All A to Z participants have some or the other plan for how they're going to meet the challenge. Like last year, I'll be doing fiction, based on prompts left by readers. Like I said in my last fiction post on this blog, please send me prompts---I only have 10 so far!
Challenge me with an interesting picture that you would like me to write on, and drop me story starters, each sentence/phrase beginning with a different letter (i.e. the first word of the starter must start with a different letter from A to Z). Since I'm co-hosting, I need to schedule all A-Z posts in March, so I can get on with hosting duties---this is an urgent request!
You can drop me the prompts in the comments on this post. You may also mail me the pictures and story prompts at atozstories at gmail dot com.You need not be participating in the A to Z Challenge to challenge me with either a story starter, or a picture, or both. The more the merrier! Last year I had asked for word prompts, and I got loads to choose from! This year, I'm taking it a step further.
As a sort of warm-up and illustration of what I hope to do, I'm pasting below a picture, a story starter( both randomly chosen) and the resulting drabble.
Story starter: The only thing remarkable about ...
Picture:
The only thing remarkable about Miranda was her voice like coarse sugar, which proved to be her undoing at the Annual Charity Halloween Ball. The minute she spoke they knew who she was. She never won any prizes.
One year she went clad in a fencing costume with the back of her head split open, dripping blood. Every time someone spoke to her, she coughed and removed a bloodied handkerchief from her lips.
Since no one wanted the handsome carpet ruined by too much blood, they declared the winner early. She went up to the dais, and fell down, quite dead.
For most of you in the United States, did you remember to set your clocks forward for Daylight Savings Time?
The A to Z Video Challenge Contest ends tonight. We must have your videos turned in by 11:59 PM EST tonight Sunday March 11, 2012. Finalists (which may be all submitted videos since there are so few) will be selected by readers via a voting poll which will be made available between March 15th and 19th. Since there are so few videos entered, the poll may actually appear earlier than March 15th. Be watching the A to Z Blog site to vote for your favorites.
Kern Windwraith at The Odd Particle [Re]View decided to take the plunge into the alphabet soup of April. Don't worry, Kern, you'll be fine.
Deena will be busy in April as she participates her blogs Deena's Days and On the Road with U2. On the latter she'll be doing her 26 favorite U2 songs from A to Z--that should be fun.
Victoria at Always a Booklover makes a hard sell for her readers to join the Challenge. Good promotion Victoria!
November Rain has her own special A to Z blog at A-Z Bloggit Write. She debuted her site with a Challenge announcement. Go over and become an early follower.
Rek from A Chronicle of Dreamssubmitted her video offering last week-end and had a few more words to say about her entry and the A to Z Challenge.
Some great Challenge tips are offered at a post from RJR Daydreamer. This might be a good checklist for everyone to review.
Ruth at Welcome to Me offered a Challenge post awhile back showing that it's not always all about her.
LB from LB & J blog is taking the big plunge to make her first blogging challenge the April A to Z. She's planning a fun theme revolving around Disney.
The official announcement of acceptance was made at Club Creative Studio. I guess we should be expecting some creative posts from this blog.
Suze at Analog Breakfast offered some helpful tips about A to Z Blogging on her site.
Pick a day at My Write Spotand you're apt to find something about the April Challenge. Donna's doing it right/write. Maybe you can help her out.
My dear blogging friend Debra Harris-Johnson from Dream Weaver puts the A to Z Challenge in perspective as she reflects on its value and its potential for those who write.
A to Z co-host Damyanti is still looking for your help with story prompts for her April Challenge entries. Read about it at Amlokiblogs.
Telling others about the A to Z Challenge works. Read the story at The Writer's Experiment for a testimonial.
I missed this mention from early last month. Jan at begin...begin again made the announcement shortly after sign-ups opened and I'd be amiss not to mention this.
Rhonda Parrish is asking readers to ask her a question. Go to her blog to find out why.
Pam at 2 Encourage tells about how her Challenge theme in April will be about "The Blessings of Blogging". There are so many aren't there.
Carrie Anne Brownian will be digging up characters to bring back to life. Hmmm--that maybe isn't phrased quite right. I've made it sound like a zombie theme. You'll have to go to her site to read more.
You might find it helpful to read Jo's fine article at In Which We Start Anew--good advice for all.
Jarm Del Boccio at Making the Write Connections wants lots of bloggers to join in the A to Z Challenge. She would also like for all of you to stop by and give her a little help.
Ms. Pat at just sayin' has a lot going on, but she's moving forward with the April Challenge on top of everything else.
Texas Yellow Rose from Phoenix Once Again does some contemplating about the Challenge--yes, it's going to be fun.
Story Gush gushed about the Challenge. Well, at least gave a short mention. The chosen topic sounds like a fun one.
Kela atTeardrops On My Book also gave A to Z a plug just in time to make this week's Sunday Summary.
We're trying to keep up with all of the mentions. If you run across one that you think should be included in the next Sunday Summary, please let us know. Make sure you stop by today's featured blogs and tell these bloggers hello.
Another video entry came in, this one from Rachel Morgan:
Name: Jeremy Hawkins Blog[s]: "Retro-Zombie" "Two Thumbs" Other Online Info (Twitter, Facebook, Website): Tweet "@iZombieJMH", Facebook "Jeremy" and "Ebook Designs" Publications: I have recently finished a book called "CHATTERBOX" that I wrote back in 1996, that I have wanted to share and I did. It was meant to be a very visual book and in 1996 no publisher wanted to touch it, times have changed and I made it like I wanted to see it.
10 GETTING TO KNOW YOU QUESTIONS
01. What is the most daring thing you've ever done?
-Doing an opening for a tv show I worked on in the 1990's for something called Fangoria's "Weekend Of Horrors" I had to do my opening on the stage before the show started. People kept coming in to sit and I was nervous to begin with, there were a good 300 hundred people cheering me to screw up.25 takes later and a crowd of who turned on me about 12 takes into it...
02. What is your favorite article of clothing?
-My leather jacket that is pushing 15 years old.
03. What is your favorite monster? -Peloquin from "Nightbreed" 04. If you had to dress up as your favorite literary character, who would it be?
-Gandalf - JRR Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings
05. What is your favorite fairy tale, urban legend or nursery rhyme?
-Hey Diddle Diddle
06. What is a cause near and dear to your heart?
-Fighting Cancer... for my father [rest in peace]
07. What's the strangest item you've used as a bookmark?
-Banana Peel.
08. Do you have any nicknames? What are they and how did you earn them?
-My friends used to call me "JH" cause we all went by our initials and it sounded cool, lately I am more of a "grunt sound". People now sort of call me "J" it's easy I guess...
09. Name one habit you want to change in yourself:
- My focus is so bad I find myself one place and the next I am somewhere else... what were we talking about?
10. Tell us something interesting or shocking about yourself:
- Shocking, huh? I wear a cowboy hat when I work on my computer [and nothing else, shocked... ha], it gives me a sense of a wild side. Interesting about me, I love soundtrack/scores to films I have over 4000 plus and it's mostly scores. Some get confused what is the difference between a score and a soundtrack... a score is the musical piece and the soundtrack is different bands singing songs.
SOME A-to-Z QUESTIONS
01. What was your favorite A-to-Z post from 2011?
-This is an easy one... the letter "O" and I am not sure why it brings the most attention... people come looking for my "O" post at least 50 a week.
02. What brought you to the A-to-Z originally? Tell us about your first A-to-Z:
- I knew a guy who knew a guy and that guy knew this girl... I am thanking my good friend and co-host Alex who has this amazing gift to be on the pulse of the blog world and his love for "Rush". It's funny how it started for me, at the time I was doing lots of art/design that features "ZOMBIES" and felt this was a great chance for me to switch to something less monstrous. A to Z challenge was my chance to be normal, but if you have seen my stuff... what is normal?
03. Are you doing a theme?
-There is a theme, though will it be entertaining... fingers crossed!
04. Are you writing & scheduling posts in advance?
- Oh my gosh, yes... last year I went in unprepared and it is harder to come up with something, I went blank at least 26 times.
05. What is your favorite letter of the alphabet, and why? What letter do you like least?
"W" is my most confused letter in the bunch... shouldn't it be "Double V" instead of "Double U"... though it's not a hate more of a sadness. I love the letter "X" cause that marks the spot to many things... treasure, last crusades and a world of generation "X'rs.
I am hoping you all will stop by the retro-ranch soon... those who might be interest in reading my mess of a book... I will let you... email me and I will send you a link....
I’m Jenny Pearson, a co-host for the A to Z Challenge, and I’m here to share my de-stressing strategies with you.
I have lit some candles to set the tone for our de-stressing session.
* * *
Last year I signed up for the A to Z Challenge on April 1st - needless to say I had NO posts prepared.
The outcome: I learned I CAN write a post a day - for twenty-six days - and live to post about it.
HOW?
By following these simple and easy suggestions...
ENJOY THE PROCESS! This Challenge should not be a chore; it should be fun.
DON’T STRESS ABOUT NOT BEING PREPARED. So long as you make the effort, in April, to post daily (see schedule) that's all you need to be prepared for. Yes, having some structure to your thinking is good...but it has to work for YOU so it remains fun!
IF YOU HAVE A THEME - GREAT. Many do, but lots don’t - it’s also not a requirement.
SPONTANEITY CAN BE A THEME. It was mine last year and I loved it. Don’t be afraid of it - you might actually enjoy it! (and have fun with it too)
FOR SANITY’S SAKE - K.I.S.S.(keep it short & simple) Attention spans vary; if you want readers to stick around keep an eye on your word count. Just remember, visitors to your blog are hopping around to many other blogs, during this Challenge, and will appreciate your effort to K.I.S.S.
MAKE TIME TO EAT, SLEEP AND VISIT OTHER BLOGS. Start with the blog right after yours - aim for five blogs a day. As to nutrition and sleep...without enough of both, you will fizzle out. (and that won't be fun, will it?)
FOR THE DURATION OF THE CHALLENGE DISABLE WORD VERIFICATION. It slows the commenting process down thereby discouraging comments from visiting bloggers. (I will have a detailed post about this topic over at Pearson Report shortly - stay tuned)
LAST, BUT SO IMPORTANT...HAVE FUN! (have you noticed "fun" is the theme of this post)
I hope you are feeling the wonderful effects of our de-stressing session.
Now...take a deep breath in and slowly exhale - we are done!
The hosts of the A-to-Z are all looking forward to getting to know all of the A-to-Z'ers. In the meantime, we thought it would be fun to help you get to know us. We've put together a set of questions that we'll each be answering in our own way on different days leading up to the A-to-Z. Please feel free to ask any other questions you might have for us in the comments, and we will do our best to answer them.
ABOUT ME
Name: Shannon Lawrence Blog:www.thewarriormuse.com Other Online Info (Twitter, Facebook, Website): Twitter-@thewarriormuse, Facebook-http://www.facebook.com/thewarriormuse Publications: I have a piece of flash fiction coming out in an anthology, due out in March, entitled Sunday Snaps: The Stories. You can also find occasional pieces from me at The New Never News, a fun mixed up nursery rhyme blog run by author J.A. Kazimer.
10 GETTING TO KNOW YOU QUESTIONS
1. What is the most daring thing you've ever done? I ran into a cattle stampede to save my 2-year old brother when I was 8. Why we were in the middle of a cattle stampede is a long story. 2. What is your favorite article of clothing? This may out me as a weirdo, but...my flannel hoodie-footie pajamas. You read that right. They have footies. They are so warm! P.S. I can unzip and remove the footies, but I rarely do. It's cold! FYI-this is my leisure wear when I'm writing. 3. What is your favorite monster? Right now, I'd say skinwalkers. I'm interested in Native American monsters and how they varied from tribe to tribe. 4. If you had to dress up as your favorite literary character, who would it be? I am currently trying to figure this out because I will be attending a costume event where you dress as your favorite literary character. The pressure! It would be fun to be rogue vampire hunter Jane Yellowrock, from Faith Hunter's Skinwalker. Too bad I can't bring weapons or a modified Harley to the party. If I want to wear jeans and a t-shirt, I can bring a wrench and be Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson. 5. What is your favorite fairy tale, urban legend or nursery rhyme? My favorite urban legend may very well be the one about the girl who's driving home late at night when someone behind her keeps flashing their lights at her. The longer it goes on, the more panicked she gets. When she arrives home, she discovers...dun, dun, dun...there is an axe-wielding maniac in the back of her car, and the man in the car behind her was flashing his lights whenever he saw him going for her. Ack! I always check the back of my car...
6. What is a cause near and dear to your heart? The longer I sit here, the more causes I realize I have. However, right now I am very interested in saving the wolves (the photo to the right is Baby, from Rocky Mountain Wildlife Foundation in Guffey, CO). Here, we reintroduced them then turned around and gave out hunting licenses for wolf season! How does that make sense? Oops, stepping away from the soapbox. I am also intent on bringing attention to childhood cancer. I almost stepped back up on that there box, but instead I will explain that my interest in this came about after a friend's daughter, who was (is) good friends with my son, was diagnosed with AML Leukemia at three years old. She is now a thriving almost-seven year old, who is officially in remission, but the battle is ongoing. I write about monsters, but I could never imagine anything more terrifying than watching my child fight this particular beast. 7. What's the strangest item you've used as a bookmark? I haven't used anything truly strange as a bookmark, but I have used a collection of odd items: tissues, tampon wrapper, folded toilet paper, paint samplers, other books, magazines, straws, barrettes, binder clips, paper clips, etc. 8. Do you have any nicknames? What are they and how did you earn them? I'm rather fond of Warrior, which some who read my blog have taken to calling me. My siblings call me Sissy (I'm the oldest of five). A friend calls me Non (for the end of my name) because I call her Stine (her name is Christine). And a group of online friends from a mother's forum I belong to call me Pookie. I have no idea how that started, and it is so not my personality, but it's officially mine now. 9. Name one habit you want to change in yourself: Pro.cras.tin.ation. Yikes. 10. Tell us something interesting or shocking about yourself: I was nearly kidnapped as a child, not once, but three times, in three different states (Oregon, Maryland, Colorado). I was also in the car when a serial killer went after my mom in the 80's. Yes, a real one. In fact, this prompted me to look him up and he was in the news in 2007 for admitting to an additional murder. Maybe that's part of why made up monsters don't scare me.
SOME A-to-Z QUESTIONS
1. What was your favorite A-to-Z post from 2011? I think my favorite post was my Y post, because it was so full of optimism and accomplishment. That moment reflected my really starting to see myself as a writer, not just someone who sometimes wrote some stuff. 2. What brought you to the A-to-Z originally? Tell us about your first A-to-Z: Last year was my first A-to-Z, and I signed up right as it was starting. Boy, was I feeling panicky! I sat there with that linky page open all day, starting to fill it out, backing off, starting again. Finally, I swallowed my fear, typed in my information and hit "submit." Almost a year later, I am delighted with where the A-to-Z has taken me. I learned so much and have come so far, and believe it or not, the A-to-Z was instrumental. 3. Are you doing a theme? I have decided I am mostly not doing a theme. I do plan to have some things running consistently throughout, but not something I would consider a theme. I'm still waffling, though. 4. Are you writing & scheduling posts in advance? Man, I hope so! I do intend to, but ask me if I've gotten even one post done so far. Nah, don't worry, I'll just tell you...nope. I keep thinking I'll have a minute. hahahahahahaha! 5. What is your favorite letter of the alphabet, and why? What letter do you like least? I like "X" because it makes me work for it, but it's interesting. "J," on the other hand, is one of the ones I think surprised me with how hard it was, and it doesn't have nearly the personality "X" does.
Thank you for reading!
Shannon
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.
****
We also have 2 new videos--both from Nicole Ayers from The Madlab Post. Nicole submitted another video earlier as well. Like her previous video, these two new ones are partly promotion for the A to Z Challenge, but also they have helpful prompts for those who may be struggling with ideas for April. Watch and enjoy and then go to Nicole's blog and tell her hello.
I'm smiling, no laughing, that Lee wants me to write about my experience with A to Z 2011.
Let me tell you...
See this doppel of me from Facebook? There's a reason it's not a photo. I'm bald now due to A to Z 2011. I'm kidding. All but a few patches have grown back. If I do a comb-over like a middle-aged man you can hardly tell. Honest.
I watched the 2010 Challenge from the sideline. Most of it anyway. I discovered it late and was embarrassed to join half way through. I promised myself I would do the next one. When registration came up I jumped right in. I started preparing posts in February. I was on it like fleas on a dog. All I had left were my six doozies -- Q, V, F, Z, U and Y. I refused to skip an entry. A couple of times I think I was almost putting up posts only a few hours apart.
As April approached I watched the list of blogs to visit grow ... and grow ... and grow ... More than once I prayed the monitors would shut down registration. They finally did. At something like 1200+.
Seriously, guys, what were you thinking? My original plan of scheduling posts and spending xx amount of time visiting new blogs and checking out old friends was lost. No way. After all life goes beyond blog reading. Life, eye strain and headaches can put the brakes on visiting all those sites in 30 days. Best laid plans and all that. I think it was August by the time I got to the final participants. (My humblest apologies inserted here.)
I notice that a lot of folks hit the high hundreds (and even thousands) with new followers. I didn't gain that many. Maybe because I didn't follow every blog I visited. Everyone handles the whole following thing differently. Some click the Follow Me button everywhere they stop. Some follow only those who write a certain type of posts. Some only follow where they want to return. To each his own.
Well, A to Z 2012 is fast approaching. I was prepared to blow it off this year. But the more I see that button and read how excited everyone is the more I have to join, no, want to join. Besides, what would I do with all the posts I've already written. They wouldn't make sense to use any other time. That's right, guys, I'm ready. Bring on April!
My hints?
Prepare early
Keep it short
Turn off the darn captcha and word verification. Many participants skip blogs where those are necessary. (Guilty) Imagine 1200 blogs each requiring two steps to leave a comment. That's a lot of wasted time and typing. I block anonymous comments on my blog because of an overzealous shoe salesman. Again to each his own.
THE most important thing to remember ...
ENJOY YOURSELF! Have fun. It's all about the fun and friends, old and new. I'm looking forward to visiting everyone -- hopefully, before the A to Z 2013.
********
There are just a few days left to submit you A to Z promotion video. Look in the appropriate tab at the top of the page for more details. Here's something fun from Tracy Jo Blowers atA Brand New Day.
REWIND: I remember when I first heard about the A to Z Blogging Challenge. It was last March, only a few weeks before the challenge was scheduled to begin. “What a fabulous idea!” raced through my brain. I was so excited at the thought of being included in an event with so many other bloggers that I signed up.
Obviously, there were ideas that immediately came to my mind for a few letters. But then I started to think about it, really started to think—THE ENTIRE ALPHABET—and then quiver, shiver, and sweat. How was I to handle committing to a new letter each day? What had I done?
What about those strange letters like X and Z? Or what if I had another commitment on the day P was supposed to be posted and there was no way to fit that letter into my post? How could I be unique? Would I make my posts about writing, which is what my blog is geared to? Or should I veer off course? If so, what the heck do I write about? What if there was an earthquake, a hurricane, or a flood?
I think you get my drift here.
With the help of a few deep breaths, I put an axe to that train of creative-diluting thoughts and went for the fun angle. I decided to stick to my normally posting days of M-T-F, highlight whichever letter fell on said day, and committed to seeking out new and interesting ideas to post about.
FASTFORWARD: This challenge is to exercise your thoughts and push you out of that safe comfort zone. How else do we expect to grow if we don’t try new things? Whether you’re looking to grow as a blogger, a writer, or as a thinker, this challenge is for you.
Here’s a list of some fun ideas. All are special days celebrated during the month of April. Use this list as a reference if you feel stagnant during the challenge. I’ve even shared with you my official logo I’ll be using for all my ‘April’ posts! Hope you like it.
APRIL is:
·Autism Awareness Month = Letter A
·National Frog Month = Letter F
·National Humor Month = Letter H
·National Educational Mathematics Month = Letter M
·National Volunteer Month = Letter V
Of course, there are individual days to celebrate as well. April:
Sheri Larsen is a published freelance and short story writer, and KidLit author. Her current YA novel is with literary agents, and she’s preparing to sub one of her picture books to agents. Her website, Writers’ Ally (http://writersally.blogspot.com), is where she explores writing, children’s literature, and motherhood. She lives in Maine with her husband and four children.
We're still accepting A to Z videos until Sunday March 11th. Details can be found in the tab at the top of this page. This video comes from Reka at A Chronicle of Dreams.
I also run another blog with one of my bestest friends: Writeaway
I also have three Facebook pages, and you can also find me on Goodreads & Google+!
(I wont bore you to death with more links but now you know that's where you can find me and all the links are on the sidebar on the Nothought2small blog)
And now. . .. the interview you have all been waiting for. . . .
(okay probably not but I would like to make myself think that)
What is the most daring thing you've ever done?
There are many things I could answer this with but I have to say, I think agreeing to Co-host this challenge has been the most daring of them all. I really have no idea what I am doing when it comes to blogging. When I accepted the invitation to co-host this year, I had 38 followers on my blog. Only four months later and I now have 350.
What is your favorite article of clothing?
Hmmmmm. . . .I don't know. I think it would have to be either my T-shirt that says ‘Muggle' or my t-shirt that says ‘Trust me, I'm a Writer'.
What is your favorite monster?
This questions is very general so I could answer in many ways. Most people consider Dragons to be monsters. And I LOOOOVE dragons. (If you don't believe me, you can see a small portion of my dragon collection HERE) So, does my love for dragons count as a love for a monster? (I don't really consider them to be monsters).
If you had to dress up as your favorite literary character, who would it be?
Ooohh all the choices. . . I think I would create a costume that allowed me to have a little piece of all my favorite literary characters on it.
What is your favorite fairy tale, urban legend or nursery rhyme?
I don't really have ONE Favorite. I love researching the original tales and comparing them to what people know the Fairy tales to be today. It's fun to know why they are referred to ‘Fairies' which I will actually talk about in April for one of my posts.
What's the strangest item you've used as a bookmark?
A stick of glue. (It didn't stay there long. . .)
Do you have any nicknames? What are they and how did you earn them?
Not really. Tina calls me ‘K' (which I love btw) But other than that I just go by Konstanz.
Name one habit you want to change in yourself:
I have this awful habit of blogging and updating my blogs and always checking them and it has gotten to the point that I never have time to write. I would really like to change that and get more writing done.
Tell us something interesting or shocking about yourself:
Something interesting: I play the Violin, Organ and Piano. And I plan on going to college for Music.
Some A-to-Z Questions:
What was your favorite A-to-Z post from 2011?
I didn't participate in anyway last year so I really can't say. Sorry.
What brought you to the A-to-Z originally? Tell us about your first A-to-Z:
Last year I saw the badge for it on Elizabeth Mueller's blog and although I thought about joining, I didn't. But Elizabeth is also the one who asked me to co-host so Elizabeth is what brought me to the challenge. This year will be my first year doing it.
Are you doing a theme? Are you writing & scheduling posts in advance?
I am doing a theme. I'm not really talking about what my theme is until April (although I did mention it above sort of). I am writing the posts and scheduling everything in advance so I have time to visit other blogs and comment lots!
What is your favorite letter of the alphabet, and why? What letter do you like least?
I love, love, love 'D' and 'F' specifically for the challenge. Aside from the challenge, my favorite letter is 'S' and I don't know why.
I don't, don't like any letters. For the challenge, I am not liking 'A','Q', 'X', & 'Z'. But putting the challenge aside, I love all the letters.
Your A to Z Challenge promo posts are appearing all over the place and now it's getting difficult to keep up with all of them. I'm sure we'll miss some of them, but please bear with us as we love them all and appreciate every mention that we get.
We tried our best to get to 1000 sign-ups this past week. With your help we can still make it. By April 1st I hope to see at least 1500. Keep encouraging everyone you know to join us.
Don't forget about the A to Z Video contest. We haven't had any submissions in the past week and we'd love to see a few more before next Sunday's closing date. The video doesn't have to be professional or anything elaborate, just you and something you want to say about the A to Z April Challenge.
Here are some of the special posts we came across this week:
Jessica at Visions of Other Worlds is in a quandary about how best to approach the Challenge. She even offers a poll for those who want to help her decide.
I believe the announcement on ReAhkemiH'sfullishness in its foolblog was in Portuguese, but her final sentence assured readers that her Challenge entries will be in English. A to Z is a worldwide event!
Jennifer Wells declared her love of a good challenge and exhorts her readers to sign up for A to Z in April.
Overcrowded Book Shelves blog makes an April Challenge debut in 2012. Can anyone help her with the letter "z"?
Back for her second year, Miriam joins in Jenny Pearson's A to Z Tag questions on her blog An' de walls came tumblin' down. She found the questions on the blog Wake up, eat, write, sleep where Annalisa Crawford also answered the questions.
Teresa at Jounaling Woman has been posting about the A to Z Challenge with some regularity now including this Open Letter. Hang in there Teresa--chocolate marshmallow eggs are the best cure-all for all that ails you.
Sarah Allen at No Write No Wrong is back for a second year and she tells how she's ready to go. She'd like to hit the 200 follower mark and as I write this she needs 74 more to make it. Maybe you can help her out right now by visiting her blog and clicking the "Friend Connect" button. Maybe you'll get a new follower as well (that's usually the way it works you know).
Julie at Empty Nest Insider recalls how last year's Challenge got her fired up. She's looking forward to the 2012 Challenge.
Yadin Bromberg is making lemonade: Main ingredient the A to Z Challenge. That's the way my blog friend!
Lucy Jane is at her Writing Desk and geared up to go in April. She's in for a second year.
Theres Just Life has joined the A to Z party and is crazy about the Challenge.
Sylvia at Writing in Wonderland is returning to the Challenge and offers some good reasons why others should be a part of this great blogging event.
Then there wasinspirenordicwho passed on an award with a "join the A to Z Challenge" stipulation. We condone bribery in this case.
Kelly at Kelly Said... said that she was accepting the Challenge so said Kelly at Kelly Said... Now say that quickly three times.
When
do you get to call yourself a writer? My tagline at Life is Good
says, “wanna be writer”. I've had readers leave comments to the
effect of, “You are a writer! Don't be so hard on yourself!” It
is true that I've been writing my whole life, because it's been an
important life goal to write a novel. I have confidence I'll reach
that goal one day. Meanwhile, I'm sharing my first by-line.
I've
been blogging for a while now, and am enjoying this world
immensely. The community that we build and the support we give each
other is incredible. For example, I'm getting the chance to borrow
this blog to tell you about this project!
I
wrote a piece for a coffee table book called, “Until They Have
Faces.” It's a fundraiser for the joint benefit of The Bridge House in Boulder, CO, and BOHO:Boulder Outreach for Homeless Overflow, which are both organizations that minister to the homeless
community. All the work to produce the book was done by volunteers.
The photographer took professional portraits of each subject.
Lights, camera, smile, the whole thing. He used the setting each was
most comfortable with. Some were taken to his studio, others shot
“on location” The goal was to give them a face, and a voice as
the writers turned interviews into word portraits.
It
took a lot more volunteers than just those taking pictures and
writing words. The editing, book design, lay-out, proof-reading and
other such tasks were also donated to the project by professionals
willing to help. I'm honored to be part of such an endeavor.
If
you'd like to learn more about this project, you can visit the
photographer's blog dedicated to this project: Faces For The Homeless. You can also can learn more
at the blog, BOHO: Boulder Outreach for Homeless Overflow. This
particular post I'm sending you to is from November, but I thought it
gave the most info in a short read.
I'm
very pleased to say that 100% of the sale price of the book goes to
BOHO and The Bridge House. I'm thinking these books will sell
quickly since Boulder, CO, is a very active community working
creatively to serve the homeless population. The book is meant to
open eyes and break down stereotypes. I can't wait to see the
finished product at the reception/dedication tonight!
Our guest today is Lynn Rush who blogs at Catch the Rush. The 2012 Challenge will be a first for her but she's ready to go. In this post she explains her strategy.
Hey there, everyone. Lynn Rush here.
I’ve never participated in an A to Z challenge, but I tell ya, it sounds SUPER FUN!
When I saw a blogging/writing friend of mine participate in this last year, I was like, “Holy Cow, how do they think of something to write every day like that?”
That was back when I was posting only four to five days a week, and the thought of adding a couple of days kind of freaked me out.
But deep down, it must have inspired me, because I started posting daily shortly after.
I’m often asked how I think of topics for blogging seven days a week. The main thing is: Themes.
I have Movie Quotes, This Writer’s Journey, Throwback Thursday, Photos (sunsets, angels, etc) and we occasionally do a Debate This discussion and Cinema Sound Off. The rest of the days I just do whatever comes to mind.
So, when I decided to jump into the A to Z blog adventure, I decided I’d do something with music. Besides movies, music is WAY up there on the scale of things that motivate & inspire me, so what better topic to blog about?
Writing about things I love is fun. I think that’s really important, because if not, then blogging is more like a chore than an exciting, interactive adventure with your readers.
Now, I have to admit, I might sneak in a few non-music related posts since my next novel is releasing May 1st (I kind of need to mention that, right? LOL) but other than that, I’m stoked to write about music each and every day of this awesome blog event. I’ve even started finding musicians to feature.
X and Z…those will be a bit challenging, but I already have a few ideas! **LOL**
What are some of the things you guys are thinking of writing about during your A to Z adventure?
Lynn Rush's newest book Awaited will be released in May 2012. For more information be sure to visit Lynn's site.
One of the things I hate doing the most is talking about myself---I never respond to tags in memes. I'm happiest asking questions, not answering them. I'm not the most interesting of people, (nor very lovable, some would say, lol)--I'd rather people read my fiction than my autobiography.
Not that anyone has forced me to be part of this "Introduce the hosts" series...but I thought I must make some changes in my attitude towards talking about myself, so here goes! My responses are going to be...brief.
1. What is the most daring thing you've ever done? Gone white water rafting when I couldn't swim.
2. What is your favorite article of clothing? My denims 3. What is your favorite monster? Hannibal Lecter 4. If you had to dress up as your favorite literary character, who would it be? Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird. I'm way too old though. 5. What is your favorite fairy tale, urban legend or nursery rhyme? Twinkle Twinkle Little Star--those were my first words in English.
6. What is a cause near and dear to your heart? Taking care of our environment. 7. What's the strangest item you've used as a bookmark? A toothbrush
8. Name one habit you want to change in yourself: Procrastination
SOME A-to-Z QUESTIONS
1. What was your favorite A-to-Z post from 2011? This was on of the first posts I visited, and haven't forgotten it--the author got married on that day:
A is for April 1st 2. What brought you to the A-to-Z originally? Tell us about your first A-to-Z I signed up at random last year, without much thought. I was the 15th participant. I forgot all about it till I heard some A to Z buzz at the end of March. By then it was too late to withdraw, so I just jumped in. 3. Are you doing a theme? I wrote flash fiction last year, which I then collected into an e-book, A to Z Stories of Life and Death . This year, I'm doing fiction again, based on prompts from readers.
Please drop me some prompts in the comments on this post (am desperate, cos I need a whole bunch to choose from!). Of course, when I post each prompt during April, I'll link to you and explain why I chose it. You may also mail me the pictures and story prompts at atozstories at gmail dot com.You need not be participating in the A to Z Challenge to challenge me with either a story starter, or a picture, or both. The more the merrier!
4. Are you writing & scheduling posts in advance? As co-host, I intend to visit as many blogs as possible this year, so yes, I'll be scheduling at least some of the posts. 5. What is your favorite letter of the alphabet, and why? What letter do you like least? I like A a whole lot. It talks of beginnings. I hate X-- I can never relate to it, and it seems like a big cross-out, a negation of everything.
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