Rosanna: Strategies for Next Year's Challenge

Today please welcome Rosanna of  Writing and Photo Prompts from Life. She hails from The Philippines, and has completed two challenges. She's so excited for next year, she's ready share some tips to get your thoughts going. It's never to early to start planning!

Last year I joined my very first 30-day blogging challenge - The Blogging from A to Z  2012 Challenge - and it was quite stressful.  After picking up my "Survivor" badge, I wondered if it was worth all the stress and decided that it wasn't.

"No more blogging challenges for me."  It was a firm decision that stayed with me till early this year, but as April approached, I asked myself, "Why not?"  I had been mulling the idea of featuring my country, the Philippines, in my blog and I figured that the A to Z challenge would be the perfect way to highlight the many beautiful aspects of my country.

I survived this year's challenge as well, and I'm proud to say that this time I had fun. I did things differently this year: I began the challenge with a list of topics that I wanted to write about - from A to Z of course. This year, I also made it a point to visit at least ten other blogs after posting - and that by itself  was a fun experience.  It was like visiting different places and meeting all sorts of people.

After this year's A to Z challenge, I was ready to join other challenges - both blogging and photo challenges. As a result, I have been blogging more and I've been having a blast. I've also been learning a lot about blogging, and come next year's challenge, I know I will have more tools at my disposal, which will make the one-month challenge easier, and will leave me with more time to visit other blogs.

Up until recently, my blogging skills have been quite limited, and as it was with my posts in this year's challenge, I wrote articles accompanied by photos in each and every blog post.  Now I know there are other ways to blog - a late bloomer I am!

Here are some things I hope to do for next year's challenge:

• Feature video clips in some blogs. As we all know, there are thousands of videos on file on YouTube. To embed a video in a blog post, all one need do is click on "Share" which appears under the video box.  Upon clicking, a highlighted code will appear.  Copy the code and paste it on your blog.
• Do a photo essay - colorful, inspiring, and easier to do than writing so much text!
• Switch guest posts with another participant
• Reblog an interesting post by one of the participants
• Feature a list of the five, seven - even ten - participating blogs I like best
• Interview one of the challenge organizers or another blogging participant
• Feature the blog of a frequent commenter

As you can see, I'm already gearing up for next year's Blogging from A to Z Challenge.  See you then!

Those are some great goals! I also encourage you to learn something new when it comes to the technical side of your blog. Thanks for taking the time to be with us today, Rosanna!

~Tina

Sylvia Villalobos: Why Do We Blog?

I’m relatively new to blogging (seven months or so), and still learning about this fascinating world filled with communities and challenges and stories. Great personal stories. As I make my way through the blogosphere, I discover equally interesting places from faraway countries and old neighborhoods. I discover a lot of other things, but will focus on the first-mentioned aspects of blogging.

So, why do we blog?  To share our stories, I would say, but that’s hardly the only reason. Perhaps to promote a product, establish our writing, build a platform, express our creativity, be part of communities.

Some communities are so well organized (and crowded), I can’t bring myself to be commenter number 189. Does the large number of comments affect the blogger’s personal rapport with followers? I don’t know. I’m asking.

What I do know is that not having a blog is a thing of the past.  Since I like to write, I started blogging when I was told no writer is without a blog nowadays. So far so good, but are we blogging because everyone else is or for reasons that will last?

According to quora.com most blogs are abandoned soon after creation, with 60-80% abandoned within one month, and many surviving blogs are not regularly updated.  That may mean nothing to the serious blogger, but in the world of data those are large numbers.

On the other hand, the longest running blog, according to newswireless.net, belongs to Rupert Goodwins who started blogging in 1996. Now that’s staying power and dedication -- seventeen years of blogging. I’d like to think staying power is one of the goals. Otherwise, it seems like a lot of work and dedication gone to waste. A long-standing and active blog, it appears, stands on two pillars: great content and persistence. Since blogs are similar to personal journals, as a new blogger I find posts with personal touches most inviting.

For a time I thought blogging was something young people did, another aspect of the social media revolution. It didn’t take long to learn that’s not the case. Some of my favorite posts are written by bloggers transformed by life experiences. Not long ago, I read a post titled Good Girl Disease, by Doreen McGettigan. I think you’ll be moved by this true-life story. I was.

So, what is it that makes you blog?  And what motivates you to blog often?   

About the author: Silvia lives in Los Angeles with her husband and son. Her stories have appeared at Fiction365, Red Fez, and Pure Slush.  She is currently working on her mystery novel, Stranger or Friend.   

Shhhh! I am Sneaking In Today!

Not really sneaking... I wanted to tell you that my Art/Design book tour called "It's Time" has started and I would love for you all to take a look. There are giveaways, interesting stories and me... if that isn't enough did I mention a big giveaway in the end. If you don't know who I am... well I can tell you, I am the person who created many of the art/logos/badges/headers here and many others places in the blog world.

So here are the dates: [CLICK ME, CLICK ME]

Be one of the cool kids!

Giveaways are at top, just below the Header!

 

READ/COMMENT/SHARE!

Thanks, have a great day!

Jeremy [Being Retro]

http://www.beingretro.com

New Name, New Place...

What Happens When You Are an Obscure Superhero?

Today’s Challenge Participate Feature is master Mark Means from Left and Write! His theme for the Challenge was super in more ways than one. 

What made you decide on the theme of obscure superheroes?

When I was trying to come up with themes the first thing I thought of was 'would I be able to come up with things that started with X,Y, and Z'. Also known as my "X,Y,Z Question". After discarding a few other themes, such as a "Back to the Future" theme and an old t.v. show theme, one of my other loves popped into my head.....old comic books. I asked the "X,Y,Z" question and found that, yes, I could probably do this theme.

Which letter was the most difficult?

Believe it, or not, the letter "R" gave me the most trouble. With most of the other letters, a name just sprang to mind. This one had me doing a bit of research until I came up with "Razorback".

Which letter was your favorite?

I think "H"....for The Human Fly. It was fun to reminisce about a character I hadn't thought of, literally, in years.

You had a mix of DC and Marvel – care to take a side?

Hmmm....that's a toughie. Back when I first got into comics, I was a huge Marvel fan. In fact, I think one of my very first superhero books was Captain America. If you asked me back then, I would have said Marvel, for sure. Recently, though, I'd have to go with D.C.....even through their sort of cruddy "New 52" stuff. I just feel the D.C Universe is more "heroic" and, for the most part, fun. (DC rocks!)

You said you were a fan of team comics. (So am I.) Tell us about The Liberty Legion.

Back when I first started buying comics, I was drawn to the team books and, besides The Avengers, another way to get my Captain America fix was in the pages of The Invaders. So, in one issue they featured a brand new group of heroes that was brought together after The Invaders had been captured by the Red Skull (I think it was), called The Liberty Legion. I didn't know it, at the time, but the LL was made up of actual characters from the Golden Age of comic books. Back then, I had thought they were just made up for that issue and, since this was in the "B.I" (Before Internet) days, what did I know? Anyway, the characters really appealed to me and I always wished they had gotten a series of their own but, alas, it wasn't in the cards and the Legion soon faded into comic book history.....again. It was neat, though, to see a few of the characters pop up years later as they guest-starred in other titles.

Who is your favorite superhero?

Definitely, Captain America.....though Batman is a close second. I've always liked the 'man out of time' aspect about Steve Rogers and how he sticks to his principles, even in the face of being unpopular. That resolve is a lot of what makes him a hero.

Which obscure superhero deserves his (or hers) own movie?

I think there are quite a few obscure heroes that could carry their own movie (if done correctly). Booster Gold and Zatanna are two characters that immediately spring to mind. A Booster Gold film could even get away with being on the comedic side and not take itself too seriously, as some of these sort of movies have been done in the past. Zatanna, on the other hand, would lend itself to a more darker tone, perhaps. Regardless though, I'd pay money to see either on the silver screen.

If you participate in the Challenge next year, what theme do you think you’ll tackle?

I'm still thinking of that "Back To The Future" theme or, maybe, something "old school" pro wrestling related. If all else fails, I think I could get by with an 'obscure t.v. show or character' theme. It's a pretty good bet that, if it's 'old and obscure', I could probably make it work.

Old and obscure sounds cool to me, Mark! Thanks again, Mr. Obscure Superhero.

Co-host Ninja Captain Alex is the author of CassaStar and CassaFire and his blog can be found HERE

Amy Burle: Write! Write! Write!

Amy Willoughby-Burle is the author of Out Across the Nowhere, a collection of short stories. Her fiction has appeared in numerous literary journals such as Potomac Review, Inkwell, Sycamore Review, Reed Magazine, The MacGuffin and many others. She is the editor of Blue Lotus Review, an online journal for literature, art, and music.

Amy was raised in the small coastal town of Kure Beach, North Carolina. She graduated with a BA in English (and an unfinished Masters in Creative Writing — "sorry Mom and Dad") from East Carolina University. She spent several years in her husband's home state of Missouri before getting homesick for North Carolina. She now lives in the mountains near Asheville with her very gracious husband and three children. In her spare tune she searches the universe for hidden portals to magical places.  Please welcome her to the A-Z Blog!

The Secret Hidden Portal to “Writing Time.”

During my time on the A to Z April Challenge I chose to post excerpts from my novel in progress The Lemonade Year. As a homeschooling mom of 3 (4 by the time this post appears), homemaker and part-time grocery clerk, I knew I wanted to try my hand at daily blogging, but my writing time is limited.

Who’s isn’t, you’re probably chortling. Well, that’s my point exactly. I’ve been asked on many occasions—“How do you find time to write?” Answer” “I don’t.”

I make the best use of the time I already have. There’s no extra time hiding under the couch cushions. Believe me, I’ve looked. Writing time already exist within your day, you just have to utilize it. That sounds a lot like good old fashioned time management doesn’t it? You nailed it. That’s all it is. There is no secret portal to “writing time.” Darn.

Here’s some advice that I give for making sure you use the time you have and use it well.

1.      No amount of time is too small. Don’t wait for some magical large amount of free time to present itself. It might not, so keep your writing utensil (laptop, notebook, etc.) at the ready. Keep it open and available. Write even if you think you’ll only get 10 minutes or 250 words on the page. All that writing will add up fast! All the days you spent waiting for more time will go by even faster!

2.      Don’t worry about writing crap. You will. I do. It’s called a first draft. Don’t say things like “I can’t write till I know exactly what’s going to happen or how I’m going to say it.” There’s a good chance that you’re just stalling. That’s why you revise and edit.

3.      Don’t set up too many rituals around your writing. You can LIKE, but don’t NEED to have complete silence, a cup of tea on the upper, right hand side of your desk, sun shining in your window, to be wearing your favorite shirt or drinking from your favorite cup, etc. 

4.      Be able to write anywhere. You don’t need a writing desk, a private room, or a padded wall sanctuary. Be flexible. If you know you’re going to be sitting in the waiting room at the orthodontists for 2 hours, take your laptop or notebook and write. Your legs stretched out across two chairs make a fine desk. (Yes, I actually did this.)

5.      Write when you’re not even writing. At the start of your day, turn your brain on. Tell it which scene, character, plot twist, etc. you plan to deal with that day. Let your brain churn while you’re driving, folding laundry, filing, making copies, whatever. This will surprise you. Ever been searching your brain for the name of some actor in a movie you saw 20 years ago only to give up, assuming you’ll never remember it and then 2 days later, while you’re in the middle of a meeting, you shout out the actor’s name while your boss is talking. See what I mean?

6.      Monitor the time you spend online. Answer e-mails and visit message boards quickly and effectively. You don’t really NEED to know whose cat just ate a box of crayons or whose adorable children just built a replica of the statue of liberty out of toilet paper rolls. You don’t HAVE to comment on these things. Don’t let the internet become a time vampire. Be purposeful, blogging and following blogs that are meaningful to your overall goal. Networking IS important in this business (HUGELY), but those contacts will only come in handy if you actually have a product for sale. Keep a good balance on these two aspects of the writing business.

7.      Be realistic. You know what you will do and what you won’t do. Don’t plan to write for 2 hours starting at 5am if you know you aren’t going to do that. Don’t sabotage yourself and your writing by setting goals that you aren’t going to keep.

8.      Don’t tie your writing time to your goals for a perfect life. Meaning: This is not a New Year’s resolution. This is real. Don’t include “finding” time to write into eating healthy and doing yoga twice a day and remodeling the guest room into a writing den and wearing only organic cotton. Don’t make your writing part of a list of things you aren’t really going to do.

9.      Understand that writing and the completion of a great poem, a powerful short story and yeah, you bet—a novel—is a long process. It’s a lot of hard work. It’s not sitting at Starbucks and toying around with an idea. It’s long hours of writing and rewriting, plotting, sub-plotting, rethinking the whole damn thing and starting over. Be ready for that. Be ok with that.

10.  Don’t let fear lead to failure when you haven’t even given success a shot. Believe in yourself and your writing!

Now Write! Write! Write!

Thanks for taking the time to be with us today! This advice is great for all levels of writers. We appreciate you sharing with us!

~Tina