Alphabet Remix - Lamenting Love's Lure

These blogging prompts are brought to you by Nicole at The Madlab Post....

It’s time for The Alphabet Remix - A Writing Prompt Idea Engine Treating A to Z Blogging Avoidance Disorders

Love has been one of the most popular topics for Letter L during the Blogging from A to Z Challenge -- so popular that some bloggers have opted to forgo being yet another one of the bajillion and six people who write about the sentiment in April. I mean, if we read one blog post about love, then we’ve read them all, right? Much like any other topic or letter, the answer to that question all depends on what is written.

You see, I don’t need a reminder of the existence of a possible oversaturation of love, to understand how dull the topic becomes when it’s sung, performed about and blogged into the ground. I’m in a metropolitan area known as “The City of Brotherly Love” and “The City that Loves You Back.” Heck, the sentiment even has its own park, complete with a waterfall and great views of the famous “Rocky” steps, just a few blocks away.

I’m sometimes puzzled when I notice tourists in awe of such landmarks -- probably because locals like myself often take these placed for granted. Yet, I still don’t mind reading about the topic of love because there are so many different ways that A to Z Challenge participants can write about it without looking or sounding like the same ol’ tune that their fellow bloggers are mixing up. Here are a few Love mixes to consider when trying to find topics to write about during the Blogging from A to Z Challenge in April.

Love Letters
Write a love letter to your spouse, parent, friend or a deceased loved one. Better yet, teach your readers how to craft a love letter to an estranged family member if they are seeking a reconnection. If you’re feeling artsy, make a comic showing three different love letters -- one between teenagers, one between newlyweds and one between two elderly people.

Lovers
Write a short story about two lovers who are faced with a problem. The conflict could revolve around an either low (or high. It could go one way or the other) libido, a scandalous trial over their extreme PDA or some weird transformation issue a la Cinderella, Shrek, Snow White, etc. if you like magic or fantasy stories.

You could also try your writing skills at creating some fan fiction starring two loves from your favorite Soap Opera, novel series or television show. An alternate approach to the topic would be to profile your favorite famous love triangle or lovers scandal in (hollywood, music, political, publishing/fictional) history and write about why you favor their story.

Lovely Fairywren
Find some interesting facts about this Australian bird and write about the one that you find most fascinating. Maybe you could explore how the “lovable” bird got its name or teach your readers about any nicknames that this particular species has. It is one of the quickest options for writing a short blog post for Letter L during the A to Z Challenge.

Now, onto other business. The Winner of Last Week’s Alphabet Soup Game is....

Corinne OFlynn at Ode to Blogging

She correctly unscrambled five of the eight movie titles ending with a Letter L word. Her prize packages includes: Title of Alphabet Wizard, The authority to pick the letter for the next Alphabet Soup game and the option to pick the Monday Movie Meme topic for an upcoming day on my blog.

Congratulations to Corinne!

Here are the answers to last week’s Alphabet Soup:

1. LoeaotLhdtsnf - Land of the Lost.
2. etoLosgnothNi - Nothing to Lose.
3. inneLhlTBeiu -Thin Blue Line.
4. hTeaLmaorpustseLferot - Treasure of the Lost Lamp.
5. edoLfsBoyi - Body of Lies.
6. ffmoienaIitLtio - Imitation of Life.
7. izroyaeLutSdCvp - Crazy Stupid Love.
8. e8tya2rsDaL - 28 Days Later.


I'd also like to send a special shout out to Sheila Siler at Sheila Scribbles, who not only played the Alphabet Soup game, but also correctly unscrambled No. 2 and No. 8 on the list. Kudos to you!

Sign up for the Monday Movie Meme, a weekly group blogging series that inspires discussion about entertainment in a whole new light and provides recommendations for your DVD, on-demand or theater fix. New topics are posted every Monday at The Madlab Post!
.
NICOLE
@MadlabPost on Twitter

Alphabet Remix - Juggling Jennifers in April

These A to Z Challenge blogging ideas are brought to you by Nicole from The Madlab Post...

It’s time for The Alphabet Remix - A Writing Prompt Idea Engine Treating A to Z Blogging Avoidance Disorders

Just because several other bloggers have written about the same topic, for the same letter during the Blogging from A to Z Challenge does not mean you cannot blog about this same subject too. There are many ways to avoid looking like you just jumped on the bandwagon of A to Z participants who chose a common or popular topic that is now being blogged into the ground because everyone is talking about the same thing in the same way. Instead of choosing a different subject, especially if the popular or common topic interests you, try putting a spin on it by writing posts that are related to the subject but has enough variety to stand out among the crowd.

If you are a comic book, film, Robert Downey Jr. or superhero fan and notice that many, if not most A to Z Challenge bloggers wrote a movie review for The Avengers as their Letter A post, then don’t just dismiss the idea of using The Avengers as your subject of choice. Instead, try writing a comparison of all of The Avengers, pitting them against each other in a hypothetical battle. Write about who you think would win in a fight between Iron Man and Captain America.

Still stumped for ideas? Here are some examples, based on Actresses named Jennifer, that you can use to get your blogging juices flowing for the 2013 A to Z Challenge -- and turn this common name into unexpected blog post ideas.

Jennifer Garner Jokes
Post a joke about the actress and then ask your readers if they think it’s funny or not. Don’t have time to go searching for celebrity humor? That’s fine. Here is one from Daily Comedy:

Jennifer Garner recently filed a restraining order against a man who’s been following her around.

The man...Ben Affleck!

Also, challenge readers to rewrite the joke and see who comes up with the most clever or funniest one.

You could also post a joke that was made by the actress and then share your thoughts on whether you think she was funny or not. When asked if she would post in a bikini, Garner jokingly responded to David Letterman, “Not enough double-sided tape in the world to keep everything in place.”

Judge and Jury: Controversial Remarks by Jennifers of Hollywood
Nope, this ain’t no James Patterson novel that I’m talking about today. The literary great can, however, be used as motivation for you to re-cast one of his Alex Cross movies or write a blog post that lists actors who you think would be the right fit for a film adaptation of Judge and Jury. Now getting back to this alphabet remix, consider blogging about a comment made by one of the famous Jennifers in Hollywood and share your thoughts on it. Also, open the discussion up to your readers.

When talking about juggling work, motherhood and marriage, Jennifer Lopez said “So you are going to be either a bad mom and be a really good career woman and wife; or a good mom and career woman and a bad wife; or a good mom and a good wife and your career is gonna suck. I want to get a T-shirt that says, 'Bullsh--!” -- Do YOU agree or disagree that these are the choices for women?

While discussing her squirrel-skinning scene in “Winter’s Bone,” actress and “Hunger Games” star Jennifer Lawrence told Rolling Stone Magazine “I should say it wasn’t real, for PETA. But screw PETA” -- which prompted a response from the animal rights organization. -- Should we concern ourselves with fictional depictions of animal abuse or is PETA out of line?

Jazzy Juice about Jennifer Hudson
While other A to Z Challengers are listing their favorite Jennifer Hudson songs or favorite movies featuring this actress (which is fine to do, by the way), you can take a different approach to the subject matter and teach readers something about her that they didn’t know by sharing trivia facts or related news while also adding your thoughts to make it unique.

Did you know that Jennifer Hudson has her own holiday? That’s right. In 2007, the mayor of Chicago declare March 6th as “Jennifer Hudson Day.” So, write about how you would celebrate this holiday or better yet, if you could give a local celebrity his or her own holiday, who would it be and why?

Did you also know that Jennifer Hudson turned down the leading role of an abused teenager in the drama film “Precious” because she didn’t want to put on anymore weight? -- then later said the character just wasn't meant for her. In her book about weight loss, Hudson said that although she liked the script, she didn’t want another role that had something to do with her weight, after working on “Dreamgirls.” As a result, Hollywood newcomer Gabourey Sidibe was case as the “Precious” lead. That isn’t the only time this Academy Award winning actress turned down a big offer. Hudson also turned down an invitation to perform at President Obama’s inauguration, which would have been her first time in the spotlight following the murder of her mother, brother and nephew.

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Before we wrap today’s A to Z blog post up, join me for some Friday Fun Time housekeeping.
The WINNER of last week’s Alphabet Soup game is...

Tina Downey at Life is Good


Tina’s Alphabet Soup Prize Package Includes: bragging rights, the title of 'Alphabet Wizard,' the option of selecting my next Monday Movie Meme topic* AND most importantly, the authority to choose the letter for the next Alphabet Soup game.
*Must be a topic/theme that has not been previously covered.


Congratulations to Tina for unscrambling all 10 names of actors and actresses whose first name begins with the letter J! I also want to give a special shout out to Delores at The Tormented Scribe for also taking a chance and playing this game by unscrambling at least one of the names on the puzzle. Delores, you are a true sport! For those of you who played and for those of you who missed it, here are the answers to last week’s Alphabet Soup:

1. Jhcaknsooa Jus - Joshua Jackson

2. otkeacaJnsn J - Janet Jackson

3. ernnnH fidoeuJs - Jennifer Hudson

4. nferCylonJen ine - Jennifer Connely

5. tosifei nnAJrnne - Jennifer Aniston

6. errCJy mia - Jim Carrey

7. eeortJtl nuSelm - Jurnee Smollett

8. JrnOCo lelnry - Jerry O’Connell

9. NlckoncJiohas - Jack Nicholson

10. kck acaBJl - Jack Black

Need some extra blogging motivation? Sign up for the Monday Movie Meme, a weekly writing and memory activity that will have you thinking about movies in a whole new light. New topics are posted every Monday!

NICOLE
Read The Madlab Post.
Find/Follow/RT @MadlabPost on Twitter.

Nicole from Madlab Post with A to Z Survival Kit

        Nicole from The Madlab Post returns with part 2 of her survival tips for the A to Z.  She's talking about stuff bloggers should be doing Challenge or no Challenge.   You can let us know what you think in the comment section.


        
 Save your blog posts on an external CD-R or Drive

       Those of you who have a habit of writing your blog posts within the post editor should carefully consider either copying and pasting the text into a word processing document or writing the post in notepad or MS Word, etc. and then pasting what you wrote into the post editor. Doing so can prevent the annoying setback of losing everything that you just wrote when your computer crashes or when your internet browser freezes or when the blog page you are working on suddenly reloads itself because you mistakenly clicked on the reloading icon in the browser or hit a shortcut key to go open another web page by accident…silly, I know, but as the saying goes…shit happens.


       The key takeaway here is to do your best to minimize the risk of this same shit happening to you while you’re Blogging from A to Z. Have a way to access your 26 blog posts and any related media (photos, URL addresses to online references where you found information pertaining to your posts, documents with ideas or schedules for you’re A to Z blogging tasks, etc.) anytime and anywhere.

Reach out to Fellow Participants for Help

        Arlee, Alex and the other Blogging from A to Z hosts do a great job of helping Participants with navigating the challenge with ease and they probably answer dozens, if not hundreds of questions and requests during the challenge. The thing that many fellow bloggers may forget to remember or not realize is.....the hosts are blogging too and maintaining the backend of their own blogs while also managing the front-end and backend of the A to Z challenge, which is a LOT of work.

       I mentioned all of this to say....don't underestimate the abilities of your fellow bloggers and A to Z participants when it comes to seeking help with some aspect of the challenge that you don't understand, seeking morale support, troubleshooting or any other need that you may have that is related to the challenge.

      Doing so can give the hosts more room to focus on their main tasks at hand, which are making sure that the A to Z Challenge is operating as smoothly as possible.

Have Alternative Means to Access the Internet

        Last week, I woke up and found my internet access gone. This must be a mistake, I thought. After all, I paid the damn bill. After troubleshooting, checking plugs, restarting a modem, etc. I finally called my internet provider, who told me that there was a power outage in my area due to some problems with their equipment on their end. They expected to have the service restored in 48 hours…..a length of time that seemed like FOREVER to a multitasking, freelance writing, Netflix streaming, work-at-home Twitter-addict like me. Imagine if something like this happens to YOU during a time when you need internet access the most. This is why bloggers can benefit from having alternative sources of internet access, just like it is important to have a substitute blog.

      Get a public library card that allows you to sign up for time at a computer station within the library, find a friend or relative who will let you use their computer to publish your blog posts or visit a local coffee shop that offers free WiFi. Maintaining resources for internet access also helps you travel more without having to be stuck in front of a computer for 26 days. Right now, I know of at least two retail stores and a bank in my city that provides free WiFi. You know what this tells me? It tells me that I can perform many of my Blogging from A to Z duties while running errands outdoors….all in the comfort of a local Starbucks or Greyhound bus. So, if you lose internet access, wherever you normally get it, there is no need to fret. Just buy a latte’ and keep it moving!

Do YOU have what it takes to Survive the A to Z Blogging Challenge?


        Whew!  I have experience with some of these things that Nicole mentions here.  Which of the above tips have you tried if any?  Are there any other suggestions that you have to offer?


         Here's another one of the video's Nicole submitted to the A to Z Video Contest.  Prompts for the second half of the alphabet:

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• You Can't Reach 1000 Followers by Being a Jerk (alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com)
• The Everlasting Quality of a Blog (aspiringnovelist.wordpress.com)
• http://madlabonline.blogspot.com/2011/06/wordcount-blogathon-wrapup-blog2011.html

Sommer’s Top Ten Tips for A-to-Zing It In April: an #atozchallenge essential

We have a Video contest winner!  Rachel Morgan from Rachel Morgan Writes!   Here is her video:


              You'll be hearing more about Rachel on the co-host blogs over the next couple of weeks.                     The voting was pretty evenly distributed and we want to thank all of you who voted and especially  the participants for their creative entries.  Please be sure to stop by all of their sites to show your appreciation.   Here is the complete list of the other A to Z Video Contest entrants and the links to their videos and their sites:
Video Link                          Blog or website


1.Ron Easton                          Dad's Unlimited
2. Ada Zdanowicz                   CollagePodge
3. Marta Szemik                      Marta Szemik's Blog
4. Nicole Ayers   (3)                     Madlab Post
5. Kathleen Medina                  Living 2012
6. Dale Smurthwaite                 Smurfin' the Web
7. Tracy Jo Blowers                Brand New Day  
8. Reka Sang                           A Chronicle of Dreams
9.  Nicole Ayers  (1)                     The Madlab Post
10. Nicole Ayers (2)                  The Madlab Post
11.  Rachel Morgan                   Rachel Morgan Writes
12.  Jocelyn Rish                        Jocelyn Rish

 ************************ And now for today's special guest:
       Our thanks to Sommer Leigh for allowing us to reprint this post from her blog Tell Great Stories.  The information in this post is something everyone needs to read and heed.




The April A to Z Challenge is quickly approaching and I’m working on my blog posts for it. My month of blog posts will have a theme, but I’m not going to reveal what it is just yet. Instead I want to give you some tips from one blogger to the next if you are participating or thinking about participating in this crazy challenge. With a little prep work, you can totally have a great time. And if you are on the fence about whether you should do it or not, let me assuage your fears. You’re going to have a blast.

Granted, everyone does it differently, but this is what I learned from the 2011 April A to Z Challenge. Ready?

Sommer’s Top Ten Tips for A-to-Zing It In April

1. Pre-plan your posts. Write them ahead of time. Schedule them before the month even begins. You’re going to want your posts to run smoothly without you while you’re out there checking out what everyone else is doing.  Meeting new people is the best part of this month and you need to have time to read other blogs. Which reminds me, check out LOTS of other A to Z bloggers!!
2. Make sure your blog is set up so that it is easy for everyone to post a comment. If you have Blogger, consider turning on Name/URL and Anonymous commenting to make it easier on those of us with self hosted blogs and those who do not have a blog or Google account.
3. Turn off CAPTCHA or any other “Prove you are not a robot” gimmick on your comments. People are less likely to comment when you make them jump through a lot of hoops and all major blog services come equipped with a spam blocker of some kind anyway. Last year I read more than 400 blogs and the ones I didn’t comment on were the ones who had this turned on. After a while it was too much extra annoyance.
4. Check your sidebar for the following items: Info about who you are and what sort of blog you run is always nice to find. What name should we call you? List your email address prominently. Make sure you have an easy to find RSS button so people can easily add you to their feed reader. Since only Blogger users can use Google Friend Connect starting in March, you’ll want to make sure you have the Google Friend Connect AND an RSS button. Clean house of any button that honks, blinks, flashes, or animates. These can be hell on your internet speed and they are super annoying to most people.  Try to keep your sidebars clean during April so people can navigate around easier.
5. Respond to comments that ask questions or need feedback of some kind. It drove me crazy whenever I’d go back to check blogs I’d commented on to see if my question had been answered only to discover the blogger wasn’t responding to ANYONE. I know I did not make a point to go back to blogs where we were clearly not very important to the blogger. It’s like talking to a wall.
6. Write shorter blog posts and use pictures, video, and other media effectively. Reading a lot of blog posts is tough, but I appreciated the short and sweet with lots of great media. A good rule of thumb word count is 400 words or less. I broke this rule a lot last year but I wish I hadn’t.
7. Be gracious, poised, and appreciative. The challenge is great because it brings a lot of new traffic to your blog. It can also bring a lot of trolls, too. Not everyone is nice and don’t let anyone who isn’t nice ruin it for you. In fact, don’t respond to them at all. If the comment is truly malicious, feel justified in deleting it. If it’s just kind of jerky, ignore it. YOU are the gracious, poised, and appreciative blogger who loves everyoneand is willing to play nice. Don’t degrade yourself by getting into it with people who suck. It never ends well.
8. Take a deep breath. Exhale. This is not the most important thing in the world. If you miss a letter, so be it. If you post a letter late, that’s fine. If you don’t get to visit many blogs in the challenge, don’t sweat it! No one is going to show up at your door and flog you to death if you don’t do everything right every day. Whatever you do, do not let the challenge overwhelm you or make you unhappy. If you have to step away for a few days or a week or the rest of the month, it’s fine. Really. Take care of yourself first.
9. Make a point during the month to stop by all of the host’s blogs. They are doing a tremendous amount of work to make this event a success and they deserve a pat on the back, a kind email, a small note of thanks. You don’t have to follow them if you don’t want to, but I think they deserve our appreciation by the buckets full. Remember, be gracious, poised, and appreciative. 
10. Spread the word. The more of your friends who are participating, the better. Right? It’s like a month long party and we’re all the guests of honor!

————————————————————————————————–

A to Z Team for 2012

 Tossing It Out (Arlee Bird)

Amlokiblogs (Damyanti Biswas)

Alex J. Cavanaugh (Alex J. Cavanaugh)

Life is Good (Tina Downey)

Cruising Altitude 2.0 (DL Hammons)

Retro-Zombie (Jeremy Hawkins)

The Warrior Muse (Shannon Lawrence)

The QQQE (Matthew MacNish)

Author Elizabeth Mueller (Elizabeth Mueller)

Pearson Report (Jenny Pearson)

No Thought 2 Small (Konstanz Silverbow)

Breakthrough Blogs (Stephen Tremp)
Coming Down The Mountain (Karen Jones Gowen)

From the A to Z Blog:

A to Z 2012 Challenge [Letter Schedule]

Week One:

April 01, Sunday – Letter “A”

April 02, Monday – Letter “B”

April 03, Tuesday – Letter “C”

April 04, Wednesday – Letter “D”

April 05, Thursday – Letter “E”

April 06, Friday – Letter “F”

April 07, Saturday – Letter “G”

Week Two:

April 08, Sunday – BREAK

April 09, Monday – Letter “H”

April 10, Tuesday – Letter “I”

April 11, Wednesday – Letter “J”

April 12, Thursday – Letter “K”

April 13, Friday – Letter “L”

April 14, Saturday – Letter “M”

Week Three:

April 15, Sunday – BREAK

April 16, Monday – Letter “N”

April 17, Tuesday – Letter “O”

April 18, Wednesday – Letter “P”

April 19, Thursday – Letter “Q”

April 20, Friday – Letter “R”

April 21, Saturday – Letter “S”

Week Four:

April 22, Sunday – BREAK

April 23, Monday – Letter “T”

April 24, Tuesday – Letter “U”

April 25, Wednesday – Letter “V”

April 26, Thursday – Letter “W”

April 27, Friday – Letter “X”

April 28, Saturday – Letter “Y”

Week Five:

April 29, Sunday – BREAK

April 30, Monday – Letter “Z”

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• #atozchallenge: A to Z Challenge Sunday Summary (2/19/12) (a-to-zchallenge.com)