I know that some of you are ready because you've told me. Others of you may be thinking about it and I'm hoping that today's post will get you to thinking a bit harder about it. And then some of you may be thinking, "What's a Blogging From A to Z Challenge anyway?"
This challenge started last year to celebrate my reaching the 200 follower mark. I had no idea that it would take off as well as it did in the short lead time I had in 2010. Nearly 100 bloggers participated last year with many more keeping up with the progress. In the end most of the participants were very satisfied with having been a part of the challenge.
How does the Challenge work?
The premise of the Blogging From A to Z April Challenge is to post something on your blog every day in April except for Sundays. In doing this you will have 26 blog posts--one for each letter of the alphabet. Each day you will theme your post according to a letter of the alphabet.
You will only be limited by your own imagination in this challenge. There is an unlimited universe of possibilities. You can post essays, short pieces of fiction, poetry, recipes, travel sketches, or anything else you would like to write about. You don't have to be a writer to do this. You can post photos, including samples of your own art or craftwork. Everyone who blogs can post from A to Z.
How can this Challenge help you?
Ask someone who did it last year. I invite any of you who Blogged From A to Z in April 2010 to leave a comment below telling how the challenge helped you as a blogger and otherwise. Some of the benefits that I have seen mentioned and personally experienced were improvement as a blogger and a writer, greater self-discipline, finding new blog friends, and increasing followers to each of our own blogs.
This year the Challenge is being announced two months ahead of time which gives everyone plenty of time to prepare. Taking this in into consideration I anticipate having at least 300 bloggers joining in with us and I hope you are one of them.
And here's the best news of all!
Last year was nearly overwhelming for me to administrate the ongoing challenge by myself. There is no way I can expand this Challenge to 300 or more participants and expect to do it alone. That is why I've joined up with three of the most successful bloggers and blog event organizers that I know.
Just in case you don't know these great bloggers and writers, let me introduce them to you:
Star blogger Alex J. Cavanaugh, author of the popular science fiction novel CassaStar. We met in last year's A to Z and he'll swear by the Challenge. He's already organized events such as the Movie Dirty Dozen, The Top Ten TV Shows Blogfest, and the current Top Ten Music Countdown-- each one of these an unqualified success. Alex is determined to see A to Z go to 500 participants and with him on board I think we can do it.
Power-blogger Jen Daiker from Unedited jumped right into blogging last April by joining up in the A to Z Challenge. In her short span of blogging she has amazingly passed the 1000 follower mark--I still am flabbergasted by that feat. Blog events she has hosted or co-hosted are the Guess That Character Fest, The Great Blogging Experiment (with Alex Cavanaugh and Elana Johnson), and The Be Jolly By Golly Blogfest. If only all 1059 of her followers blogged from A to Z with us!
Talli Roland from her self-named blog and the author of The Hating Game , her recent novel which is still doing hot business. When Talli did her Web Splash to coincide with the release of The Hating Game, there were hundreds of fans who helped kick off the campaign with their own blogs. She'll be in charge of our international affairs since she currently lives in London, England. And Jen is already building her army of followers while Alex is taking control of CassaStar and the universe--it's a busy crew here.
And if you're a regular reader of my blog then you probably know something about me, Arlee Bird--there's plenty written about me in my blog pages. I encourage you to click on the above links to three blogs and give your greeting and, if not one already, become a follower of each of their blogs.
Whenever you are ready to join up with us, sign up on the Linky list or if you're not sure how to do that let one of us know and we'll add your blog to our list.
Linky list is no longer accessible on this page.
Below is a badge you can add to your blog to help advertise to your readers. If you give us a plug on your own blogs now and then we wouldn't mind that either. This lovely badge was created by Jennifer Daiker.
Now let's hear about your A to Z experiences, opinions, or questions. Help us make this a big success and you become a better blogger.
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I just discovered this challenge too over at The Daily Grind. I'm going to play catch up this afternoon, glad I found it before it's any later in the month. I'll be back to add my link! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm number 483....and my link isn't working? Any suggestions. Lee?
ReplyDeleteI love this idea. I signed up yesterday but I don't see my link. Any idea how long it takes to get added? I'll be adding links to my own blogroll so hit me up if you'd like to be included.
ReplyDeleteI love this idea. I signed up yesterday but I don't see my link in the list. Any idea how long it takes to be added?
ReplyDeleteWell, since I only started my first ever blog last month (The Frustrated Foodie), I'm fairly new to the entire concept. In order to keep myself focused on posting daily, I signed up for your challenge. But, I couldn't remember which day off we were to take. That's when I learned that I had already lost the challenge! Theme each daily post to the letters of the alphabet - FAIL! I totally forgot that part of it. I'm only two days into it and I blew it both times. No...wait....yesterday's post was about planting rose and lilac bushes. BUSHES!! B!! Maybe I pulled that one out. But, the other one? The Mexican Casserole Experiment isn't something I can pull an "A" topic from, other than the asparagus I cooked with it, and that wasn't the topic. Still - now that I see what I should have done, I'm going to set up drafts for each remaining challenge day and temp title them "C Theme", "D Theme", etc. Knowing me, I'll forget what I'm talking about with my clues. LOL
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to say thanks for inspiring me to start blogging.
ReplyDeleteTechnically, you inspired <a href="http://wistfulgirl.blogspot.com" target="_blank>my wife</a> to accept the A-to-Z challenge, and I found that challenge sufficiently interesting to start blogging so I could take it up too.
But that's just splitting hairs. Thanks, anyway, and good luck, everybody!
Hi all,
ReplyDelete#126 needs a g added to the link their link:
http://clancytales.blospot.com/
I know I joined this thing when it started and I'm meeting people, but I can't find my link? So here's my Letter C
ReplyDeletehttp://rockinchairreflections.blogspot.com/2011/04/is-for-angel-absurd-and-a-z-blogging.html
It's a FREE e-book on Christmas on a $15 Budget.
I must have missed something here.
Come visit when you can at:
http://www.mainstreamsolarcooking.com
http://rockingchairreflections.blogspot.com (A-Z)
oh i can't sign up i'm sad now :(
ReplyDeleteOkay, you got me, I'm joining for this month, and see how it goes. I'm trying to get a little more consistent with my writing, thanks for the challenge
ReplyDeleteI think I'll try this. I'm Blabbin' Grammy's daughter in Texas. You guys have been good for my Mom...Blogging has been a connection for her while Dub was ill, and then as he passed home to the Lord, and now as she adjusts to Texas. Thanks for all you guys do to encourage her!
ReplyDeleteI am your newest follower and I would love to do the A-Z challenge! I will be obviously, getting a late start, but plan to do them and get all caught up!
ReplyDeleteVanessa@Dilly Dally
http://daily-dilly.blogspot.com
This challenge has been great for me to pick up followers and to find blogs! I'm trying every day to go to at least 100 blog links. Not sure I'm going to make it through all 1200+ by the end of the month though!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for doing this!
gigglelaughcry.blogspot.com
Is it too late to join the A-Z challenge? It looks like the linky list thing is closed or maybe I just can't figure it out, which is entirely possible! I'd like to join, my blog is:
ReplyDeleteThe Voices Within Unleashed at:
http://upinthecosmos.blogspot.com/
My blog was #729...but it seems to have gotten bumped off the list. Is it too late to be added? The blog is Fit Mama Drama at http://www.fitnessnowstephanie.com
ReplyDeleteThis is such a cool challenge. I'd like to join you in 2012. How can I make that happen?
ReplyDeleteI'm coming late to this, but I'll be starting up my Blogging A to Z on Monday, April 11.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.lisahartjes.com
Well done all of you for taking up the 'A to Z Challenge'.
ReplyDeleteNice to know you are familiarising yourselves with the alphabet.
Good luck and have fun.
Personally, I'd rather stick to doing my own thing and thus have an alternative posting on my shy and humble site.
With respect and kind wishes, Gary aka klahanie :)
I got through the first week and haven't fallen down on the Challenge yet!
ReplyDeleteYay me!
(And I've visited numerous cool blogs as a result of the "Surprise Me" widget!)
I started this late so I wasn't around to make it to the linky list. :( I have been posting my a-z's daily and I love doing this! I look forward to this every day! I have visited many, many of the links finding and following a great deal of great pages! But i must vent by saying that I find it incredibly frustrating that so many people have linked to this and have not participated! There are so many people that ARE participating and didn't make the linky list and then there are people who linked up only to have hits on their page or for new followers. I wish some people would use common blogging courtesy. (sigh)
ReplyDeleteVanessa
Dilly Dally
http://daily-dilly.blogspot.com
I was looking through my blog search today and kept running into the A-Z challenge, I just had to figure out what it was all about! I'm sorry I bumped into it too late to start but I'll definitely join in next year, it seems like a great way to get my new blog up and running with some excellent content.
ReplyDeleteAs an added bonus to sating my curiosity I found your blog, and several others, to add to my follow list! Thanks!!!
It's April 8th, is it too late to get in on the fun? I'd really like to do this. Maybe I'll just double up my posts to catch up! Don't know if there are rules in play against late starts but if so, please let me know!
ReplyDeleteGreat idea!
Thanks!
this is such a great idea! i'm going to jump in late-which is such a bummer-but oh well! :)
ReplyDeleteI am 11 days too late!!may be next year i will be on!
ReplyDeleteI am 11 days too late! Nay be next year :(
ReplyDeleteThanks again! This is already helping me in a wide variety of ways!
ReplyDeleteI am really, really, late, but decided to unofficially join this challenge. I will be making 2 posts a day to make the challenge by the end of the month.
ReplyDeletehttp://nfahm.blogspot.com/2011/04/homeschool-blogging-to-z-intro-arts.html
Oh it's halfway of the month already. Too late discovering this.
ReplyDeleteHhhmmm... I'll be joining next year... hehe
I'll be early then.
Good luck to all of you bloggers.
Cheers.
so much fun!! :)
ReplyDeleteAh darn it, I'm too late :( Would it be okay if I did it through June instead? I don't really want to wait 'til next year!
ReplyDeleteUgh! I recently just found out about the Challenge. Too late?
ReplyDeleteSorry for not keeping up with the later comments on this post, but I was caught in the rest of the posts.
ReplyDeleteThose who missed this year's Challenge will hopefully be back for next year. If you have anything you'd like to say about the Challenge you can still join us on Monday May 2nd in our Reflections post.
Hope you join us in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge Reflections Mega Post on Monday May 2nd.
Lee
Can't wait to sign up my blogs next year! I blog at My Cult Life (www.mycultlife.com) about recovering from being in a cult and some smarta*s comments about religion and about writing at www.thelisakerr.com.
ReplyDeleteLisa Kerr
So at around U, I started to realize how close to finished we were, and got excited. Then after W, I realized it was only 3 posts until it was all over, and got a little sad cause I've been having so much fun. Now, as I sit here and contemplate Y, I'm finding that I think I'll be relieved when we're done!
ReplyDeleteMixed emotions anyone??
Wouldn't you know I would find this NOW on the last days of the month. Well, I suppose there is always next year!
ReplyDeletePeace...Naila Moon
http://onegreatbigmashuganaworld.blogspot.com/
I big THANK YOU to all the hosts - the challenge was great fun! :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you for such an amazing experience. I loved every minute of the A to Z challenge. :)
ReplyDeleteThis A-Z blog posting was a lot of fun. A special thank you to you, Marie Anne and others that kicked it off and shared the word.
ReplyDeleteHello All,
ReplyDeleteI met so many new people via this challenge, and I was so impressed at the number of people who blog! I had no idea!
I seem to have gravitated mostly toward blogs that AREN'T about anything specific... That is, just general blogs.
I realize this doesn't apply to everyone here, but I found so many great general blogs out of this pool of folks, that I thought I'd share this here. I recently made started a list of "General Bloggers" and created a badge to go with it! If you blog about whatever you happened to be thinking about and you're interested in getting on the list, you can read about it and find the code here!
Thanks again for a great time, and looking forward to doing it all again next year! :)
Ditto! I came here to tell you that too. Blog has disappeared ... :-/
ReplyDeleteHi. I would like to join this AtoZ Challenge. The link you had posted doesnt seem to be working. Can you let me know any other way of signing up for this?
ReplyDeleteBrammA -- Here is this year's link:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/p/a-to-z-challenge-sign-uplist-2014.html
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ReplyDelete