure to come back after sign-ups close to grab the information of the rest of the participants.

Please join the Theme Reveal by March 18th. After that, this form will be closed. The Master List for the challenge will open on March 26th!

We are all looking forward to being on this journey with you!

2023 Calendar #AtoZchallenge

 

March 12- 18= Theme Reveal
March 26- April 8= 2023 Master List sign-up
May 1-6 = Reflections
May 15= Road Trip

Participant Badge

<a href="http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/" Target="_blank"><img alt="#AtoZChallenge 2023 badge" height="250" width= "250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNWmRwtC6H98S7_G0SqGiHRuU-DcQRJ6V5u0uo72eCgZ4BOdqxtCoFilZQXBhltX42S59uZuR7mhu8BGzF4FgVMDnfcNvktURzM7W9xYcm1oHHJvDjgn0wu1M6cTe2PyuDDFQbzijMVQwH-uPckGRbw6fFjc6FtanPgUSMlHPIAEGKZHJX4zD19MDL/s1600/Sq400.jpg"/></a>
Change the * height="250" width= "250" * numbers in the code to suit your needs. As long as both numbers match, the image remains square.

The team's theme for the 2023 A to Z Challenge is RESILIENCE.

Our bloggers have adapted to new circumstances, many having persisted through tough times in and outside the blogosphere, and have transformed and revolutionized their blogging skills to be here with us this year. We praise the fortitude it takes to run a successful blog (whatever qualities you consider a success) in 2023 and are grateful for each participant in the
April Blogging from A to Z Challenge.
Our new (anonymous 🥔) graphics person hopes you'll enjoy the image of the resilient tree on the 2023 graphics. 

Zip thru Autumn - an #AtoZchallenge Event

The cooler temperatures of Autumn (especially in America) bring about zippered jackets. In some areas, as chlorophyll breaks down, leaves change from green to hues of red, yellow, or brown fall foliage. Bloggers have asked the team for a second, but easier, challenge event during this season. Here it is!

No Masterlist, no forms to fill out, and no special place for links. You might want to share links to your posts using the #AtoZchallenge hashtag, or in the comments of these posts. That's up to you. 

Do as much or as little as you like during this reverse alphabet challenge. 

Here are some SUGGESTED prompts.
We propose doing two posts a week for this event.

Sept 21- 27 ~  Zero excuses, Yearn to

Sept 28- Oct 4 ~ Xenodochy in blogging, Why blog

Oct 5- Oct 11 ~  Variety, Unique to my blog

Oct 12- Oct 18 ~ Ten-year plan, SMART goals

Oct 19- Oct 25 ~ Recommend, Questions for visitors

Oct 26- Nov 1 ~ Priorities, Open

Nov 2- Nov 7 ~ Never blog this, Motivating 

Nov 9- Nov 15 ~ Lesson, Know where I've been

Nov 16- Nov 22 ~ Joy and Job in blogging, Ideas 

Nov 23- Nov 29 ~ Happy Habits, Goal of your blog for remaining 2022 

Nov 30- Dec 6 ~ Fortitude, Easy tips 

Dec 7- Dec  13~ Dare, Chance 

Dec 14- Dec 20 ~ Balance, Achievements in 2022

#AtoZChallenge News and Updates

Greetings, A to Z Bloggers. 

Our graphics person, Anjela, has retired from the team. We thank her for her time and the beautiful 2022 logo. 

The team is working on more year-round content to help you blog better and faster, grow the community, and be more connected. 

Our "target audience" is, and always has been, bloggers of all ages in all genres worldwide.
We hope to inspire our fellow bloggers to keep blogging regularly and "hopping" to each other's blogs all year. 💻🐇

We hope to bring you more content, insights from the team, and chances to share your own blogging tips with the community. We're here for you year-round, not just in April. We're going to explore ways to expand your blogging audience. 

AND WE'RE GIVING YOU A SECOND CHALLENGE!

That's right. You asked for it; you got it. This September and October will have a low-key reverse alphabet challenge. Details coming soon. 

What about the regular April A to Z Challenge?

No significant changes. The banners, badges, forms, and sheets will remain. There will still be a Theme Reveal hop, the normal April A to Z Challenge bloghop, and the Road Trip. It's okay if you only want to visit us in March, April, and May for those events. We're just stepping the site up to give you more during the rest of the year.

What's next for the A to Z Team?

We are diligently working behind the scenes to create inspiring blog posts.

Please don't forget that the Road Trip is still going on. We're planning to throw more support to those who signed up! https://tinyurl.com/AZtrip22

We're getting someone else to do graphics. What do you think of the look of this offering?

Square, Round, Social Media, Favicon

• Are you interested in more posts and content from the A to Z Team?
• Would you be interested in contributing a post?
• Are you excited about a second challenge?
• What are your thoughts on this possible graphic set for the A to Z Challenge?

#AtoZChallenge Statistics 2022

The Reflections Sign-up is CLOSED.

The Road Trip sign-up will come on May 16.

Here are some views from the last #AZchat

(© copyright profile images are hidden)

Q5- What posts or content would you like to see on the A to Z site over the next few months, if any?
(Reply: #AZchat A5- answer) #atozchallenge pic.twitter.com/FnmYj7PKbj

— AtoZChallenge (@AprilA2Z) May 3, 2022

Countries on the Master List this year:

• USA =100
• UK =24
• India =21
• Australia =12
• Canada = 9
• Denmark =2
• Germany =2
• Ireland =2
• Malaysia =2
• South Africa =2
• Switzerland =2
• Bulgaria
• China
• France
• Hungary
• Italy
• Japan
• Mexico
• Netherlands
• Peru
• Qatar
• Singapore
• Thailand
• Vietnam

Chart of the most popular categories:

5.9% of the blogs this year were listed as ADULT.

Continuous story? 8 bloggers said yes!

No one needed people to "vote" to make the next post. Choose-your-blogging-adventure has perhaps ended?

Only 2 people said they didn't intend to visit other blogs in the blog hop!

15.7% of the bloggers this year were new! WELCOME!

119 of you shared your Twitter handle, 86 shared a Facebook link, and 86 shared their Instagram. 💻

The biggest problem the team ran into was when bloggers didn't realize the Theme Reveal and the Master List for the main challenge were TWO separate events with separate sign-ups. We will work on making that clearer next year. Sorry for the confusion. 

Do any of you from the challenge feature gifts or cards for the winter holidays?
Any challenge winners interested in writing an alphabet worth of writetips? 

If you pitch an idea for a guest post (June to February), be sure we know how to reach you! (Hitting up team captain @JLenniDorner on Twitter is recommended.)