Survival Hints for the A-Z Challenge: How to Pre-Schedule a Post

Hello again, Alphabet Fans! Lots of excitement out there in Blogland! It's been such an adventure already to meet so many of you, visit your blogs, and hear YOUR excitement about the upcoming challenge. As you've probably noticed, this blog is an equal opportunity posting place. If you're going to be joining us for the challenge, you're invited to submit a post for approval and be another contributor here! If you'd like more info, check out this invitation post. 

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you may have noticed that a common thread is the idea of pre-scheduling posts. That way when April rolls around, you've got some already set. For example, let's say that you're going skiing for the weekend and will have no time to blog. No need to fall behind! Write your posts for those letters, schedule them for the correct alphabet days, and then enjoy your trip.

What's that? You don't know how to schedule a post in advance? I didn't either. I've been a writer my whole life, but didn't start blogging until a few years ago. I've been learning how to best utilize all the great features that blogger offers one baby-step at a time. Let me show you how easy it is to do.

Go to the “new post” screen and enter your post. Before publishing, click on “schedule”, which is on the right side there, being pointed to by the pointer that I just figured out how to add to my screen shots (I love to learn almost as much as I love bragging about what I've learned...)

Click “schedule” and you'll get the following screen where you can set the date and time for your post to go live. (There's another nifty pointer in this shot, too)

Now all that's left to do is hit “save”!

So be careful out there on the slopes, and just leave it to blogger to post your brilliant piece while you're swishing down those steep hills, in that wonderful champagne powder...(can you tell I'm a frustrated former skier?) (If you want to know why it's former, check it out this post at my own blog, Life is Good).

Any questions? Please leave them in the comments, or email me at

tndowney at gmail dot com. I'd be glad to walk you through it.


                                                                                                          Tina @ Life is Good


Update!!!!


We have a video entry to showcase.  Soon a list of entries will be started and put on a tabbed page so you readers can access the list in order to view the videos.  Watch for that page.  In the meantime, enjoy this video by Marta Szemik from Marta Szemik's Blog :

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My A to Z Blogging Challenge Secret: How I Survived....

I must confess that this was truly challenging! Like with any huge project, I planned ahead of time. I thought of a theme I'd stick by through out the entire month and created a list per alphabet letter on a spiral bound notebook, writing as many words that started with each letter.


example:


A: anaphora, alphabet, allegory, artist


so on so forth till I reached Z.

(sneak a peek at my posts here!)


Next, I went down my list and circled one idea per letter to post about it. I wrote my entire alphabet post in two days a month ahead of time. Why? Because I wanted to enjoy visiting everyone's fabulous blogs and leave comments on as many as I could per day! 

Since we aren't posting on Sundays (but for April 1st for 2012) it gives us a fabulous opportunity to catch up on the comment love!


And that's my secret. What's yours?

Letters Entertain You: A Word from Arlee Bird

Image via Wikipedia

         Are you having as much fun with the alphabet as I am?


         I've been preparing my A to Z posts and having a great time with it.   I think I've come up with some fun A to Z posts for April and maybe some surprises.  Since last year I'm sold on the idea of preparing posts ahead of time so I can do more visiting come April.


          Alana Garrigues talked about the idea of preplanning in her A to Z guest post this past Monday.  If you missed Alana's post, it's well worth your time to go back to visit it.   She provides some excellent tips on how to tackle the Challenge and breaks things down into some easily digestible bits.


           That's the way Alana operates.  Visit her blog Writercize and you'll see what I mean.   I had some fun with one her writing exercises the other day when with a tip of her hat to the A to Z Challenge she posed the following:  

       Write a 26 word glimpse of a story or poem in which each word begins with a different letter of the alphabet, in alphabetical order, from A through Z. 

           With my mind filled with thoughts about the A to Z Challenge, I offered this: 

        "A big challenge daunts everyone. Forget gentility. Have 

intrepidation! Just keep laconic. Make notes or prepare quite 

rigorously. Such tactics unleash victory. Winners--Xerox your 

zeal!"

           Alana suggested I put my attempt here which was exactly my idea as soon as I had finished writing it.   See how much inspiration the alphabet can offer.

           The biggest A to Z news this week was the announcement of the A to Z Video Challenge.  If you like to make videos I encourage you to try this.   

          Contrary to some of the comments we received, making a video such as this doesn't have to require immense video making skill or many hours in creating a video.   You can make a pretty decent video entry in an hour or even less.  Try it--you might like it!   And the more entries we get, the more fun prizes we'll come up with.

           So there you go.   Lot's happening in Alphabetland.   The April Challenge sign-ups are now only a week away.   Are you ready for the fun?

           

Related articles

• A to Z The Writercize Way: Helpful Tips from Alana Garrigues (a-to-zchallenge.com)
• We Interrupt This Program For A Very Special Announcement! (breakthroughblogs.blogspot.com)
• Awesome Stuff and the Big Announcement! (alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com)
• Kibbles and Bits (breakthroughblogs.blogspot.com)

Pearson Report weighs in on prepping for a Challenge

Last April was my first attempt at doing the A to Z Challenge.

I signed up on April 1st; I had only found out about it on March 30th.

By letter “C” I had my groove on and was letting the juices flow.

Having no time to prepare for the challenge I was clearly at a disadvantage - my day to day activities did feel the pinch and sleep was lost in the process...but, By George I sure had fun!

Is it necessary to have your posts finished and ready to hit the Publish Button well before April?

Some say yes, I say not completely...let me explain.

It is a challenge set forth for the month of April, to be done in April...so why all the fuss about having everything finished before the Challenge has even started?

Well, I imagine getting organized early falls into a few areas of concern; finding a theme; having the available time; commitment to a day job; family obligations; other interests...and so on.

All of these areas do affect how much time we spend blogging and therefore a little preparation can go a long way in helping us participate in a Challenge that has very clear time constraints, without messing up our lives completely. Right?

It’s no different than preparing for your first marathon - you don’t just lace up your runners, arrive at the starting line and run twenty-six mile without some preparation.

Key word here is “preparation”; so when April 1st rolls around you can enjoy the process of “doing” the Challenge because you are ready, organized and have prepared for it.

Now, that being said, I will have much, if not all, of my “stuff” done because, as a co-host, I want to spend every free minute, in the month of April, visiting YOU and reading your posts!

What are your “preparation” strategies for this upcoming A to Z Challenge?

Are all of your posts finished and ready to go? If so, what will you be doing in April? 

Happy Blogging!
JENNYPEARSON

Inspiration for your posts

Hey A to Z bloggers! 

I am really excited to be a part of the team this year and I am looking forward to the challenge in April.  And that is just what I am here to talk about.  (Well of course it is, what else would I talk about on the A to Z blog?) 

I know that there have been many comments since the A to Z team was announced this year that bloggers were terrified to do the challenge.  Lots of us (myself included) aren’t/ weren’t sure what to blog about starting from A to Z.   And I also know that many participants from last year gave encouragement saying things like ‘Once you know what you want to blog about, the rest is as easy as the ABC’s!  (Okay I don’t know if anyone Actually said it like that . . . but you get my point).

Well after all the encouragement I forced myself to buck up and think of some really good idea’s to blog about.  And guess what!  It worked!  I know what I am blogging about for the entire month of April.  And I am here to help you get some ideas. 

What helped me was thinking about what I have posted about before, what posts of mine have gotten the most attention and what information I have that I can give that no one else can.  My entire alphabet of posts for April are all based on Inspiration. 

Another example:  I found a blog all about camping and hiking and doing things related to that.  The person running the blog talked about doing the A to Z challenge and that all their posts would be camping related. 

So there are two examples to help you out!  And here are just a few ideas’ you could use:

Favorite Books/ Authors, Mythology, Mythical creatures, Music, Movies, Writing Experiences, Fairies

Dragons (Yes I am pretty sure you could write 26 posts about Dragons and/or Fairies alone.  I know I could write at least that many on Dragons)

Hobbies (of any kind)

The list is never- ending.  If you truly cannot think of anything to write about, read the dictionary.  (That’s always fun whether you’re doing it for research or fun anyway, and you would be amazed at how many words you can find that you never heard before!) 

Best of luck!  I look forward to seeing what everyone comes up with in April!

Konstanz

A Real Challenge for the Moody Ones: guest jnana from Spill Beans

          From its inception the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge has been an international event with bloggers from nearly all continents participating.  In 2012 we will be joined by jnana from Spill Beans.  Jnana blogs from Dubai.  

A Real Challenge for the Moody Ones

Image via Wikipedia     For some writers, writing is a ritual. They wake up with a fresh mind and sit down typing their daily blogposts as they sip their morning coffee. For other writers, it is a hobby. They wait for that time of the day when there's no urgent work, and then happily spend their free time spilling out their day's energy into writing.

       But for me, writing is all about my mood. I could go a month without writing anything, simply because I don't feel like it. Or I could be sitting on the metro after a long, tiring day when I get the sudden urge to write. I could be going to bed when I'd randomly get a new idea for a blogpost, and hurry to write it all before it slips through my very slippery mind.

       All of us Moody Writers out there have only one solution to our writing habits: self-discipline. Which is why I have resolved to participate in this April's Blogging from A to Z Challenge. It's time I start dragging the writing by its leash to me, rather than waiting for it to come to me. 

      I've read of the many different plans my fellow participants are coming up with for this year's Challenge. Frankly, if I don't arrive with a creative theme or unique edge, I'd still be happy with just being able to conquer the hugest challenge of having to post every day. 

     Thank you for coming up with this idea. I hope to keep up with this challenge and declare myself at the end of it: an un-moodified writer!

      And thank you jnana for your interesting take on how bloggers can benefit from Blogging from A to Z.   Be sure to stop by jnana's blog at Spill Beans--say hello and maybe become a new follower.

Related articles

• Tip Junkie Tuesday: A Collection of Cool Tips to Help with Writing and Blogging (writeandgetpaid.wordpress.com)
• Writing as an Organic Process (in other words, it's Art) (kennethmarkhoover.me)
• Wisdom from Unexpected Places (brandinielsen.wordpress.com)
• The Silent Dialogue (collaborativewriter.wordpress.com)
• Writing IS Hard (allyah11.wordpress.com)

Time to Sign Up for the A to Z Video Challenge!

     Are you ready to sign up for the A to Z Video Challenge?  We hope so!
 
        The A to Z Video Challenge is a bit of an experiment so we hope you'll bear with us if we occasionally have to tweak it a bit over the course of the next       couple of months. Please feel free to provide any suggestions or comments that might help   us in this              experiment. And of course, feel free to ask any questions you may have about the Video    Challenge.
 
        First let's review the two videos that kicked off this challenge:
 




               These great videos are from Ron Easton and Ada Zdanowicz.  Each of them provides an example of what your video entry should include.  

          We want to encourage creativity in this Challenge.  Your 

video can be funny, dramatic, commercial, arty, educational, or 

whatever style you choose.  But for the sake of uniformity we  have some rules.

          Here are the A to Z Video Challenge rules:

1.   Videos should be no longer than 2 minutes in length including credits.

2.   Subject matter of video must pertain in some way to the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge and include the site address of a-to-zchallenge.com prominently in the video.

3.  Content should be suitable for general audiences.

4.  The video must be new and made for the A to Z Challenge and it must not have been previously posted online anywhere including a blog or website.

5.  Videos must be downloaded to YouTube or a similar site where they can be shared in order to allow them to be placed on the A to Z Blog and to be linked to for viewing purposes by the audience.  The video creator should place their entry or entries on their blog or web page if they have one.  The entered link can correspond to any of these placements.

6.   All videos will remain property of the creator with permission granted to A to Z Blog for exhibition on that site.

7.   Finalists will be chosen by a panel of judges that may include A to Z Team members or others selected by the Team to act as judges.  Videos will be accepted for judging until 11:59 PM EST Sunday March 11, 2012.

8.   Winners will be chosen in a vote by the A to Z audience between March 15th and 19th with winner(s) announced on March 20th.   Voting will close at 11:59 PM EST on March 19th.

9.   Number of winners may vary depending on number of entries received.  If  there are enough entrants categories such as most creative, funniest, best animation, or others may be opened per judges determination.

10.  Prizes will be determined by the A to Z Team and subject to any additional prize donations.

11.   Rules for the A to Z Video Challenge may be subject to minor adjustment depending on number of entrants or other unforeseen factors.

       We hope this is simple enough for everyone to understand.  If you have questions please ask.


         Now about the prizes.  Since this is a rather hastily assembled contest and an experiment at that, prizes will be limited primarily to promotion and recognition.


          Winners of the Challenge will be given special guest or feature opportunities on some of the A to Z Team Blogs.   All video entries will be featured on the A to Z Blog with winning videos featured again in special promotional spots on the A to Z Challenge Blog after the Video Challenge has closed and during the month of April.  


          As stated at the opening, this A to Z Video Challenge is an experiment we are trying out this year to see what the level of interest is.  If all goes well, perhaps next year we'll start putting this Video Challenge together earlier and get some bigger more tangible prizes.  But the exposure and promotion gained for your blog, website, or video-making talent can be very valuable gaining you new fans or even clients.   And the bragging rights could be fun too.


        As the Challenge continues this year we will probably see some  surprise prizes appearing along the way.   It probably won't be big cash awards or expensive premiums, but we might be having some fun things to add to up the ante.  It depends on how many of you enter the Video Challenge.


         So now for the entries.  The entry form is included in this post today and will continue to be found at the top of the page by clicking the tab marked "A to Z Video Challenge Entries".    Fill in the form with the link where your video can be found, your name or the name the entity submitting the video (blog, website, company, organization, etc),  your email address so we can contact you (this will only be seen by Challenge administrators), and tell us if you will be participating in the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge.  


        That's all there is to it.  So if you already have a video made, then submit your information now.   Or come back later and submit it when your video is ready.  You have nearly two months to submit your video since we will be accepting them until 11:59 PM EST of Sunday March 11, 2012.   But please don't tarry.  We're anxious to see your videos.


        Now let's get creative!

The Retired Knitter Is Not a Quitter: Elaine Shanks

     Elaine Shanks is ready for the upcoming Challenge.   Today she reminisces about her experience in the 2011 Blogging from A to Z April Challenge.

E – for Enthusiasm, 

      U – for Unexpected, 

              P – Persistence

      I don't remember how I discovered the 2011 A to Z Blog Challenge. One day it wasn't on my radar and the next day it was.

      Life is like that.

      But I do remember how thrilling it sounded as I read the description. I remember thinking – Yes, I could do this … a posting for every letter of the alphabet and my brain just instantly started popping out suggestions for various letters – the zanier the idea the better! (ah, Zany … now there is a good Z word.)

      Anyway, I digress. So I quickly hit the “join” button. That day was in late March. I feared I was already “behind” in the preparation. People had been signing up for a few months. Gosh, only one week for me to prepare.

      But my brain bubbled with ideas and my key board got a work out that week.

      I remember that first day – April 1, 2011 – visiting blog after blog eager to see who was doing what. I felt like I had joined hands with a cyberspace crowd of bloggers and we were off and running together. It was very exciting.

      I made sure that I wrote and “schedule to publish” 4 or 5 postings ahead. Keeping “ahead” seemed like a good idea. I wanted no pressure. I wanted to keep up. I wanted to rise to the challenge and finish with everyone. I wanted to enjoy the “high-fives” of all my companions in this cyber neighborhood and enjoy the fruits of everyone's labors. And I was thrilled when someone stopped in to visit and comment. I was filled with great Enthusiasm. (I love my E word - Enthusiasm is infectious. I love it in myself and in others).

Then, in mid April, it all began to fall apart. Oh, I had 4 or 5 postings scheduled to be released in the near future, but my blog writing stopped dead. You see I am a caregiver for my 85 year old mom and the winter of 2011 was very difficult for her. In April she became ill and was hospitalized. My brain was now focused on the part of my life (elder care) that was always filled with Unexpected events. (I am not a fan Unexpected - so U has been taken off my list of good letters).

        And so I watched from the sidelines as my 4 or 5 blog postings automatically published. Then I watched as my blog fell silent. Sometimes I would take time to peek at the other blogs – those that were still going strong … and I felt … let down. I wouldn't finish with the rest.

         But I am not a person to be kept down for long. I am Persistent – some might say stubborn.

        When the cloud that covered my family began to lift and mom began to improve, I started to write again. And I finished – not with the pack, but on my own schedule. I didn't reminisce with the finishers in the weeks after or take the “I Survived Button” for my blog – because I didn't really finish or survive within the scope of the event. But I had a whole lot of fun and made friends with many new bloggers. Persistence got me to the end. (Persistence is a very good P word.)

       And come April 1, 2012 – I'll be back! I will start again with the pack. I will plan 4 or 5 posting ahead, because you never know what kind of curve ball life will throw at you. And I plan to finish with the pack.

But if not, I will finish … 'cause it is just that much fun.

      We will "meet" again on April 1, 2012 at the starting line ... I can't wait to see you there.

Elaine Shanks, Retired Knitter (http://mynext20yearsofliving.blogspot.com)

I have been blogging since July 2010. I am retired, a knitter, a knitting group coordinator, an elder caregiver, an enthusiastic starter and a persistent finisher. I am also "grandmother" to 3 fabulous dogs - Meathead, Grimace and Milo. And like the rest of the world, I am trying to be better to myself - diet, exercise, friends and family. All these things are part of my next 20 years - and part of my blog. 

        All I can say is not bad Elaine.  Not bad at all.  Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the A to Z Challenge. You are a winner!

Related articles

• Blogging from A to Z April Challenge-- 2012 Edition (tossingitout.blogspot.com)
• Another One Who Reached the Finish Line: Sue Harding (a-to-zchallenge.com)
• We Interrupt This Program For A Very Special Announcement! (breakthroughblogs.blogspot.com)
• Awesome Stuff and the Big Announcement! (alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com)

A to Z The Writercize Way: Helpful Tips from Alana Garrigues

A to Z The Writercize Way

Hello all you A to Z Challengers in the blogosphere.  April 1st and the 2012 challenge will be here in the blink of an eye, so I wanted to help you out with a couple of tips, tricks and observations I noticed from my participation last year.  My name is Alana, freelance writer, mom to twin preschoolers, daydreamer and author of the Writercize blog.

First off, thank you to Lee for allowing me to guest on this page. And second, let me just say that I had an incredible time participating in the 2011 Challenge, and had the opportunity to "meet" some of my favorite writers and virtual friends during the challenge last April. It is not an easy challenge, but with a little preparation, it could be the most worthwhile blog network you will do this year. If it's not already on your list of things to do in the New Year, add A to Z Challenge to your New Year's List of Resolutions!

On to the meat of the message:

• Stay true to your voice and your blog throughout all your posts. The challenge is a great way to expose your voice to many potential new contacts and followers. Be honest and true to yourself and your readers, and you will gain much from the challenge. If your blog is about cooking, don't blog A through Z about movies or music (unless they are related to cooking) and expect to connect or click with the "right" kind of reader. If you don't already have an "about this blog" page set up, do it now, before the challenge starts, and make sure it jives with the content you put out there.
• 
  
• If your voice and blog are loosey-goosey random, it may help challenge readers for you to pick a theme for the challenge and stick with it.  Last year, two writer bloggers arranged a list of 26 emotions that were used as the basis for daily short stories and poems.  Readers could jump between the two blogs and leave a guess as to the emotion in the comment form.  It allowed them to take a break from writing about writing and exercise their writing muscles, and showed their voice through their quick writing samples.  Plus, they could blog about other things during the month outside of the theme, and readers immediately recognized it as an "extra" post.
• 
  
• Comment thoughtfully.  It is ok to visit fellow challenger blogs and write something along the lines of "fellow A to Z Challenger" with your name and URL in the comment, but be sure to let the blogger know you actually read something in their post in that comment too.  There is nothing more annoying than spam when you are churning your heart and soul out daily.  Maybe you like their voice, or a photo or a word in the post.  If you don't like anything about it, you might be better off just moving on to the next blog rather than leaving a spam trail in your wake.
• 
  
• Forgive yourself.  It is highly unlikely that you will be able to visit all of the blogs in the challenge.  I know of 2 or 3 participants last year who did, and I honestly have no idea how they did it.  Aim high, but be realistic.  Visit as many as you can; use the "next blog" button that will surely be created in time for the challenge or refer to the list and work through it, but don't be too hard on yourself if you aren't able to visit 50+ blogs a day.  It's a challenge, and I commend you if you are one of those speed readers with magical time management skills, but I also forgive you if you're just an average Jane like me.
• 
  
• Make a plan.  Write down the letters A through Z in a notebook.  (Or computer program if you like to be modern.)  Fill in an idea for a word or image for each letter.  Give yourself flexibility for inspiration to strike on the day of the post, but be confident in knowing that you have something to fall back on just in case.  If thinking of words for the letters A to Z makes you freeze up, think up a theme that you can work into your blog.  Last year I saw photos, recipes, ideas for party themes, posts inspired by names A to Z (biblical, historical, fictional), movie reviews, book reviews, flash fiction from words submitted by readers, and more. The sky truly is the limit. If you're a geography buff, tackle cities or countries A to Z. If you love comic strips, share your thoughts or best lines from characters A to Z. If you're an illustrator, find a different way to draw the letters.
• 
  
• Post ahead.  Right around mid-alphabet, you may lose some steam and be happy if you have scheduled your post in advance.  It will probably happen again around those pesky letters like Q, X and Z.  Don't let yourself stress about it.  Schedule those posts and take a break from blogging on those days as they come along, or spend the time you would be posting visiting extra challenge blogs.
• 
  
• Tell your friends about the challenge. They'll thank you for it at least 75% of the time.  And the rest, you can be miserable together as you compare finger blisters and dilated irises from late nights typing away!

I write an educational blog called Writercize, and I post writing exercises several times a week on a wide variety of topics and formats from fiction to nonfiction to poetry to real world applications. I started the blog last year about a month before the challenge and decided to dive right in when a writing friend told me about it.

In the spirit of writercize and the A to Z challenge, I would like to challenge you to the following writercize from the tips listed above. It will get the writing juices flowing and help you prepare for April all at the same time! I'd love you to share some of your results as a comment. Here you are:

writercize:  Write down the letters A through Z in a notebook.  Fill in an idea for a word or image for each letter.

Now, discuss. And best of luck in the challenge. I'll be reading!

Alana Garrigues
Freelance Writer

web:  www.alanagarrigues.com
blog:  writercize.blogspot.com
twitter:  @alanagarrigues

Pre-challenge challenge...

Thanks for stopping by! Our goal here at the main A-Z blog is to keep the momentum building for the April event, and to entice as many bloggers to join us as possible! That's where YOU come in. We need your help to spread the word. The most successful blogging events (and viral videos, and memes of all sorts) start, and build, with word of mouth. Nothing like a good, ole' fashioned, “Did you HEAR about...?” To go a step further, we're inviting our followers to also be contributors.

Sound interesting?

Ok, so the nitty-gritty. If you'd like to contribute a post to this blog, just write it! Email me your file, along with the date you'd like it to be posted.  I'll send it to the team for approval, then schedule it in. If anyone is already set up for the day you're wanting, we'll see what can be worked out.

We're looking forward to seeing what you'd like to contribute! You can email me directly:

tndowney at gmail dot com with any questions or concerns.

It's going to be a great year!

Tina


P.S FYI, I respond to all comments via email.  If you don't have that feature enabled in your profile, consider doing so.  While many of us co-hosts respond in the comments, there are also a large number of bloggers out there who use email.  Another option for you if you don't want to reveal your email every-time you comment, you could list it on your blog profile, in disguise like I did above.

Some Saturday Updates

       Have you heard about the A to Z video challenge yet?  If not be sure to check the posts earlier this week here and here.

        To eliminate any confusion, you don't have to make a video to participate in the A to Z Challenge.  The Video Challenge is just an addition for those who have an interest in making video.  It's also something to entertain the rest of us between now and April.   Hopefully by the middle of April we'll have some pretty slick videos to use as  A to Z promotion.

        If you like to dabble in video, I encourage you to join us.  More information about the A to Z Video Challenge will be given this coming Wednesday on this site.   In the mean time, start putting together your videos and let's have some fun!

       On Friday January 13th we had a nice post from Melissa's Imaginarium.  We appreciate these fine posts that help get the word out.  The best promotion comes from word of mouth and it's nice when people who know about the Challenge endorse it.

       Also on Friday, Our Life in a Caravan gave a mention to the A to Z Challenge.  Who says Friday the 13th is an unlucky day?

        Have you started preparing any posts for April?   Has anyone started putting together anything for the video Challenge?

Ada Z's A to Z Video

               What can you come up with?   Enlighten us.  Entertain us.  I think I see some cool ideas coming.

Thanks to Ada Z as in Zdanowicz.  That was excellent.  And if you didn't see Ron Easton's videos you can find them here or here.  Now we're looking for your video.

We're going to be having an A to Z Video Challenge.   For more info, please read Wednesday's post.





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Blogging A to Z?: A Word from the Other Side

         On January 6, 2012 Timothy Brannan from the blog The Other Side put forth a challenge to OSR/RPG bloggers (that's " Old-school Renascence /Role playing gamers) to consider doing the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge.   He presents valid reasons for doing the Challenge that would apply to all other bloggers as well.  This post is reprinted with Tim's permission.


Blogging A to Z?


Last year I proudly participated in the Blogging A to Z challenge in April.

I felt it was not only a good way to stretch my creative abilities but work on my writing and do a bit a cross blog-genre promotion.  My hits went up, and stayed up, drastically during and after April and I got my greatest surge of followers.

Well they are doing it again this year.

Artwork by Ada Zdanowicz

Though I am not sure I am going to do it this year yet or not.

Last year it worked out on many levels for me.  I recall thinking about the posts I had queued up and how they would fit the challenge.  When "Z" fell on a Saturday it clinched it for me.

Part of the purpose of the blogfest is to post every day.  I do that now anyway.

Keep in mind I am NOT saying participation is a bad idea, far from it in fact.

I actually suggest that we get MORE OSR/RPG bloggers participating to get our message out there.

The one thing we all talk about is getting more people involved in our hobby, we can't do that if the only people we talk to are already in our hobby.

Plus if you are selling a product you should participate just to attract more attention to you and your book or product.

If I do it this year then I need to do a theme or something, make it more challenging than last year.

Are you going to participate?  Why or why not?

Who's ready to accept Timothy Brannan's challenge?

Related articles

• Awesome Stuff and the Big Announcement! (alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com)
• Blogging from A to Z April Challenge-- 2012 Edition (tossingitout.blogspot.com)
• Blogging A to Z? from The Other Side blog (timbrannan.blogspot.com)
• Jeffrey Beesler Tells You What You Oughta Know About the A-Z Challenge (a-to-zchallenge.com)

video Challenge

         Once again we have a video contribution from Ron Easton who used to be Inside Out but now he's Dads UnLimited.   But what's this?   An advertisement promotion for the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.  How cool!

       After the first video, Ron and I started corresponding about this and started thinking about how we should put together some kind of video contest to see what you all could come up with video-wise.  Starting next Wednesday you can enter your 2 minute or less video We'll feature each one as they come in.  Come back next Wednesday for more details.

        Give us a visual surprise.  The video can be funny, dramatic, or instructive.  It can be a music video or something arty.   You could go for animation or special effects.  Your imagination's the limit.

        Contest will end in the middle of March.  More next Wednesday.

       So what do you think?  I've seen some pretty cool videos on some of your sites.  Any bloggers out there enjoy film making or visual arts?

 I asked our A to Z artist Ada Z to put together another sample promotional video.   Come back on Friday to see what Ada came up with.



 

Related articles

• A Unique Reflections Post from Ron Easton (a-to-zchallenge.com)
• Meet the A to Z Team for 2012 (a-to-zchallenge.com)

A Word from the Bird

          Whew!  Thought we'd take a breather today.   Have we been having great guests on the Challenge Blog or what?   We're going to try to keep daily posts on this site through the end of April.  If you'd like to submit something about the Challenge or writing or whatever else you think might be interesting, let me know.  There are still a lot of vacant days ahead and I don't want to write everything.

            I've got some great guest posts coming in the next couple of months.   Things are always being tossed about here so be sure to check this site for any new Challenge updates.

            Like another big debut on Friday if things go as planned.  But first we've got a big debut tomorrow.  If you saw the post this past Saturday on Inside Out which has just changed its blog name to Dads UnLimited, you might start to guess what's coming up.   We've got another A to Z video.  And we've got another announcement.   It's coming and you don't want to miss this.

             See you tomorrow.

Challenge update!!!  (see here's one already)

Our A to Z Team has been joined by Karen Jones Gowan of Coming Down the Mountain.  Karen was one of our co-hosts last year and has decided to join us for the 2012 event.  Be sure to stop by to visit Karen and join her blog if you are not already a follower.   We welcome Karen!

alexandra heep

        Alexandra Heep may be new to the A to Z Challenge in 2012, but she's got the right idea.  Here are some of her thoughts on Blogging from A to Z.




My experience has shown me that many people were bloggers first before becoming writers. With me, it was the opposite. Even then, I was only a sporadic blogger, until I participated in my first blogging challenge last October.

At first, I was hesitant because many people seemed like blogging pros with hundreds of followers, and they were authors, whereas I am a copywriter with a blog that is somewhere lost in space. I was not sure if I would fit in, but I was soon hooked. It was through that experience that I found out about the A - Z Blogging Challenge coming up in April 2012.

What appeals to me about a blogging challenge with a theme, like A - Z, is that it provides a framework for a mind that spills over with ideas. Since I have to write content for a living with sometimes ridiculous guidelines, I like that it provides just enough structure for self discipline, but otherwise encourages creativity.

Yes, I have my theme already picked out. It took me only a few minutes because the idea had already been in my head, but I had no idea how to make it work. The A - Z concept however makes perfect sense. What will the theme be? Oh, I won't kiss and tell - just yet.

Something else I have learned about blogging in general: I used to be afraid of becoming too personal and turning off readers. But, I achieved a lot of good feedback and some new followers. Also, the fun part about writing is that you get to read a lot of stuff too. I am amazed at the inner lives people lead and I feel less like an abnormality when I find my thought processes and daily struggles reflected in other people's words.

Alexandra Heep
from
www.aheepofeverything.blogspot.com

      Thanks Alexandra for this guest post.  You should have no problem with the Challenge and if people take your advice they should do fine as well.

Related articles

• Meet the A to Z Team for 2012 (a-to-zchallenge.com)
• Blogging from A to Z April Challenge-- 2012 Edition (tossingitout.blogspot.com)
• Awesome Stuff and the Big Announcement! (alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com)
• The Fantastic A to Z Ride: Observations by Shannon the Warrior Muse (a-to-zchallenge.com)
• We Interrupt This Program For A Very Special Announcement! (breakthroughblogs.blogspot.com)

Some More Big News!! Coming this Wednesday!!

Arty


                                Bold


Creative


                    Daring


Entertaining


                               Fun


         We've got some exciting news about an A to Z innovation that we hope you'll enjoy.   Be here on Wednesday for a special video from Ron Easton and a big announcement from the Blogging from A to Z Team.   


          In the meantime, if you missed yesterday's post go back and take a look at it here.   And be sure to visit Ron Easton at Inside Out, introduce yourself, and follow his blog.


         Some good fun is on it's way.

         Also, take note that the official A to Z Badge in the sidebar has a copy and paste code that you can use to add the badge to your blog.   We encourage you to take the time to add the badge to show your support for the A to Z Challenge.   Likewise, there is a flashy matching banner at the top of the page and a flashing animated button half-way down the sidebar.   These were created by Jeremy at Retro-Zombie.  You can find the code for these on Jeremy's site.  Feel free to take all of these codes and add them to your page so you can show the world that you will be Blogging from A to Z in April.
       

Related articles

• A Unique Reflections Post from Ron Easton (a-to-zchallenge.com)

A Unique Reflections Post from Ron Easton

          Ron Easton from Inside Out has come up with a unique approach to the Blogging from A to Z Reflections post.  His video looks back on the topics that he covered in April of 2011.  It's very short so take a moment to watch and enjoy.  Then meet up with me at the bottom of this post.





          It doesn't end here, but you'll have to come back on Wednesday to see what Ron's video has inspired.   We've come up with an idea that I think you will all enjoy and could be the start of an exciting wave of creativity.   And Ron has created another video that will appear on that day.

         In the meantime, please visit Ron's blog at Inside Out and show him your support.  Give him a big hello. Don't forget to click the Friend Connect button before you leave.  Ron's got some changes coming on his blog and I think he'll be a surprising force in the 2012 Blogging from A to Z April Challenge.



       

Related articles

• Meet the A to Z Team for 2012 (a-to-zchallenge.com)