A to Z Tips - Running with a Theme #atozchallenge

If you’re participating in the Challenge, you are probably already planning your posts. That’s great–plan and write as many as possible before the Challenge begins so you have more time to visit other bloggers in April.

If you’ve toyed with the idea of a theme or not, let me tell you - it’s easier if you have a theme for the month. We offer the Great Theme Reveal on March 21, which gets people excited about your theme. Plus we run a feature here during the year called Themes That Rocked the Challenge that gives you an idea of the variety of themes out there.

Here are some reasons why a theme helps:

The first year of the Challenge, I didn’t have a theme. Of course this meant some days I was scrounging for something that matched the letter. (For Q, I blogged about Q*Bert and some obscure band called Q-Tip–not good!)

A theme will give you direction. You don’t want to be confined? Choose a good theme and it will expand your possibilities, not limit them. If you select movies, you can go with the movie titles. Music? Go with band or song titles. Sports? Go with players or teams. By narrowing the focus, it’s actually easier, because then you won’t feel overwhelmed.

A theme also lets visitors know what to expect. They will be more apt to return, especially if they like your theme. We’re creatures of habit and like consistency. Include a line or two at the beginning of each post that states your theme for the month if it’s not obvious in your post title.

It’s good research. Select a topic you want to know more about – you’ll learn something as you search. Perhaps it’s something you need to research for your next book or for school. Kill two birds with one stone – and educate others in the process.

Does the theme have to match your blog exactly? No, it can be anything you want. If it’s something that interests you, chances are you’ve already talked about it on your blog. Brainstorm some different themes and pick one. If it fits your style, then do it.

Have fun with it. Just think–your blog is a theme park for one whole month. Make it fun! Because if you’re having fun, so will your visitors.

Co-host Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh is the author of Amazon Best-sellers CassaStar, CassaFire, CassaStorm, Dragon of the Stars, and his blog can be found HERE

Introducing An Unconventional Alliance, Pam's #atozchallenge co-host Team!

I'm so thrilled to introduce you to this year's Unconventional Alliance! Why are are we the alliance? Because an alliance is like a party and who doesn't want to have a party everywhere they go? An Unconventional Alliance will be my team to help me get through the A to Z Challenge. There will be lots of partying and lots of work and lots of fun! Let me introduce you to the band team:

First up is our DJ. She'll be playing the music that will keep our toes tapping. Meet Shalini:  

Taking up the #atozchallenge for the third time in a row, I can already feel the adrenaline rush. Here's a lil' about me.

An IT Professional who decided to get married to an Olive Green and thus start a nomadic life - Began blogging only to note down the recipes she tried in her almost-burnt-down kitchen. Like any food blogger, 'Julie and Julia' is her inspiration.Music is her soul and she can be seen humming and dancing to the latest tunes played in the radio while trying out recipes in her kitchen. One day wanting to meet the one and only Gordon Ramsay, she cooks her heart out to bring a smile on her soldier's face. ツ She is also an ardent reader and a passionate dancer. She occasionally writes poems and stories as well.

Shalini blogs at Something's Cooking  and Tale of Two Tomatoes. Her other nickname may just be Mrs. Tomato. @onewidbrowneyes

Next is our lead singer Rajlakshmi.  When she's not rocking out on the mic, she might be cooking or taking beautiful photos.

A military brat hailing from Assam, I have lived in different parts of the country, experiencing the essence of various cultures in India. I often brag about the fact that I studied in 9 schools (No, I wasn’t kicked out :P ) and know 5 languages. Most days you would find me processing travel photos, blogging about ‘smarty’ siblings, trying my hands at Paper Quilling or watching the world - upside down. 

Java Developer by profession, Sydneysider, travelling is my passion, writing keeps my creativity alive, Yoga is a part of my lifestyle and, more often than not, I end up setting off the fire alarm while cooking.

I strongly believe in Karma - what goes around, comes around. And therefore, no matter how small, I avoid negativity. 

She blogs at The Twinkle Eyed Traveler, The Poetry Wagon, and Destiny's Child. I believe in Karma too. And cake. She tweets @Sunjhini

No party would be complete without a dance teacher! Meet  Claire. She'll show us all the moves so we can look our best on the dance floor. Claire is also passionate about children's books, which is also my passion.   

Hi, I’m Claire Annette and am joining the A-Z Challenge for the third time Yippee! I live and write in Central California. I’m passionate about kids and books and have made my career as a children’s librarian, reading specialist, and kindergarten teacher. I get my kid fix these days as a substitute teacher - yes, I actually think subbing is fun. I am a field trip planner extraordinaire and I combine my love of travel and kids’ book on my blog. Sign your permission slip and join me at A Field Trip Life. 

Claire blogs at A Field Trip Life and tweets  @claire_noland 

Here's Parul! She's the life of the party who will make sure everyone is having a good time. My teens would call her the Hype Woman because she's happy. 

HR Professional. Working Homemaker. Blogger. Wikipedian. Family Photographer. Engineer This is how I describe all that I do on an almost every day basis. I am Parul and I write for the love of expressing myself and giving my thoughts a voice.

I love my love, life, colors, watching the Sky and Sunsets. If I could get up early – Sun rises would have made it to the list. I started blogging three years ago and I wish I had started earlier. I always have personal stories to share and moments to feel excited for. I call my blog happiness and food cos I write about things that make me happy and in my posts, you will find food for thought.

If not writing, I am reading or editing Wikipedia. After work, you will find me on my couch with a cup of ginger tea and my laptop. A child at heart – I love playing games like Candy crush, Free cell, Klondike, Sudoku, Words, 2048 and every other thing. A social media enthusiast and a learner.

Taking up #atozchallenge for the second time and excited to see what it will bring this year. I am lesser prepared than last year and hence a bit nervous. Good luck everyone! 

She blogs at Happiness and Food.  She tweets at @parul2411

And, well, you know me, I'm the ring leader, partygoer who always wants cake. If you see the team around the Challenge, please say hello cuz they are here to help! Remember I'm @pamlovesbooks on Twitter. Say hello. 
Please?

And now, we dance. 

Adding the A to Z Challenge badge to your Wordpress Blog #atozchallenge

There have been some questions about adding the badge for the Challenge onto Wordpress blog pages. The process is different than it is for Blogger. I've made a short video where I demonstrate the process.

The theme I'm using in the video is Twenty Fourteen, which has two sidebars, one on either side. Depending on which theme you choose, there might be only one sidebar (the current default theme, Twenty Sixteen, is like this). The important thing is to position the badge so that visitors can see it when they come to your blog, preferably at the top of the sidebar. Be careful: there are one or two themes that don't have sidebars. You might want to stay away from those.
Let me know if you have any questions or problems doing this.

---

John Holton
The Sound of One Hand Typing
The Sound of One Hand Typing FM

#atozchallenge Rocking the Challenge!

So, I think I've settled on a theme for the Challenge.

It's gonna be a really simple one. (I wonder if it may be too simple) But it will require help from the people who visit my blog. I think it will be an interesting way to gather information that I can use at a later date and people will probably have fun making their own contribution.

Usually, I choose to do something that will help others and since I've done the Challenge, I've collected enough data for several books. Alas, I haven't done any kind of compilation, which won't get done unless I put it on a list.

Never fear, we have time yet. But all the same, the Challenge isn't very far away! The next time I post here, I'm hoping to introduce my Joyful Brigade of helpers for the Challenge. We're getting ready to rock the Challenge. Are you? In the very slim even that you haven't signed up as yet, access the sign-up list here.

I haven't heard from a couple of my helpers, so if you're up for helping me check in on a set of blogs during the Challenge, please feel free to leave me a message here and I'll touch base with you.

So have you settled on a theme yet. Narrowed it down to a couple? Still waffling? Need more time because you still can't decide yet? 

#atozchallenge: Introducing Damyanti and her team, D's Company!

 I've been part of the A to Z family for a while, and many of you know me as Damyanti from Daily (w)rite.

I'm camera-shy, so the spotlight is on Guilie Castillo, who is introducing herself and her team mates, (my gang) this year : D's Company.

 Take it away, Guilie!
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The A-to-Z Challenge is, undisputedly, the blogging event of the year. In a community where blogfests and hops abound, that's saying something. And the magic was there from the beginning. In 2010, around 100 bloggers took up Arlee Bird's call to arms; by the following year participation had increased more than tenfold: over 1300 blogs signed up. And that number grows every year. Why? What's this A-to-Z magic that sweeps the blogosphere as soon as the sign-up list opens in January?

• The community. No group of people is as welcoming, and as fascinating to get to know, as bloggers. They come from such varied backgrounds, product of such different cultures and lives, that their posts become doors into entirely new worlds.
• The exposure. Nothing grows a blog's audience like the A-to-Z. Nothing, short of being featured on the Huffington Post, exposes your blog to as many potential readers, fans, and friends. 
• The relationships. You will forge unprecedented friendships. There's something about the hectic atmosphere in April that... Well, you know. The best friendships are forged in fire.
• The challenge. It's a human trait. We love challenges. We might enter the A-to-Z world hopelessly (and, honestly, kind of adorably) clueless as to what exactly we've signed up for, and we might finish the month exhausted and certifiably brain-dead, but we can't wait for it to be April again.

It's such a rush to see that list of 27 posts. We did it. Our creativity stood the test. We committed to something and we actually saw it through. That sense of achievement is a high that's hard to pass over. Last year I seriously considered sitting the Challenge out. Among other pressing things, I was behind — like, months behind — on the edits for my first novel, due for publication in spring 2015. But I signed up anyway. And I didn't finish. I skipped one letter outright, and my last post was a three-in-one. Should I have abstained? You know what? Nah. Finish or fail, the A-to-Z is the highlight of my blogging year. 

This year I'm joining co-host Damyanti Biswas's team, and it's my pleasure to introduce the fabulous women who make up D's Company.

 Vidya Sury Lives in hot-and-happening Bangalore. Tries to live mindfully, doing what she loves and loving what she does as a mom, writer, blogger, editor, and social media enthusiast.

 Misha Gericke Lives close to Cape Town, South Africa. She's either writing, editing, or working as a fresh produce exporter.
  
Andrea Michaels A writer in love with the sky and the ocean and brown eyes in general. Regularity and structure aren't her strong points but she makes awesome pancakes.

 Soumya Prasad The group's second Bangalorite is a hard-core techie. Her name means "one who is soft-spoken", which she considers the biggest irony of her life. A lover of love and all things related to it.

 Samantha Geary Jones Speculative fiction author living in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains with her lover, her two adorable little girls, and a border collie sidekick. Freelance writer for film, TV, and the gaming and trailer music industries.  

Guilie Castillo Mexican author and dog rescuer living in Curaçao. When not writing she'll be found wandering the island's wilderness with her seven dogs. 

Damyanti Biswas Blogger, author, troublemaker. A to Z cohost. An inept housewife, tea-and wine-lover.

We're all looking forward to getting to know you!
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Follow the A to Z Blogging team on our Facebook Page!
Email address is contactatozteam at gmail dot com
Twitter hashtag is #AtoZChallenge and Twitter id is @AprilA2Z. 
If you have a theme for you A to Z Challenge, sign up for the Theme Reveal!

We’ll hold Twitter chats on Thursdays at the tag #azchat at 9.00 PM EST. Please follow the Twitter and Facebook handles, and the hashtags in order to keep up with the conversation.

#atozchallenge Have you … Huh? Huh? Huh?

With the Challenge approximately a month away, now would be a good time to take stock of where we're at and what's left to be done. Have you …

   a.    Invited people to participate?

   b.    Shared information about the Challenge via social media?

   c.    Decided on a theme?

   d.    Signed up for the A-Z Theme Reveal,   which is on March 21, 2016?

   e.    Done any research on your topic of choice?

   f.     Written up any of your posts as yet?

   g.    Scheduled said posts for the designated dates?

   h.   Gone down the list of A-Z participants and checked out a few new blogs?

     If you haven't done any of the above, now is an excellent time to get moving so you'll have more time during the Challenge to blog hop, socialize, and stay ahead of the game.

Have fun as you prepare to rock the Challenge!

#atozchallenge Blog Check Up in 7 Steps

       Here's some good words of advice from one of Arlee Bird's A to Z Ambassadors team.  

Blog Check Up in 7 Steps

Guest post by J Lenni Dorner

The April A to Z Challenge is fast approaching. Time to do a Blog Check Up! I've encountered many blogs that need a few minutes of tender loving care. Here's a seven-step checklist to help you:

Step 1- Using a computer (not a phone or tablet), surf to your webpage. Not your admin area, but the page that the public sees. Do you like the way it looks? If not, note what you want to change. Use the A to Z list to surf to three other blogs (any random three), then surf back to your own. Do you still like how it looks? (This is a color test.)

Step 2- Click on your links. Does your Twitter icon go to your Twitter page? (As opposed to going to "https://twitter.com/http://twitter.com/username" If you think I made that example up, you haven't clicked on as many Twitter icons as I have. I found that error 42 times last year.) Check your Facebook link, Pinterest link, Instagram link, etc.

Step 3- Even though I just discussed clicking your links, I'm going to make this a step onto itself. Check your Goodreads icon. (Skip this step if you don't use Goodreads.) People come to your blog to connect with YOU. If you have a Goodreads icon and it goes to Goodreads.com instead of to your Goodreads profile, that isn't helping you or your blog. (Unless, perhaps, you're getting paid for that click.)

I see many people making this mistake. Go to https://www.goodreads.com/user/edit and click on Widgets. There you will find pre-written code that will link your guests to you. It gives you various options to suit your needs.

Step 4- Can your blog be followed? You just joined a massive blog hop. A majority of bloggers who make this commitment do so because they want to be found, heard, and followed. The marketing blogs will tell you to create an email list for your blog army. That's certainly good advice.

I'm going to toss in that you should offer at least one other method. Why? Because some people will visit over 300 blogs in April. They do not necessarily want 300 new emails a day, a week, or a month. However, those same people might follow your blog with services such as:

·         BlogLovin'

·         LinkyFollowers

·         Networked Blogs (limit of 200 blogs that a person can follow, requires Facebook)

·         Google Friend Connect (only on Blogger, possibly being phased out)

·         Wordpress Reader (only those with a Wordpress account can use)

·         RSS feeds (several options for those people who use that service, but must be set up correctly)

Step 5- Site rating. Look over your blog posts. If you have adult material, you need to note this up front. Most importantly, you NEED to have an AC label on your link at the challenge sign up page OR YOU WILL BE REMOVED.

What is adult content?

·         Excessive Violence — If your blog reads like a how-to guide for Hannibal Lecter, you have excessive violence. If you've written the A to Z guide of how to beat up anyone, make bombs, and kill without detection, you have excessive violence.

·         Nudity for sexual purposes — If you write erotica, you have adult content. This gets tricky with art blogs. If you fall into a gray area, ask the challenge hosts for a ruling before April.

·         Strong and frequent harsh language — If the F word is being used as a verb, or it is used more than three times in a blog post, that is considered adult content. If your every blog post drops at least three curse words, that is adult content.

Adult Content blogs are not written for children. The purpose of the rating is to protect the young and those sensitive to such topics. Those people are not the core audience for such blogs, would not follow such blogs, and possibly present legal trouble if they land on adult blogs. The hosts and their volunteer teams take on the responsibility of keeping the challenge safe and legal for everyone. Please be respectful of this.

Step 6- Check your site on a mobile version (smartphone, some tablets). Can people still access your social media? (If that's important to you.) Do you like the look of your blog?

Step 7- Is your blog a blog? There's always someone trying to get their "click to buy sunglasses" site in the linky. Guess what? They get removed. The difference between a selling website and a blog that has some items for sale is all about content. There must be actual posts with actual content that people want to enjoy.

There are plenty of good people who are willing to help you get your blog ready for the challenge. This is the time and place to ask.

J Lenni Dorner is a speculative fiction and reference guide author who blogs at: http://jlennidornerblog.what-are-they.com

This is the fifth year that J is taking place in the A to Z Challenge, and the second year serving on Arlee's team. 

#atozchallenge Meet Your Co-Host: John Holton

John Holton (photo: Mary Holton)

This is my fifth Challenge, my second as a co-host. I started my blog, The Sound of One Hand Typing, on Wordpress in January 2012, specifically so I could participate in this Challenge. I had been toying with the idea of blogging for a while, anyway, and had in fact started several blogs in the past, all of which I was embarrassed to leave lying around. It gets its name because a stroke nine years ago deprived me of the use of my right hand, but I wasn't about to let that stop me. What encouraged me was reading about the author Walter Wager, who wrote novelizations of TV series and tie-in novels based on them. I read somewhere that Wager only had one hand, and I decided that, if he could do it, so could I.

I blog daily, which I started in July 2014. I have a few regular features, and participate in a number of blog hops I've found along the way. I'm also technically inclined, and found a way to simulcast my blog to one on Blogger, which I talked about last year. This year, I created the Challenge's Pinterest and Google+ pages. I also participate in the weekly chats on Twitter. See what happens when you retire?

You can find me at either of my blogs, and on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google+. I hope to get to know many of you during this year's Challenge! See you soon!

#atozchallenge Presenting Co Host Pam

Hi Readers (waving)!
I'm Pam, I'm one of the co hosts for the 2016 Blogging Team! I'm here to get to know you a little bit better. I'll share some stuff about me and then you share some stuff about you, ok?

Let's Go!


I'm the self appointed librarian of the Challenge.

If you need a book recommendation, I'll be happy to help you.  If there's research to be done, I'll do it. If there's a book to be read, I'll read it.

You see, I LOVE books. I can't get enough of books! I want all the books, all the time! I like to read them, talk about them, and blog about them. I blog at www.unconventionallibrarian.com  and I talk about books. Mostly books about diversity for children and teens.  I'm a supporter of the We Need Diverse Books movement, a judge for the CYBILS Awards, I have a column at Good Enough Mother called Moms Must Read  and I participate in many other bookish activities.  

I always have a book with me. In fact, when I'm not on the computer writing about books, I can be found reading a book.

But please, don't ever interrupt me while I'm reading a book. Emergencies like

cake (and maybe cupcakes or possibly cookies) are the only reason to interrupt me while I'm reading. 

And I don't believe in delayed gratification either; I want my cake and I want it now. And later.  In fact, I LOVE eating cake while reading a book. It's the perfect combination.

I belong to a gang. That's how hard core I am.

Ok so maybe gang is too strong a word. But I do belong to a book club (or two). Also? I love to hang out on Twitter! My handle is @Pamlovesbooks and I love making new friends, especially new Blogging from A to Z friends.

Next time you're on Twitter, give me a shout and let's be friends! It will be lots of fun to get to know each other and help each other along during the Challenge.

I look forward to getting to know you better.  I'll be waiting for you on Twitter.

Pam

#atozchallenge -- Theme Reveal Sign-up is Open!

Sign-ups for the 2016 A to Z Blogging Challenge are already under way. If you have done it before, you know how much fun it is (good for you!) and if you have not, this is your chance to give it a try. You can sign up to participate HERE.

One of the most burning questions participants ask themselves every year is: "Should I have a theme?" Themes are not mandatory, but definitely fun. They let your visitors know what to expect, and help you create posts that line neatly up from A to Z. They also have an added bonus – they let you participate in a whole separate blogfest!

Three years ago, A to Z participant Mina Lobo started the Theme Reveal, and we thought it was such a great idea that we made it tradition.

Here is how the Theme Reveal Blogfest works:

Sign up on the Linky List below. On Monday, March 21, reveal your theme on your blog and give us a hint of what to expect from it. Then, once your post is up, use the Linky List to visit all the other blogs announcing their themes.

This is a great opportunity for all of you to get a jump start on your A to Z experience. You can link up with fellow bloggers, scout out and bookmark themes that you look forward to, and lure in wandering participants with your awesome theme. This way, by the time the frenzied posting begins on April 1, you will already have an audience eagerly awaiting your posts.

Sign up below, ready your theme, and put March 21 on your calendar!

#atozchallenge -- Who the heck is Heather?

Hi. I'm Heather.

This will be my 6th year doing the A to Z Challenge and each year it gets more interesting.

My 3rd year I was recruited by Alex J. Cavanaugh to be a Ninja Minion and in my 4th year Alex conned me convinced me to be a co-host!

As for my posts, my 1st year (2011) I went completely random, but for the next three years my blog was taken over by the Gnome.

You may know him as Stormy the Weather Gnome.

He took a slight break last year when I hosted The Re-opening of The X-Files theme where I shared 26 days of my love for the show, old and new information, and all my memorabilia.

Is it possible that Stormy will be back this year? Only time (and glue) will tell.

You can find all my A to Z posts HERE. 

We hope you join us for this year's Blogging from A to Z April Challenge!


Heather M. Gardner
Blog: The Waiting is the Hardest Part
Twitter: @hmgardner

Facebook: HeatherWritesRomance