Tuesday, April 5, 2022
#AtoZChallenge E is for Encouraging Each Other
Sunday, March 6, 2022
A to Z Challenge Theme Reveal 2022! #AtoZChallenge
It's that time of the year again, bloggers!
Welcome to the 2022 A to Z Challenge Theme Reveal!
If you are planning to do a theme on your blog in April, this is your chance to share it with all of us! 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. And take a look at our list of Categories, because this year we have some new options for you!
Then, 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 21st. After that, this form will be closed. The Master List for the challenge will open on March 30th!
DRUMROLL PLEASE
The theme of the A to Z Challenge main blog this year is:
ACCOMPLISHING YOUR DREAMS, AND THE DUALITY OF 22
J Lenni Dorner writes about this theme:
Eyes close and dreams come to those fortunate enough to get the escape of entertainment. Perhaps they allow the imagination to stretch. Or give the mind an alternative way to work out problems from the wakeful hours. Some say these images from sleep carry messages and meanings that require interpretation to better steer our lives. There is much debate on how much control we have over those dreams.https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/103818836
Friday, April 9, 2021
I is for Inspiration! #atozchallenge
What inspires you? What makes your mind wander, and wonder, and ask things like "what if...?"
Look for some extra inspiration today! Whether for your blog, or your WIP, or just for fun, here are some sites that will give you a fresh dose of inspiration!
Use this Random Art Generator to find a classic painting, and see if it becomes a story in your head!
Try this Random Landscape Generator, and see if you can imagine what happens there!
Start up the Random Music Generator and see if the music inspires you!
Play around with this amazing Random Folklore Motif Generator, and see if you can make up new tales!
Use this site to get Random Geographic Coordinates, and see what that place inspires in you! (Or learn more about it, if it is new to you!)
Inspiration can come from unexpected places. What inspires YOU in this challenge?
Saturday, April 25, 2020
2020 Vision: The Old Shelter - Sarah Zama's author blog (#AtoZChallenge)
The team decided our theme for this month's posts here would be a take "2020 visions of blogging." This set of posts focuses on:
Do you like historical fiction? How about historical fantasy? Are you excited to be living in the 20s again? How about escaping into the 1920s?
Sarah Zama is a long time participant of the A to Z Challenge with her blog called The Old Shelter. This is her sixth year joining us! Since as an author she works with the past - specifically, the 1920s - I thought she would be a perfect candidate for being featured in our "2020 Vision" series!
Sarah's challenge posts are always a delight to read. This year, her theme is Living in the Twenties! In the past she has done other themes related to her research work for historical fiction:
2015 - The Roaring Twenties
2016 - Jazz Age jazz: early jazz as a social phenomenon
2017 - 1940s film noir
2018 - The Weimar Republic
2019 - Berliner Cabaret
What I especially love about Sarah's posts is that they are extremely well researched and well organized. I always learn a lot from them. And what makes her an even better participant: she always visits back!
Sarah is an author who writes historical fantasy, focusing on the 1920s - or as she describes it, 1920s Dieselpunk Noir. It's history mixed with fantasy, and some fairy tale elements. If you want to find out more about her stories, follow this link!
Grab a copy of the Master List! Click this
Grab your A to Z gear, and other cool goodies from our graphics guy, here: NeatoShop.com/artist/Jeremy-Hawkins
Friday, April 17, 2020
Oldie but goodie (#AtoZChallenge)
The team decided our theme for this month's posts here would be a take "2020 visions of blogging." This set of weekday posts focuses on:
Is blogging getting Old?...
And then I realized I am asking the wrong question. The real question to ask is: Do I care? And if I care, why?
People use social media for a lot of reasons. Some of us do it for audience outreach and marketing. Some do it for community building. Many of us do it as a writing exercise, or to share written resources (in my case, folktales and book reviews). Some of these functions can be moved to newer platforms. Some can't (believe me, I tried sharing folktales on Instagram...). And that's okay.
I ask myself the question: Do I care? I like blogging. I enjoy writing posts, and publishing them, and sharing them on my social media. I enjoy reading the posts of other people. I enjoy reading text that is more than 240 characters long. Maybe it means I'm old. But if I actually grow old, and one day I will be sitting in my hover-chair and scrolling through blog posts on my holo-projector... well, I'll be Okay with that.
Maybe by then, blogging will be retro.
Grab a copy of the Master List! Click this
Grab your A to Z gear, and other cool goodies from our graphics guy, here: NeatoShop.com/artist/Jeremy-Hawkins
Tuesday, April 14, 2020
Love in Present Day Blogging #AtoZChallenge
The team decided our theme for this month's posts here would be a take "2020 visions of blogging." This set of weekday posts focuses on:
And please share with us something you LOVE today.
~Jayden R. Vincente (adult fiction writer)
Grab a copy of the Master List! Click this link.
Grab your A to Z gear, and other cool goodies from our graphics guy, here: NeatoShop.com/artist/Jeremy-Hawkins
Friday, April 10, 2020
In the moment (#AtoZChallenge)
The team decided our theme for this month's posts here would be a take "2020 visions of blogging." This set of weekday posts focuses on:
Blogging in the Present
Interest changes. Every year I think I know what I want to blog about for the next Challenge. And then I change the idea multiple times. You might do the same. Having multiple interests is a good thing!
Inspiration changes. You might think your theme is up to date when you start, and then things turn around, and you might be inspired to blog, talk, muse about something else entirely. Allow yourself flexibility in the Challenge, and in your blogging!
Intensity changes. When you start a demanding challenge like A to Z, there are days when you just don't feel like doing anything at all. Sometimes you get excited, and sometimes you just cruise along. Both are okay!
In the moment, a lot of things can happen that Influence your blogging. I am writing this post two weeks in advance, and I can't even tell what things are going to look like both online and off by the time if goes live. But that's okay! Even if you plan ahead, you can always go back in an edit. Things change. Things get interesting. Inspiration strikes. Go with it!
Grab a copy of the Master List! Click this
Grab your A to Z gear, and other cool goodies from our graphics guy, here: NeatoShop.com/artist/Jeremy-Hawkins
Friday, April 3, 2020
C is for Communication (#AtoZChallenge)
The team decided our theme for this month's posts here would be a take "2020 visions of blogging." This set of weekday posts focuses on:
And that is how my blog started. For Communication, for Connection. At first, it was daily news for friends and family about my study abroad adventures. Later it morphed into reports from storytelling festivals and conferences. Then, in 2012, I joined the A to Z Challenge for the first time, and started sharing storytelling and folklore content regularly.
Through Comments, I was starting to make new friends, and meet new Colleagues. I became part of a Community.
Today, thirteen years later, my blog is a Combination of professional Content and reports from my travels and performances. I have grown as an artist and as a person. It is strange and nostalgic to look back at the very first posts, and remember when and how it all began.
Ready to sign up for the challenge? Click this: Signup link
Already signed up? Grab a copy of the Master List! Click this: Master List
Grab your A to Z gear, and other cool goodies from our graphics guy, here: NeatoShop.com/artist/Jeremy-Hawkins
Monday, March 16, 2020
Theme Reveal 2020 #AtoZChallenge
It's time to reveal your theme for 2020!
We'll even share our theme. It's 2020 Vision, of course! Join us here on the A to Z Blog all month long for posts from our team, and be sure to sign up with your theme reveal here.
Please make sure you share the link directly to your Theme Reveal Post and not your general blog post.
You can see your blog immediately on our Theme Reveal List and you can see the list of all Blogs on our Master List!
Be sure to sign up for the Theme Reveal by Thursday, March 26th! After that, the form will be closed.
If you haven't signed up for the challenge on the Master List, you can do so here.
Wednesday, March 4, 2020
It's time!
It's time? Time for what?
Time to share your 2020 vision and sign up for the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge!
Click here to fill out our Google Form to sign up. Once you've signed up, your blog will appear automatically on the Master List!
The form will be open until April 5th, so make sure to get your sign ups in ASAP!
If you have any questions about signing up, check out our posts from 2019 or 2018. In 2019, we outlined all the information you need to sign up, and in 2018, we posted helpful videos. Not much has changed since then!
Upcoming Dates:
- Monday, March 16th: Theme Reveal Posts
- Wednesday, April 1st: A to Z Challenge Begins
- Sunday, April 5th: Sign Ups for the Master List Close
- Monday, May 4th: Reflections
- Monday, May 18th: A to Z Road Trip
Monday, April 29, 2019
Y is for the rest of the Year (#AtoZChallenge)
We're celebrating our Tenth Anniversary here at the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge.
What are your plans for the rest of the year, until the April hype starts up again?
Maybe you will
1. Have a new post series on your blog?
2. Will publish a book based on A to Z?
3. Work on a new blog design?
4. Join another challenge in the meantime?
5. Plan a blog hop?
6. Host a blog tour?
7. Dip your toes in a new social media platform?
8. Start a podcast?
9. Read new books from your TBR list?
10. Practice something you learned from A to Z?
Whatever it is, tell us in the comments if you feel like it! :)
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nZ7UupzB78MvJnraN9khkLJT3jM6uOP1LTDc8gaQluY
Friday, April 12, 2019
K is for Kindness (#AtoZChallenge)
We're celebrating our Tenth Anniversary here at the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nZ7UupzB78MvJnraN9khkLJT3jM6uOP1LTDc8gaQluY
Tuesday, April 2, 2019
Book Blog Tours #AtoZchallenge
We're celebrating our Tenth Anniversary here at the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge.
#AtoZchallenge. The blog hop that made an online community by asking bloggers to spend the month of April using the English alphabet as inspiration for their posts. We're glad you stopped by today.
Book Blog Tours
There are plenty of authors and book bloggers in the A to Z challenge. Simon says raise your hand if you know what a book blog tour is!
*cough* This blog held one earlier this year. If you're not a newb, your hand should be up. *cough*
Okay. Simon says you can put your hand back down. Book Blog Tours are an easy way for writers to reach a larger audience. It also gains your blog extra exposure from people who are looking for information on a certain book. Plus, it's an easy post to create, so that's freebie content.
Sometimes bloggers who aren't authors or book-bloggers aren't sure how a novel could tour on their blog. Here's a list of ten categories of blogs and ways they could invite certain books to tour:
- Culinary blogs could host novels that have unusual food. (The Hunger Games eventually got a cookbook.) Or non-fiction recipe books, because those can tour too.
- Entertainment blogs could compare a book to a movie, television show, or play. Or perhaps use books that reference certain bands or music. (Rock-fiction is a thing.)
- Genealogy blogs could host books that feature characters who look up their genealogy.
- Health blogs could discuss books with characters who have certain health issues. (The diverse book movement is encouraging more of these!)
- Lifestyle and Social blogs could interview authors or characters who live the certain lifestyles featured on the blog. (I've interviewed an author who lives on a boat and another who traveled around the world.)
- Mythology and Folklore blogs are perfect for novels with that subject.
- Parenting/Family blogs are a great place for children's' books to tour.
- Spirituality and Religion blogs might be a good place for books with characters of faith.
- Travel blogs could compare their journey with those of a character who travels.
- Women's Interest blogs could feature books with strong female characters.
I hope this list has inspired you to invite an author to tour on your blog. Do you know of a book that fits one of the types of blogs listed?
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nZ7UupzB78MvJnraN9khkLJT3jM6uOP1LTDc8gaQluY
Monday, April 9, 2018
H is for our very own Jeremy Hawkins! #AtoZChallenge
As most of the A to Z veterans among you already know, Jeremy Hawkins is the dedicated genius behind the graphics of the Challenge - badges, banners, t-shirts, you name it! Jeremy has been with us right from the start, putting work, energy, and enthusiasm into making A to Z a colorful and fun experience for everyone.
This year, Jeremy is not participating in the daily posting of A to Z, but he still made time to create our graphics. So today, for the letter H, we would like to encourage everyone to go to Jeremy's blog, and say hi! Let's make his day as fun as he made the challenge for us :)
You can also visit his Amazon author page here, and see his designs here. Because he is that versatile a guy!
You can read more about him from previous years here and here.
Have a great day, Jeremy! :)
If you wish to include a direct link to your blog post of this day's letter, please click:
https://goo.gl/forms/
https://docs.google.com/
Click here for the MASTER LIST of all participants who signed up for the #AtoZchallenge 2018!
Monday, July 4, 2016
Lessons from the Failure (#atozchallenge)
Lessons from the Failure
I first heard about the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge in May 2014 and was bit disappointed since I was late. I subscribed to the A to Z Blog and waited patiently for 2015. A to Z challenge 2015 was my first participation in the challenge and I was determined to survive it. I finalized on a theme and did some research. With some hiccups, I managed to complete the challenge and went on to write my reflections post. I was so proud of myself. Posting every day with relevant content on the blog made me feel bravura.
My confidence touched no bounds as I managed to pull it off on two blogs simultaneously. Amita's Pen where I blog more often saw some great Indian women who made the road clear for future ladies in various professions. The other blog - Quotes, made me pen down at least one self-made sentence on Pregnancy. That section is very close to my heart and the words came directly from inside as I was expecting my second baby at that time.
Then came 2016 and I was very confident of completing the challenge again. "If I can do it on two blogs at the same time while being eight months pregnant, nothing's going to stop me now", were my thoughts at the back of mind. I went a step further and went on to be on the team of Arlee Bird's A to Z Challenge Ambassadors. I had a great theme and finalized more great topics for each letter. April 2016 started and so did my challenge. After 10 days, I actually gave up. I knew I had failed it this time. I was sad. I felt embarrassed on not being able to contribute to Arlee's team - I volunteered myself for it and I was not doing anything. Honestly, I still feel bad more about being a non-active helper more than being a non-survivor.
I asked myself, "What went wrong?' 'Where did I lack?” My inner self shouted the following answers:
1. You did not Schedule the Posts
Plan, draft and schedule the posts. This is the top advice or tip anyone would get when it comes to any blogging challenge. And there I was an existing survivor and still ignoring this important advice. Mark it in bold letters: If anyone want to survive the challenge with flying colors along with good content, scheduling the posts is a must.
2. You did not Seek Help
I have never had guest posts on my blog. May be this was the time to let the curtains up. I could have approached my friends and I am sure many of them would have helped even if I gave them the topics. But, I did not even try it. So next time, if you are having a hard time coming up with enough of your own original posts, try calling your friends - bloggers and non-bloggers both might be willing to lend a hand.
3. You were Over-Confident
Remember - success is never guaranteed. Just because I succeeded last time, does not mean I would continue to do so without more effort. Challenges often get tougher with each passing moment. Be prepared for them so they won't become insurmountable.
So, does that mean my failure was all my fault? Actually, I would not be so very harsh to myself. In my defense I had a very, very busy month at work. I was writing programming scripts at work all day long throughout the month of April and each day I when I took time to work on my blog posts, I got more behind at work. The official work pays me and needs to be completed at any cost. Thus, I forgive myself--just this time--for ignoring my dear blog. I would keep the learning in mind and definitely take up the challenge again in 2017. Next year I hope to heed the lessons I learned in 2016 to make my life as a blogger far less stressful and uncomplicated.
PS - I hope I would still be chosen to assist on a team next time - Guilty me! I'll do better next year!
Thanks, Amita! I'd be happy to give you another chance on my team.
We're accepting guest post proposals for the A to Z Blog. If you have something that you think might be of interest to the A to Z community of bloggers, contact us with your idea. I'll be happy to work with you on a post for this site.
Monday, May 23, 2016
I'm Not a Blogger (an #atozchallenge story)
Seriously, I’m not.
Odd that my words should continue to unspool before your eyes, isn’t it?
Well, they did the same under my fingers, and have done so for years now.
I keep telling myself I’m not a blogger, I don’t grasp the format, I don’t understand why anyone would want to hear (read) what I have to say.
So I write novels. Blame my characters if you get bored; after all, they told me what they wanted to say.
Books and stories, that the ticket. Not blogs.
No juicy rants about politics or—Heaven help us—religion.
But…
Ah yes, but.
Detractors be damned, blogging IS writing. It is the brain (or the Muse, or what have you) speaking through the fingers to an unknown and faceless someone. My stories generally start with a bare notion, a fleeting nudge of feeling that there might be a story if I start writing RIGHT NOW and don’t stop until that nebulous nudge is through with me.
Blogging is no different. Screw outlines, all I need is an opening sentence. Something to move the cursor forward.
Wanna know what the sentence was for this post? Wanna know exactly what it was that sent my fingers scampering over the keys?
Ready?
Here it is: “I’m not a blogger.”
I sat here, wondering what on earth I had to say to my fellow A to Z’ers. I scanned several other A to Z posts, saw the crafty lists, and thoroughly enjoyed those breezy, enchanting posts.
And I thought to myself: But I’m not a blogger. My blog posts generally have to do with my writing; my current work-in-progress; my ongoing review blog concerning movies about writers.
I’ve been not blogging for years now. And the more I don’t do it, the more natural it seems.
Exactly why did I start not blogging in the first place? Well, looky here…a list (albeit a very short one) emerges.
Why Martin Doesn’t Blog
1) To Keep From Writing. Think blogging is tough? Try writing novels. Sometimes the words thumb their collective noses at you and decide they’d rather not play right now. I find in those dark times that I can always write some random sentence (“I’m not a blogger,” for instance) and keep going stream-of-consciousness-style until something takes shape. Not blogging was my favorite way of not writing.
1b) Because It’s Easy. Wait…what?
Yeah, there’s the truth within the lie…or vice versa. Because the truth (or the lie) is that I should be writing every day. But sometimes I don’t feel like it. But I can always write something if I give it structure ahead of time. Hold on, didn’t he just say he likes to start with a sentence to see where it goes?
Indeed. But that only works once in a while. Try that on a regular basis and the result would be a chorus of irritated yawns. This is where the A to Z Challenge came into play. 26 posts; scheduled; clockwork. This was terrifying until I came up with my format. Make it short. Hell, make it Haiku. Honestly, I don’t know why that was easy, but it was.
2) To Figure Things Out. Some ideas are not meant to be stories. Some are not actually ideas at all, but random musings. Ruminations, if you will. Occasionally I attempt to come to terms with some horrific crap I perpetrated years ago. I have channeled that confusion and self-loathing into any number of stories (see Relative Karma and Relative Sanity), but there came one of those Dark Nights of the Soul when I imagined the Other Me as a beast that I kept chained. To learn from him; to study him and make sure he never got out again. I began to realize this Darker Me, hunched and drooling in a dark corner of my muse’s basement, was fueling my writing. That post became Chaining the Beast in the Basement of the Muse. Check it out HERE.
3) Because I Love Writing and Writers. I am endlessly fascinated with the mechanics of writing and the processes of those who do it well. I never get bored reading what writers have to say about the craft. And I am a bit giddy when I stumble on a movie that has something to say about the writing life.
So I began compiling a list of movies that deal with writers/writing/the writing life. And I began watching these movies and offering my opinion in review form as to how Hollywood treated those hacks and scribblers. I entitled the series Scribblers on Celluloid and if you haven’t had enough yet, feel free to check out the introduction HERE.
What is the point in all this? It would seem to be a simple admonition to find out what it is you are not doing at which you are half competent.
And then, regardless of what the haters may say, continue not doing that thing with a passion.
I am not a blogger, and I intend to keep it that way.
For more from this author, visit Martin’s website by clicking HERE.
Visit Martin’s Amazon page by clicking HERE.