Some Saturday Updates

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ada Z's A to Z Video

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

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

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





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

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


Blogging A to Z?


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

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

Well they are doing it again this year.

Artwork by Ada Zdanowicz

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Are you going to participate?  Why or why not?

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

Related articles

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

video Challenge

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

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

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

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

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

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



 

Related articles

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

A Word from the Bird

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

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

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

             See you tomorrow.

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

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