Alphabet Remix - Naturally Normal Nintendo

These blogging prompts are brought to you by Nicole at The Madlab Post…

It’s time for The Alphabet Remix - A Writing Prompt Idea Engine Treating A to Z Blogging Avoidance Disorders

Today's A to Z Challenge blogging prompts are all about gaming. N is for Nintendo and I picked this particular gaming console because it was the first (...I think) video game system that I played during my childhood years. I also selected it as today's topic because video games deserve some A to Z attention -- they are just as enjoyable as books, music, movies or any other activity that we use to pass the time. So, here are some ways to incorporate Nintendo into your blog posts for Letter N during the A to Z Challenge in April.

Nintendo Ninja Nation
Build your own nation of Nintendo Ninjas by blogging about tips and tricks on how to beat the levels on a particular Nintendo game that you are good at. You could also teach people shortcuts for certain actions or even show them repair tips on how to keep an old or sorta broken Nintendo game in working condition for as long as they can before having to buy a new console. These blogging options can be used for just about any device in the Nintendo family, including Nintendo DS and the Wii.

Noteworthy Nintendo News
List some little known, funny or outrageous facts about the history of Nintendo and/or its fans and their behavior over the years.

Nintendo Novelette
Make the gaming console a theme for your entire string of 26 posts and write a novelette, making each letter in the alphabet a different chapter of a story -- a heroic story about a suicidal Nintendo fanatic or a fantasy young adult fare about two teenage co-workers at a Nintendo store or a mysterious story that takes place at a Nintendo convention...there are numerous possibilities for a story surrounding Nintendo gaming.

So there you have it! -- Nintendo remixed for your Blogging from A to Z Challenging pleasure!

Now, the WINNER of the "Naming Names" Alphabet Soup game is...

Caitlin at Happy Hootenanny

Caitlin correctly unscrambled all five movie character names that start with Letter N, so she now succeeds Marta Szemik for the title of ALPHABET WIZARD. Caitlin's prize package also includes the choice of the letter for the next Alphabet Soup game and the option to select a topic for a future Monday Movie Meme on my blog. Congratulations to Caitlin!

Here are the answers to the Naming Names themed Alphabet Soup game.
1. iobrNt is Norbit. (from the comedy movie titled "Norbit" starring Eddie Murphy)
2. iNkyc is Nicky. (from the comedy titled "Little Nicky" starring Adam Sandler)
3. aoNl is Nola. (from the drama titled "She's Gotta Have It" starring Tracy Camilla Johns)
4. Nnia is Nina. (from the drama titled "Love Jones" starring Nia Long)
5. eoNm is Nemo. (from the animated film titled "Finding Nemo" starring Alexander Gould)

Happy Friday Everybody!

Sign up for the Monday Movie Meme, a weekly group blogging series that inspires discussion about entertainment in a whole new light and provides recommendations for your DVD, on-demand or theater fix. New topics are posted every Monday at The Madlab Post!
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NICOLE 
@MadlabPost on Twitter

Books by Some of Our Author-friends #goodreads

 Authors help authors-- that's the way it works amongst writers and bloggers. In that spirit, here's my second post in the series of books by indie-author friends (first post here): some are books I came across, others have been recommended for mention.

 I'm adding only one link, but you can click through to the author sites for more options and also more books they've written. I've added a bit about each book, so if you see what you like, go buy it!

If you're an author-friend, or a reader who loved a recent download, leave a comment with the link to the book.

So here it goes, in no particular order: 

Shannon Grissom:  Monkey Made of Sockies

Want to smile? Want to giggle? Are you ready to return to your childhood? All you have to do is pick up a copy of Monkey Made of Sockies.  As soon as you see the smile on the monkey’s face, you’ll gain a smile of your own.  Each turn of the page describes why Monkey Made of Sockies is the favored toy at Grammy’s house.  The vibrant illustrations and lyrical text make reading his book a truly enjoyable experience.





                                                          Jacqueline Stone: Rising from Ashes

Living in the shadow of abuse is a dark and frightening experience that limits every area of life. This book is an invitation to come out of the shadows and into the light of Love, to heal your heart and learn to love yourself. It empowers the reader with tools for self-awareness and healing processes to become a joyful co-creator. If you're ready to heal your heart and finally know what it is to be happy, get this book.

Allan Douglas: Writing for Profit or Pleasure

Writing for Profit or Pleasure; Where to Publish Your Work, is 146 pages (paperback version), 30,000 words of concise, insightful information about where and how a writer can achieve publication of their writings. Whether you write for income or for the joy of it, whether you aspire to write on-line or for print, this book has a wealth of information to help you find and secure publication.




Joe Bunting: Let's Write a Short Story!

An eBook about the process of writing and publishing short stories. The book will guide you through the process of researching publications, writing your story, editing, and submitting your work to literary magazines. It's also a primer in how to make a career in fiction writing. If you've ever wanted to be a writer, this book will help get you started.

• Why all the great writers started with short stories, and why you should, too.
• How to build a fiction platform with short stories rather than just another blog.
• How short stories are structured differently than novels. 
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This post is brought to you by Damyanti@Amlokiblogs

Ask Me First! : Guest Post from D.G. Hudson

         D.G. Hudson joined the A to Z Challenge in 2012 with her wonderful posts about Paris from A to Z.  She caught my attention recently when she did a post that linked back to my memoir blog Wrote By Rote.   I asked her to share something with the readers of my blog and she happily consented.   I thought I'd share this post on the A to Z Blog for those of you who missed it on my memoir blog.   Be sure to check out Wrote By Rote--this blog publishes each Saturday.  And don't forget to stop by D.G. Hudson--21st Century Women and say hello and take a look at what she does. 


Ask Me First!

Thanks, Lee and Tina for allowing me to write about an aspect of documenting one's family history that may not occur to many parents.  I'm referring to a child's right to say yea or nay about his 'stuff', some of which may become his own future collectibles.

At NASA, they collect Rockets for a Space Garden (Photo by D.G. Hudson)

             At NASA, they collect Rockets for a Space Garden (Photo by D.G. Hudson) 



Does your child have a collection which he treasures? Regardless of how age inappropriate it may seem, don't give away those items without his permission. Let the owner of that object decide its fate, perhaps after beginning elementary school.  The concept of ownership has to be understood.

A child's collectibles can be driftwood, badges, favourite books, games, train sets or a special comfort toy. Doll collections, action figures, signed toys, a favourite teddy bear, all are reminders of our past. On the serious side are collections of coins, stamps, sports cards, or sports paraphanalia. If an item has heritage significance to the child, such as a gift from a doting relative, ensure the child is aware of the value and background. Some early collections may turn into a main interest in a person's adult life or perhaps influence a career choice. Don't stifle that urge to hold onto a moment, nurture it.

Have a keep and a recycle box, just like in Toy Story, and let your kids decide what is to be given away. Don't get the boxes mixed up, and never keep collectibles in a garbage bag. It might end up at the curb (just like in the movie). Always keep collections clearly marked in boxes or bins, protected from dust and damage.

Kids may become more involved in the winnowing process, if they are going to be selling the toys that are no longer wanted. Recycling toys at a kids' swap meet with your child is a great way to teach several lessons at once. Packaging the items that are small in ziplock bags keeps them clean, and teaches little ones how to display the items, determining prices for the objects teaches value, handling small sales (with supervision) for the younger ones, and helping sort money promotes a basic understanding of our money system. Don't forget to have a 'float' of small bills and change and be prepared to bargain (older kids can do this). The trick at swap meets is to let the kids keep the money they make or agree to share the profits.

This post originated with the idea that a child should have the right to decide what's important in their 'stuff' and not have it given away as if it's communal property. I've heard my hub's sad tale of loss of a collectible electric train set and hardcover comic books which he had slowly acquired. He was never asked, when these items were given to children of his parents' friends. His regret at losing the early collections spurred him to start anew.

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Think of your own childhood toys or items like chairs, cradles, wagons? Do you still have any of them?  Have you ever been to a kids swap meet or had your own toy yard sale?

What did you collect as a child?  Do you collect anything now? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

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Related posts from DG Hudson's blog:

Time for Retrospect August 2012

Tips on saving and sorting those boxes of memories, and a 'Memory Quilt' overview, a free-style version.

http://dghudson.blogspot.ca/2012/08/time-for-retrospect.html

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It's Your Life - Prove It February 2011

Keeping family records and stories alive, collecting that information, and protecting your history for your descendants.

http://dghudson.blogspot.ca/2011/02/its-your-life-prove-it.html

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J.L. Campbell -- Guest post Distracted Book Tour

        You've undoubtedly been seeing a lot of this lovely lady around the blogs and now this A to Z alumnus is here on our blog.   You've still got a chance to enter her contest and obtain a free book download.  And now I present to you J.L. Campbell.

I’ve done the A-Z Challenge now for two years and both times, I felt like the Little Engine That Could, “I think I can, I think I can…” Each time, the Challenge helped me do more than I thought I could in 26 days. By extension, some of the blog hops and challenges we participate in as a community help us organize and structure our work. For example, some pieces of flash fiction I’ve written for the Romantic Friday Writers will eventually go into a novel.

Distraction started life as my 2008 National Novel Writing Month project. The story is one of those that came as a gift and didn’t take long to complete.  In Distraction, Dionne, Kyra and Justine face a range of problems, however, with each other’s support they get though some difficult times.

I believe the organizers of the A-Z Challenge have come up with something that resembles the relationship these women share. The team hasn’t stopped at a post-event write up, but continued this blog; a home base and support system for those who participated and a hub to encourage new people to check out the A-Z. I see this effort as a touchstone for what can be achieved when we are disciplined, determined and resilient. Plus, the A-Z Challenge has been a great way to nurture new friendships.

My vision of friendship is encompassed in Distraction and I’d like to share that with you, along with some things Jamaican. In A Baker’s Dozen: Thirteen Steps to Distraction, you’ll see Dionne, Kyra and Justine where they were a year before the start of Distraction. The book is a free download during the run of the tour.

Leave a comment here and you’ll be entered to win an e-copy of Distraction. At the end of the Friendship-is-Forever tour, I’ll be giving away a main prize of a Distraction note pad & pen and a $10 Amazon gift card. The second prize is a paperback copy of Distraction. Enter on the Rafflecopter here.

Thanks to the A-Z Challenge Team for having me. You guys rock!

J.L. Campbell on Amazon

J.L. Campbell on Facebook

J.L. Campbell on Goodreads

J.L. Campbell on Twitter

J.L. Campbell is a proud Jamaican and the author of Contraband, Distraction, Dissolution, Don’t Get Mad…Get Even, Giving up the Dream and Hardware (pen name Jayda McTyson). Campbell is always on the lookout for story making material, loves company and can usually be found lollygagging on her blog at http://thecharacterdepot. blogspot.com

Related articles

• Don't Get Distracted, Get Distraction: Hijacking by J. L. Campbell
• Contest & Distraction with J.L. Campbell

Winner of Oracle!

Oracle winner!

There were 27 comments.

Random.org picked 15.

That means that Lynn Proctor is our lucky winner!

Please email me at tndowney (at) gmail (dot) com and let me know what format you’d like your book in, as well as contact info.

Congrats!

Thanks to all who hung out with J.C again.  We appreciate you!

Tina