The A to Z Challenge was born on March 27, 2010 when a blogger known as Dee the Red Headed Stepchild wanted to celebrate getting her 200th follower and proposed the idea as a celebration and challenge to herself. She also challenged others to join her.
The concept is pretty simple. Participants write a post every day in the month of April except for Sundays. This leaves 26 days to be filled; the same number as the letters of the alphabet. Each day's posted will be inspired by the letter for the day.
This year April 1 falls on a Monday, so April 1 will be A is for __________.
April 2 will be B is for __________.
We continue to do this every day (except Sundays) until we hit Z is for __________ on April 30.
I already have most of my posts planned out and a few of them even pre-written.
A - Allergies (Sounds exciting doesn't, it)
B - Bird (It's not really about a bird, but you will understand the tie-in when you read it.
D - Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA - There's some exciting new stuff out there)
P - Picnic Table (I will finally tell the story about my worst stunt-induced injury)
Z - Zoo (This one has already been written and it's a little pornographic)
Why would someone want to do this?
- It is great practice for working on your writing. There is a lot of advice for writers out there, but one of the most common ones is to just write. Write every day. This helps with your creativity and helps you develop the habit of writing.
It gives your writing some great exposure. Part of the challenge involves visiting the other participant's blogs. All the people that have signed up for this are listed on the A to Z website. I have already received close to a hundred extra people just since signing up. Once it actually starts, I will get tons of new traffic.
YES!!! - You are introduced to hundreds of new writers. Most of the writers aren't really new, they are just new to you. I have been working my way through the list by visiting 15 to 20 new blogs a day, so I don't have to do them all in one month. I have become a subscriber to several of them.
- It's fun. I have participated in a few different writing challenges and I have never regretted it. I always have a great time and love the pressure of the challenge. This one has a special twist to it, so I expect it to be even better.
If you are one of the people joining in, good luck to you. I expect that this will be an exciting month. If you are a blogger and are unfamiliar with this, check out the site for more information. If you are not a blogger, but are one of my regular readers, enjoy the ride. I hope to put out some quality content. I am already planning my posts and have completed writing several of them. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.
Sounds like fun, but I'd probably only make it a few days and then forget. That's how my brain works. Oh wait, that's my age talking here.
ReplyDeleteLet me give it some thought. It does sounds like a fun thing to do.
Have a terrific day. ☺
That was my thought last year and the very idea of it really intimidated me, but I decided to tackle it this year.
DeleteHonestly, it sounds overwhelming and exhausting. But good for you for giving it a go! My problem would be that, even with the letter prompt, I would have trouble coming up with interesting ideas. Curious to see what you come up with, though.
ReplyDeleteI was worried about topics also. I started picking the topics about a month ago to ensure I didn't have to think of them that day. I only have 5 letters that I haven't come up with a topic for yet.
DeleteAnd when I have some free time, I even go ahead and write one of the posts. My plan was to jhave them all pre-written before April got here, but that isn't going to happen.
I have the up most respect for anyone that can pull this off. It was already running when I discovered it last year and considered doing it at that time. I think I could come up with the topics, finding the time to write about them is the hard part.
ReplyDeleteI'll be cheering you on from the sidelines. I can't wait to see what you bring.
Thanks. Two of the posts I have written for it I am pretty proud of. Of course, I never know how they will be received until they are out there.
DeleteWow your good to already have your posts planned!
ReplyDeleteI was really worried that if I didn't, I wouldn't complete the challenge.
DeleteI did it last year and there were only 1200 total looks like that will at least double.
ReplyDeleteIt's starting to look like I will never make my way through them all.
DeleteHere you go again! You are great at these challenges! I am going to pass this time, work is too stressful right now, but I'll enjoy reading your posts!
ReplyDeleteThank you. I have had a lot of fun with them in the past and am really looking forward to this one.
DeleteOoh, now I'm getting nervous. Just hope that I can keep my sanity this year. :)
ReplyDeleteWe need to start a A to Z support group.
DeleteCongratulations on accepting the challenge. I look forward to your posts.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I did the NaBloPoMo last November and had fun with it, so I thought I should give it a shot.
DeleteLast summer, I started a list of things I'd write about on this challenge. Then my writing slowed down due to lack of privacy. Since I'll be in my own place before April, I MAY attempt it. We shall see.
ReplyDeleteEven though I write every day because of my job, that's not the same.
That would be awesome. I hope you do.
DeleteGood for you! You've got a plan. I'm in big trouble because I still don't have a theme. Yikes!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stoppin' by my blog. I'll be sure to look out for your AZs ..but I might have to brace myself for your Z. ;)
I tried for weeks to come up with a theme and just could never do it. My topics are all over the place, but so is my entire blog, so it guess it's okay.
DeleteThis will be my third year participating and like you I am pre-scheduling my posts. Today I finished N for nanotechnology :)
ReplyDeleteNice to meet you and thanks for stopping by!
Ooh. Technical post. My DNA post gets pretty technical. I just read about a scientific advancement that is pretty intriguing and decided to dive into it.
DeleteSounds like fun! Can't wait to hear your letter P story.
ReplyDeleteI have a series of posts about failed stuntman attempts and have alluded to this one a few times. It's time to tell the story.
Deletei'm psyched for you to participate in anything that has you posting more often, but i am inordiantely excited to read your picnic table story because your madcap adventures and those of your friends and brothers are highlights of my blog reading, and i've been waiting for that one in particular ;)
ReplyDeleteGood. I will try to do it up right. I've been teasing with this story for long enough.
DeleteI'm almost all ready. Have A-X loaded. Need to pretty X up. I know what I"m doing for Y, am still stumped for Z. This will be my 3rd year doing AtoZ.
ReplyDeleteA-X done already. Wow! My Z was the first one I wrote. Next came A. Then I had to start filling in the middle. I had planned on being way ahead at this point, but it didn't happen. I need to get busy.
DeleteI look forward to being less productive at work for the up coming 26 days.
ReplyDeleteGood luck
It should be an interesting month.
DeleteIf I hadn't already signed up for it, this post would have convinced me of it. I'm excited for it but I am not nearly as prepared as you are. I don't have anything planned or pre-written and I haven't been to any other blogs yet. I plan on starting sometime next week, after we move, but I'm starting to realize I should have started as soon as I signed up.
ReplyDeleteIt's up to 1,089 now. It may hit 1,500 before the 1st gets here. That would be 50 a day if we are to hit them all. I don't think I'll make it.
DeleteLooking forward to the challenge!
ReplyDeleteYou are so awesome and supportive. I'll have to get my internet up and running.
ReplyDeleteI am counting down the days. Of course, I don't know exactly what day it will happen, so I have to get creative with the math.
DeleteStopping by from A to Z. My second year taking on the challenge, successfully completed last year and it was a blast! So far I mostly have a lot of notes, but hoping to pull them together here soon. I'm fortunate that my blog has a theme to it already since it's part of an a cappella ezine. Good luck to you!
ReplyDelete~Sara~
Thank you. I am ready for it to get started.
DeleteHello. Just thought I'd stop by to give you a wave *wave* and wish you luck for this challenge. Good to see that you've planned out some of your posts. I'm a bit jealous though, as I'm having trouble with Z. At least I've still got a bit of time to think about it!
ReplyDeleteThank you. This is the week than I plan to get much of the writing done for it. My goal is to have EVERY post written before April gets here.
Delete