Getting to Know Elizabeth Mueller

ABOUT ME

Name: Elizabeth Mueller
Blog: Author Elizabeth Mueller
Other Online Info (Twitter, Facebook, Website):

@ElizbethMueller

Facebook

FB Fanpage 

Website

Google+

goodreads

Wattpad

Publications: Darkspell





10 GETTING TO KNOW YOU QUESTIONS 

1. What is the most daring thing you've ever done?

I would have to say stepping out of my comfort zone and getting my book published. Everything I do as an author is daring, from public appearances to making myself known to presentations! Not for the weak at heart, that's for sure.
2. What is your favorite article of clothing? I don't have just one favorite article of clothing--but I do love wearing black to the excess!
3. What is your favorite monster? Mike from Monsters Inc.!
4. If you had to dress up as your favorite literary character, who would it be? J.R.R. Tolkien's Lady Galadriel
5. What is your favorite fairy tale, urban legend or nursery rhyme? Hmmm...
6. What is a cause near and dear to your heart? Anything to protect God, children and family.
7. What's the strangest item you've used as a bookmark? Chewing gum wrapper
8. Do you have any nicknames?  What are they and how did you earn them? Liz--it's easier for friends to call me that compared to my entire name.
9. Name one habit you want to change in yourself: Letting myself put my writing career over my family--it can be a struggle especially with a small publisher. I am the only one truly interested in my book, who else can push it better than I can?
10. Tell us something interesting or shocking about yourself: I am scared of public speaking and I don't know how to ride a bike. I illustrated Darkspell, my YA Paranormal Romance Novel (using my children as the models). Check out the pictures here.

SOME A-to-Z QUESTIONS

1. What was your favorite A-to-Z post from 2011? I really don't have one, they were all created equal.
2. What brought you to the A-to-Z originally? My guilt for turning Lee down the first time back in 2009. Tell us about your first A-to-Z: My first A-to-Z happened int 2011. It felt like an onerous task at the start, but once I scheduled my entire alphabet post in advance, I enjoyed the funnest part: visiting and making new friends!
3. Are you doing a theme? Yes! A tour of my state--Welcome to Utah!
4. Are you writing & scheduling posts in advance? That's the only way to go if you don't want to feel overwhelmed--unless you're a guru.
5. What is your favorite letter of the alphabet, and why?  What letter do you like least? I don't have one right now, but when I was a little girl, it was E because it starts with my first name!

Tell me something fun and interesting about you!

#atozchallenge: A to Z Challenge Sunday Summary (2/19/12)

 

      Some excellent A to Z posts this past week.  Some highlights that got some excellent responses were Thursday's tutorial from Sue Travers about how to create a hyperlink for your blog signature and Shannon's piece on Friday about how the A to Z Challenge helps build community.  Damyanti has also been doing a great job with the Twitter feed.   Have you seen the Twitter newspaper yet?

       Yesterday (Saturday February 18) we had the first of a series of "Getting to know the Challenge hosts".  I was the first victim--er, I mean subject.   More to come so be watching.  Tomorrow (Monday February 20) we'll hear from Elizabeth Mueller.

       And again, more of you have been doing your part in getting the word out and providing encouragement to others:

       A call to sign up to the Challenge was put forth by The Unconventional Librarian.

       Thank you Marta Smezik for adding the A to Z sign-up reminder at the end of your posts.  Love your dedication!

        Matt Conlon gave a good A to Z pitch on his blog =]V[=.  I'm not sure how you pronounce it, but I think I spelled it right.  Good to have Matt back for a second Challenge go around.

       Yikes! Wikes! Hikes on the Long Trail is encouraging readers to join us in the Challenge!  Thanks for that one.

       Jeremy at Geeky Tendencies also gave a push for others to join in.  Geeks Rule!

        Katie K. at Bear Much Fruit sounds like she has a plan in store for April and gave us a hint on her A to Z post.

          At In Which We Start Anew Jo proudly displayed one of Jeremy's new A to Z graphics against her pretty blue background and announced the Challenge.  Tasteful looking site Jo!

          Diligent Writer announced her intentions to do some diligent blogging in April.  Welcome to the Challenge!

           I like the shades of lavender in the background of the First Draft Cafe blog and I like the announcement of joining us in the Challenge.

           Nicole at Madlab Post did a nice job of name-dropping the A to Z Challenge in her post that revealed her April plans.  I think we'll be seeing more of these types of posts in the weeks to come.

           Angel from Et Cetera stated her intentions to participate in the A to Z Challenge and gave good reasons why.   As did Marie from Bonkers in Barnhart--it never hurts to plan ahead.

          Then there was Sheila at Sheila Scribbles debating whether or not to do the April Challenge.  Come on, Sheila, do it--you'll have more fun than last year.

           Annalisa Crawford at Wake Up, Eat, Write, Sleep gave a reminder that Blogging from A to Z is for all bloggers and not just writers.  That's right--any blogger is welcome to blog through the alphabet and it can even be with pictures or whatever you want to theme alphabetically.

           Keep it coming one and all.  And don't just keep it on your blog.  Post a notice at your local library.  Place an announcement in your school newspaper, club bulletin, or any other local media that you can think of.  Think creatively.   Let's reach out to bloggers that might not be in our normal reach--that is, those outside our normal circle of bloggers.   New faces and voices are partly what this Challenge is about.

            We can all play a role in this.  Can we reach a thousand sign-ups by the end of this month?

Related articles

• #atozchallenge: Community & the A-to-Z (a-to-zchallenge.com)
• #atozchallenge: Getting to Know Me -- Arlee Bird (a-to-zchallenge.com)
• #AtoZ : A to Z Challenge Sunday Summary (a-to-zchallenge.com)

#atozchallenge: Getting to Know Me -- Arlee Bird

         Some of you may not know all of the co-hosts of the A to Z Challenge so we thought we'd do a series of getting to know us posts.   We'll give you some basics about each of us and answer some of those questions you've all been dying to know.


ABOUT ME

Name:   Arlee Bird--it's a phony writer name.  If you want to know my real name it's not too difficult to find, but I'm not gonna say here.


Blog:   Tossing It Out is my main blog where it all started.
I can also be found at Wrote By Rote (memoir), A Faraway View (a blog about dreams), and A Few Words (a contemplative blog inspired by Psalms).


Other Online Info:  I do have a page on Facebook and I'd be happy if you signed up to "like" it.   



10 GETTING TO KNOW YOU QUESTIONS

1. What is the most daring thing you've ever done?   I once gave up everything to walk from Tennessee to California.  Well, actually I didn't make it very far on that trip, but 17 years later I did end up in California after an adventurous life.


2. What is your favorite article of clothing?  Hmm---Depends on the time and place, but I do like Hawaiian shirts.


3. What is your favorite monster?   Godzilla was the first monster movie I ever saw.  I saw the film in the theater when it first came out in the mid-1950s.  I was a very young kid then but I was fascinated.  Godzilla was my first monster love and has remained my favorite.
  
4. If you had to dress up as your favorite literary character, who would it be?   Well, heck if I know!  I actually usually don't think about the way characters are dressed.  And I can't think of anything for this--Huckleberry Finn maybe?  


5. What is your favorite fairy tale, urban legend or nursery rhyme?  This certainly covers a lot of ground.  I guess I'll go with first loves again.  Here is the first rhyme I ever memorized and I can still recite it:

Deedle, deedle dumpling, my son John

Went to bed with his stockings on.

One shoe off.  One shoe on.

Deedle, deedle dumpling, my son John.

6. What is a cause near and dear to your heart?   The greater appreciation of juggling and classical music.


7. What's the strangest item you've used as a bookmark?   Candy wrappers?  I used to use them as bookmarks all the time when I was in college.  


8. Do you have any nicknames?   What are they and how did you earn them?   A few guys in high school used to call me "Juggler".   I have no idea why--well, I guess I do know.  The name didn't really come into common use though. 


9. Name one habit you want to change in yourself:   I have a terrible nail-biting habit that I've had since I was a small child.   My parents tried to stop it by putting some sort of hot sauce on my fingers.  I guess that's how I developed my love for hot sauce and spicy foods.


10. Tell us something interesting or shocking about yourself:   I've revealed so much about myself on my blog that it's difficult to think of something I haven't said.  But let me toss this one out:  I love musicals--especially Rodgers & Hammerstein and old Busby Berkeley extravaganzas.  I know, shocking!

SOME A-to-Z QUESTIONS

1. What was your favorite A-to-Z post from 2011?    Not fair!  That's like asking which of my kids is my favorite.  But okay, I'll play this one.  I'll go with my X post II x X=XX.  It's a tough letter and I felt like I came up with something fairly unique. 


2. What brought you to the A-to-Z originally? Tell us about your first A-to-Z:  Short story: 200 followers and I had an amazing time.  You can find the longer story here.


3. Are you doing a theme?  I'm doing at least 3 themes and I'll be saying more about that later on those 3 blogs.  Not sure what I'll be doing on Tossing It Out yet.   I will be doing some blog juggling for sure.


4. Are you writing & scheduling posts in advance?    My 3 themed blogs are mostly done.  I will hopefully have Tossing It Out written and scheduled before the Challenge begins.


5. What is your favorite letter of the alphabet, and why?    What letter do you like least?   Favorite letter is probably "A" since it represents excellence.  "F" represents failure, but I can't totally knock the letter since it also represents fun and fantastic.   Actually I guess I like all the letters.

I hope you've enjoyed these questions and answers. Don't forget, you are welcome, even encouraged, to ask any additional questions you might have in the comments section. Or feel free to answer the questions yourself! We won't tell.

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Related articles

• We Interrupt This Program For A Very Special Announcement! (breakthroughblogs.blogspot.com)
• A to Z Challenge Sign-ups Open and The Grey Review (alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com)
• What's In A Name?: The Story of a Pseudonym (tossingitout.blogspot.com)

#atozchallenge: Community & the A-to-Z

When I took on the A-to-Z Challenge last year, one of the most rewarding things I experienced was the warmth of the blogging community. Before the A-to-Z I'd been trundling along, randomly talking to myself on my blog. I wasn't really visiting other blogs, and I certainly wasn't commenting on them. Yet I yearned to have people comment on my own posts; I just had no idea how to make that happen.

What I learned was that talking to myself meant I wasn't embracing the full glory of the blogging community. You see, we get to know each other, we comment on each other's blogs, we support each other. And this is no clique, no closed community. Anyone can take part in it by jumping in with both feet and putting yourself out there.

How do I do that?

Visit other blogs. Leave comments. Follow other blogs. If a blogger recommends another blog, check it out; you may just like it!

On your own blog, you can respond to any comments left to you. There are a number of ways to do this, either by email or by posting your reply in the same comments section. You can also carry the conversation back their blog, as long as it is done respectfully. I make it a point to not only respond to the comment, but to then also visit the other blog back and leave a genuine comment.

You will find that as you do this more people may wander by your blog. They may even follow you and/or leave comments. Speak to them, not to yourself, and you will go a long way.

How does the A-to-Z help me with this?

The A-to-Z gives you an easy means to connect with similar bloggers, as well as bloggers who may not be similar but still interest you. It gives you a list of blogs, a virtual cornucopia of reading material and connections, right there on the linky list.

In addition, it provides inspiration for what to post about. The possibilities are endless, yet a prompt can help get you ideas you might not have had otherwise. You have a built in audience coming by to see what you have to say.

On top of that, you get energy and excitement. Everyone has something to prove. Engines are revving, and there's nowhere to go but out into the blogging community.

The A-to-Z gives us all the opportunity to step outside our cocoons and stretch beyond our comfort levels. There is a good chance you'll find that this is exactly what you've been waiting for, and what you've needed all along.

May you find your Muse.

Shannon
The Warrior Muse

How to Make a Hyperlink Signature: Guest Sue Travers

       You can find Sue Travers at Traverslife among other sites.  Today's guest article is a reprint which offers a how-to explanation on leaving a link to your blog in the signature you leave on comments.  Here Sue explains why it's a good idea to do this and how you go about creating the link.

Hyperlink signature for the A-Z Blogging Challenge

Non technical, non threatening instructions for making a hyperlink signature!

Why do you want a hyperlink signature?
• You've signed up for the A-Z April Blogging Challenge
• You plan to comment on other bloggers posts in a caring and sharing way after The Challenge has finished
• You hope the person for whom you crafted a kindly word, will come tovisit your blog in return
• You want to make it easy to visit your blog. You don't want them to have go to your profile page, scroll down, find you have 3 or even 8 blogs, and wonder which one to look at first
• Sadly, people give up in frustration if it's not easy to work out which is the relevant blog
• The nifty signature will take them to the specific blog (or post) you'd like them to visit. Easy!

How to do it:
The letters and symbols below are what the computer needs to navigate to your blog or post, (and you wouldn't believe how hard it was to find a blog title that hadn't been taken!) I've colour coded it for ease, normally it's all in black, and appears more or less in one line. It's only broken up like this because I put it on a powerpoint slide so you can see it. (Otherwise it goes straight into a hyperlink signature which wouldn't help you at all.)

All you do is copy those letters and symbols out - the whole lot up there, exactly the same (but of course with your personal, relevant information) - including the space after the a - into a Word document or equivalent. Don't add anything else. Save it where you can refer to it easily.

Next. Where it's red is where you put your blog address (what you originally called your blog - if you can't remember click on the title of your blog and check in the address bar at the top of your page.) But of course you do it in black, not red.

Now choose your signature. Are you going to use your real name, the name of your blog, a nom de plume or what? Type that in where I've used blue. That will become your hyperlink or 'clicky' signature, and is what I should see in the comments section when you copy/paste from your saved word document.

That's all! It should work.

Please, please, please, feel free to give it a go here. I was nervous the first time I tried it in public, thinking I'd stuff it up (which I did about 4 million times before I got it right). I won't be critical if you get it wrong...honest! Please ask for help if you get stuck.

Related articles

• How To Create a Hyperlink in Your Blog Post (misadventuresinlamosquitia.wordpress.com)
• With Regards To Building Website Links For Your Site There's A Lot Of Ways To Do This (leccoworkshop.com)
• Amazing Alzheimer's Videos via a Hyperlink (asourparentsage.net)
• How Do I Blog Thee? Better Blogging Tips - 2/3 (seekersportal.wordpress.com)

Keep Track of #atozchallenge via The #atozchallenge Daily!

Last April, the A to Z challenge had about 1300 participants.This year, more than 600 bloggers

 have already signed up . Who knows how long the list would grow by the third of April?

I have to admit I was a little lost last year--so many blogs to visit, so little time! Plus, I had my 

own posts to think of, which according to my leave-everything-till-the-last-minute personality, 

I had left unscheduled, writing each day as it came. By the time I came to the list, I was 

horrified. Which link had I visited last? Then, when I clicked on a link, it sometimes turned out

 the blogger hadn't posted in a week. Which pissed me off, of course. 

This is when I discovered the #atozchallenge tag which our host Lee helpfully added to all his

 comments. I went on Twitter and discovered fresh A-Z posts by bloggers on this hashtag. No 

worrying over whether the link was valid, and I also got to make new Twitter buddies, and 

agonize with them about the number of posts to be written or visited! (For explanation of hashtag 

for those new to Twitter go here.)

So I basically went and created Twitter newspaper, The #atozchallenge Daily, one which 

automatically collects all the links posted with the  #atozchallenge tag. Even if you're not 

on twitter, all you have to do is bookmark this newspaper. Opening it everyday is a 

great way of finding links to fresh A to Z posts. You'll also find it embedded here in 

this blog, on the sidebar to the right! Embedding it on your own blog is as easy as clicking on 

this link, clicking on the "Embed" tab to the right on the page that opens, and copying the

resultant code into your blog.

If you are on Twitter, you can follow us for updates on @AprilA2Z, and use #atozchallenge 

for any posts you make about A to Z, now, or during the challenge in April. This would make 

it very easy for us and others to find you---adding tons of exposure to your blog. Also, we can

 be twitter buddies and obsess over A to Z building up to the challenge, and also when it 

begins to make us dizzy with all the comment love and discussions!

Of the host team, (besides the main @AprilA2Z) you could follow these folks on Twitter :

Alex J. Cavanaugh :                                              @AlexJCavanaugh

Stephen Tremp at Breakthrough Blogs :            @StephenTremp

Matthew MacNish at The QQQE  :                       @MatthewMacNish

Jeremy Hawkins at Retro-Zombie:                      @iZombieJMH

DL Hammons at Cruising Altitude :                    @DL_H

Shannon Lawrence at The Warrior Muse :         @thewarriormuse

Elizabeth Mueller :                                                @ElizbethMueller

Karen Gowen at Coming Down the Mountain : @KarenGowen

Damyanti (that is, moi) at Amlokiblogs:               @damyantig

So if you're on Twitter, follow @AprilA2Z and let us know you're participating--and spread the word via the #atozchallenge 

The more we are, the louder the noise we'll make, the more the people we'll make friends with, and the more fun we'll have. (Not to mention additional twitter and blog follows!)

If you don't like Twitter, keep your finger on the pulse by bookmarking The #atozchallenge Daily...either way, have fun and win new fans this April by participating in the A to Z Challenge!


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Damyanti Biswas, co host of the #atozchallenge.

Teaching Often Makes You the Student

Today we have a special guest post from Heather of Random Interruptions. She's a very new blogger, but is jumping off the high dive and joining us in the A-Z. Please give her a warm welcome!

Teaching Often Makes You the Student

        I am so happy to be joining you today. Thanks Tina for the invitation to guest blog.    I started my blog at the end of 2011, so I am still very much a newbie. I am really excited about participating in the A to Z Blog Challenge.

       I work as a supervisor of an agency that provides support coordination/case management to people with disabilities. A couple years ago I was asked to co-train a class titled Person-Centered Planning, which focuses on how to write plans based on individuals’ needs, wants, goals, etc. That sounds like a no-brainer, doesn’t it?

      The introduction to the class is for all of the participants and trainers to share their greatest goal for themselves. Most answered with goals of traveling, furthering their education, etc. My goal was to write a book. I have been telling my friends in casual conversation for years that I wanted to write a book, but now I said this OUT LOUD to people who look to me for guidance every day. The pressure was on!

     Making this proclamation, I felt that I would be a hypocrite if I didn’t start taking steps to make it happen. After all, in my profession we assist others in achieving their goals every day. Shouldn’t we lead by example?

     I have learned that writing is easier said than done and it has been a process to say the least. My first step was to buy a laptop to make writing more convenient and portable. Step 2 was joining Goodreads where I have read some incredible advice. That has all been wonderful but I still hadn’t written anything! About a month ago I started my blog, just to get the creative juices flowing. I am still struggling and learning how it all works but I am looking forward to the A to Z Challenge to light a fire under me.

     And, …I am teaching the class again in March 

What would your greatest goal be? What are you doing to achieve it?

You can visit me at: http://randominteruptions.blogspot.com/

Stephen Tremp "Opening" Release

Hi everyone, and thanks for stopping by. I'd like to thank Lee for the opportunity to promote the recent release of my suspense thriller OPENING, the second installment int he BREAKTHROUGH series. Here we go .....


“A scientific breakthrough of such magnitude it could radically alter the future of humanity—for better or worse—is in the wrong hands.”

Graduate students from M.I.T. have stolen a breakthrough in wormholes. Their leader, Nicholas Fischer Jr., has convinced the group to assassinate powerful politicians and World Bank executives, privy to the discovery, to prevent them from using it for their own New World Order agenda and egregious profits.

Orange County resident Chase Manhattan, man of danger, is part of a new breed of modern-day discovery seekers. As the death toll mounts, Chase and his friends must battle this group of misled zealots from M.I.T. The conflict: will this discovery be used to benefit and advance the world in ways only previously imagined, or will greed and incompetence be used to manipulate the masses and benefit a select few. Amplifying the problem, events escalate as a scientific Pandora’s box is knocked over and the contents spilled out.

Stephen Tremp, author of the BREAKTHROUGH series, has a B.A. in information systems and an MBA degree in global management. Stephen has a background in information systems, management, and finance and draws from this varied and complex experiential knowledge to write one-of-a-kind thrillers.

His novels are enhanced by current events at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) and other scientific research facilities around the world. These potential advances have the ability to change the way we perceive our universe and our place in it!

REVIEWS

I am a big fan of BREAKTHROUGH, the first book of the Chase Manhattan series, so I was looking forward to OPENING. Author Stephen Tremp has not only not disappointed with the new installment, but also raised the bar in OPENING, providing a slick complex action thriller.

The scope of the story is breathtaking and the action is non-stop. The events are so plausible that at times I was nodding in agreement thinking, "Yeah, that could happen." The story is cued directly from current world events and scientific breakthroughs.

Arlee Bird
Writer, Blogger and Juggler of Words and Phrases

I enjoyed reading OPENING. You did a great job of grabbing and keeping my attention. Your use of description was wonderful and your attention to detail just helped to add to the book. The action was quite intense at times. I am a big fan of BREAKTHROUGH, the first book of the Chase Manhattan series, so I was looking forward to OPENING.

Audrey Sillett Lintner

You can visit Stephen Tremp at Breakthrough Blogs. BREAKTHROUGH and OPENING can be downloaded:

Kindle for $1.99

Smashwords for $1.99

#AtoZ : A to Z Challenge Sunday Summary

        Our fellow co-host from Retro-Zombie has been turning out some beautiful blog art for those who want to adorn their sites with A to Z decor.  Check the tab at the top of the page for additional selections.

      We're looking for you to start promoting the A to Z Challenge outside of the blog circle that includes you who have joined already.  There are an untold number of bloggers who would love to do what we're going to do this April, but they don't know about it yet. When it comes to telling others, it starts right at your own blog.   Have you been helping to spread the word about the A to Z April Challenge?   It helps the cause when you tell friends and post publicity articles on your blog.

      Here are a few that I found this week:

      Lucy Adams announced her intentions to return to do the Challenge of 2012.  We're glad to see you back Lucy.  And thanks for that rousing plug for A to Z.  I was surprised to learn that Lucy published a Kindle book based on her posts from last year--the third A to Z inspired book that I'm aware of.  Take a look at ABC Book of Literary Devices.

       Joyce Sully from Small Wonders is also going to be joining us in April.  How do I know?  She announced it in her blog!  Welcome to the April fun.

        At Older Mommy Still Yummy Monica tells about her experience in last year's Challenge and provides words of encourage to those who are considering this year.  Nice job Monica!

          I absolutely adored the alphabetical call to action from Anna Smith at Universal Gibberish.  Go by and say hello after you read this for yourself.

         Passionate Musings did some ruminating about the Challenge as well.

          Ella at Ella's Edge found her topic for the letter Z.  She provides a peek into her April plans.

         Cherie Reich is offering a promotional opportunity for published or soon-to-be published authors on her blog Surrounded By Books.    Don't pass up this one up if you want to get your name out there a bit more.  Free promotion?  What's not to like about that?

        Since we're on the subject of getting yourself promoted, if you missed my discussion of this topic earlier in the week please check it out starting with Tossing It Out and following the link trail from there.  Self-promotion is nothing to be ashamed of nor be intimidated by.  In fact, for authors or anyone with something they want the world to know about, if you don't promote it yourself it may not get done at all.  Helping to promote A to Z will get your feet wet and make it easier for you to promote yourself later.   Stephen Tremp has already stated his intentions on becoming a "publicity hound".

        The A to Z Challenge announcement can also be found at Lady Reader's Bookstuff, The Written Word, and Rebekah Loper,

        Show your support for all of these A to Z Challenge allies by visiting their blogs, leaving a message, and giving them a follow.

         Tracy Jo at Brand New Day dropped a teaser in her blog that she has an A to Z video forthcoming for the A to Z Video Contest.  I'm anxious to see what she'll come up with.
 
         We're still accepting submissions for the A to Z Video Contest and you can find details in a tab at the top of the page.  To inspire you here's an entry received this week from Dale Smurthwaite from Smurfin' the Web.   Enjoy:





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Training for the A to Z Challenge: Guest Post from Journaling Woman

         A couple of weeks ago, Teresa from Journaling Woman published a post that offered some great tips on meeting the Challenge in the best blogging shape.   It was entertaining and funny, but on target as to some of the things challengees will want to consider as they approach April.   Teresa has given me permission to reprint her post on the A to Z Blog.

Lee at Tossing it Out is the man behind the scheme. He thought up this challenging blogfest and it’s been a hit ever since. And he’s recruited some of his friends and fellow bloggers along the way to help. Beginning January 30^th you can sign up.

Now, I don’t join blogfests often. There’s the commitment issues. There’s the “marching to my own drummer” philosophy. But sometimes you long to belong.

And that’s where the Blogging from A-Z Challenge comes in. To get prepared, I’m in training. Here’s my workout plan.

Exercising

Fingers stretch out. Fingers pull in. Repeat eight more times. Then—stop.

Resting

·         Get eight hours of sleep.

·         Dream each night about a dancing alphabet.

·         Leap vigorously to catch random letters in your dreams since you will need them to complete A-Z.

·         And even if they struggle and bite to be free, catch them. It’s well worth it.

Mental Games

Repeat daily: A-Z is only one month. Not even a month. Only 26 days. It’s a challenge not a marriage. You’re only committing yourself for 26 days. Consider it a very long date.

 Read

·         The Little Engine That Could (I think I can, I think I can)

·         Old A-Z posts for ideas. New A-Z posts for ideas.  (This helps you know you’re not alone.)

·         Gone with the Wind (“I can’t think of that right now, If I do I’ll go crazy. I 'll think about that tomorrow.”)

Nutrition

·         Eat chocolate – lots and any kind is fine.

·         Drink coffee. Lots. Coffee helps with memory. True story, I think.

·         Eat fried foods to store fat because writing is a lonely and cold profession. You’ll need the comfort of fried food.

Write

Write random ideas. Write conversations. Write grocery lists. Write until you find your theme. Then…write it for real.

And that’s my training workout for the Blogging From A-Z Challenge coming to a blog near you April 1-30.  I’m stoked. I have a theme. I’m getting prepared.  

Now go visit the Blogging from A-Z Challenge site to learn more about it. Get outta here--go!

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Get Yourself a Theme Song!

Many of you have already planned your A to Z posts. However, I’m sure some of you still wonder what the heck you’re going to do for the Challenge. I understand - I’ve been in both situations. And in case you’re wondering, planning posts around a theme was much easier than winging it!

The first year, I don’t think any of us really knew what we were doing. The closest I came to a theme was that my posts were all entertainment related. Movies, music, games - you name it. For Q, I blogged about Q*Bert and “Q.” Yes, the crappy 1983 movie “Q!” I was desperate…

The second year, I realized I needed a plan of attack. I was a co-host last year as well, and I knew I couldn’t be floundering around for post topics. I at once hit upon the idea of featuring two blogger buddies per letter. Some of the letters were challenging, but I stuck with my topic until the last couple letters. (Thank you, Matthew – QQQE was a much better choice than “Q!”) As an added bonus, everyone really liked my Challenge theme.

You may think A to Z a challenge enough without adding the limitations of a theme. But choosing one overall subject for your posts really allows for a lot of creativity. You could select any topic under the sun and run with it. The only limitations are in your mind. A theme also helps you to plan ahead for each post, which frees your time during the Challenge to visit other blogs.

So, start brainstorming now! Avoid total brain freeze when you reach the more difficult letters. Believe me, you don’t want to post about crappy movies like “Q.” I’ve already done that!

Ninja Captain and A to Z Challenge Co-Host
Alex J. Cavanaugh


And related to today's topic comes another entry to the A to Z Video Contest.  Today's submission comes from Dale Smurthwaite at Smurfin' the Web.   Hop over to his site and say hello.  If you are interested in knowing more about the A to Z Video Contest click on the appropriate tab at the top of the page.   Now rock out to Dale's video:






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A to Z Challenge--How to Wing It in Style: guest from Jamie at Mithril Wisdom

        Jamie Gibbs from Mithril Wisdom is no stranger to the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge.  In this guest post Jamie provides some excellent Challenge wisdom that may alleviate some stress come April.  

A to Z Blogging - How to wing it in style

It’s certainly no secret that I rarely prepare for blog-type events. I’m usually the one frantically hitting that “Publish’ button mere seconds before each deadline (and on one occasion, several days after it). I enjoy the spontaneity of winging it and the thrill of the unexpected when I blog with little planning. However, writing by the seat of your pants does not mean you should walk into the A to Z Challenge blind. A small amount of planning can go a very long way. Here’s a few tips to wing it without making a fool of yourself.

●        Know your theme

            Even if your theme is to have no theme, make sure you know the general feel of the posts that you’ll write. Things will be a lot easier when you’re sitting at your keyboard, struggling to find that elusive ‘Q’ topic, if you know that whatever the ‘Q’ is, it needs to be in the realm of, say, Aztec gods (and the answer, of course, would be Quetzalcoatl).

●        Prep each day with one word

            You have two whole months until the Challenge starts, so grab a pen and paper, and write the alphabet. Go on, do it, don’t be shy. I’ll wait. I’ll just busy myself thinking about dragons.

Right, done that? Awesome. Now think about a single word to go with each letter (sticking with your theme). I hope you left enough room next to each letter to write the word itself. I probably should have mentioned that earlier. Hmm . . .

It may take some time, but using those single words will make your posts so much quicker to write each day. Even if you still haven’t thought of any for the elusive ‘Q’ by the time April rolls around, you’ll have 25 less posts to worry about because of your list.

●        Read around. Read widely. Read everything!

            The A to Z Challenge is about community above all else. There are hundred of awesome bloggers who are participating, and it would be a shame for you to miss out. Don’t just read the blogs you know, or those who comment on your posts. Don’t just focus on the blogs that are similar to your own. You’ll be surprised how much inspiration you’ll get from reading outside of your comfort zone. Even better, you’ll meet new friends along the way. Everyone’s a winner!

Good luck to all of you, and extra good luck to my fellow winging bloggers. I look forward to seeing you blogging by the seat of your pants - and doing it in style.

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Telling the Rest of the World: Publicizing the Challenge

Image via Wikipedia
       Li from Flash Fiction requested that we address the subject of getting publicity for the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.  As an author, Li recognizes that participating in an event such as the April Challenge can add something extra to her writing resume and even more so when people know what the A to Z Challenge is.  How do we go about getting the word out?

       Many of you have already been publicizing the Challenge on your blogs and that is something that is greatly appreciated.  It because of the bloggers like you that the list grows with new participants.  Don't stop promoting the Challenge to other bloggers.  Let's get as many participants as we can.

       But what about the bloggers who aren't part of the community in which we blog?  There are millions of bloggers out there and most of them don't know about the A to Z Challenge.  And how about those who don't have blogs (or at least not yet) who just enjoy reading things on line?   How do we tell those people about the A to Z Challenge?

        One way is getting the word out through the media.    There are many outlets out there through which you can spread the news about A to Z:   newspapers, newsletters, magazines, radio, television, and so on.  Why would we want to do this?  My answer is to be a part of something notable.

        Many of you blog in order to promote yourself or some product that you represent, such as your books or other creations.   When you are attached to something big you gain additional recognition for what you are doing outside the Challenge.  Even if you aren't promoting anything in particular it's still fun to have the bragging rights of being part of something that others have heard about.  If an event or movement that you are a part of "makes the news", you are a part of something noteworthy and you can use that to your advantage.

       In the interest of keeping this post short, I'm going to quickly offer some ways you can help spread the word about A to Z in a bigger way than just on your blogs.

       Here are some things you might try:

        1)    Contact someone you know who has media ties.  Perhaps you know someone who works for a newspaper or radio station, publishes a local newsletter, or is affiliated with an online news distributor.   Let them know about the Challenge.  Be excited about it and ask them if they can help by featuring it in the resource they work with.   Offer to write the story for them.

       2)   Ask someone who knows someone.  Maybe you're part of a committee or have kids on a sports team.  Find out who submits news releases to media outlets and ask them if they can help you make contact.  Or there might be a neighbor or relative who has contacts that can help.  Check around. Be creative.

        3)   Keep your eyes and ears open.  Your local newspaper probably offers a forum for making announcements--add your A to Z announcement for local bloggers to see.  Put up notices on public bulletin boards at libraries, student centers, and other similar places.  Find any opportunity you can to tell others about the A to Z Challenge.  Last year my daughter in New Jersey called me in Los Angeles to tell me about a radio talk show where the topic was blogging.  I got on the phone and before I knew it I was on the radio talking about the Challenge.  Within an hour of that appearance I received several emails about the Challenge from people who had heard me and we saw a spike in sign-ups.

       4)   Be a publicity hound.   Some of you may find self-promoting to be a distasteful activity.  Do it vicariously by promoting the Challenge.  You can drop your name in as a participant and still gain some recognition for yourself.  Get your blog address published and you might get some visitors you might not have otherwise had.  For those of you with product, you may gain new customers.   Self-promo is not a dirty word--it's a necessary part of building your platform.

       These are a few ideas that you can try, but it doesn't end there by any means.  Use your imagination to come up with ways of getting the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge more widely known.  Then tell us about your experiences and send us your links.   We'll tell your story here.

        Last year I offered a series about getting publicity.  This information is not only useful for getting A to Z publicity, but also for promoting your own interests.  Here are the links from last year that you might want to read for more information:

http://tossingitout.blogspot.com/2011/03/more-challenges-reaching-for-stars.html

http://tossingitout.blogspot.com/2011/03/making-news-why-you-should-be-promoting.html

http://tossingitout.blogspot.com/2011/03/easier-way-to-get-news-story.html

http://tossingitout.blogspot.com/2011/03/press-release.html

http://tossingitout.blogspot.com/2011/03/what-story-should-i-tell.html

        Here are a couple examples of good press stories:

From Alana at Writercize:    Benefits of Blogging Challenges

Nicki Elson at Not So Deep Thoughts had this one from last year:  

Author Invites Local Bloggers to Join International Blogging Event

             Try it and let us know about your results.  Have you used press releases to promote yourself or something you were involved with?  What are some other ways you can suggest publicizing A to Z beyond the blogs?




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