Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Reflections of a Novice A to Z ' er





A to Z Blog Challenge 2012


First, thanks to the A to Z Team for the 2012 Blog Challenge! That’s all of the Co-Hosts listed on the A to Z Challenge page (Arlee, Alex, Stephen, Matthew, Jeremy, Tina, Jenny, D.L., Shannon, Elizabeth, Damyanti, Karen, and Konstanz.)


Special Thanks to Arlee (Lee) from Tossing it Out for initiating a fun event for writers to get to know other bloggers.   It's a trade show for blogs.


This was a month in which I forced myself to stick to deadlines and produce a mini-series of posts. My theme was Paris, Etc. - Art, Film, Places and People in France.

2012 was my first time participating in the A to Z Challenge. I considered it a project. I enjoyed the research of the topics, and I hope I introduced you to some things you didn’t know about the city of Paris, and stirred the memories of those of you who have been there.


The A to Z Blog Challenge works well, when the list of participants is monitored. My follower count grew and so did my comment count, for which I’m pleased. Some days I visited more of the blogs than others, but I’m not finished visiting yet.


What worked - for me:

  • Word Verification disabled.  Comment approval ok.
  • Blogs with an ‘About’ page
  • Calm blogs, with less animation.
  • Interesting titles
  • Photos to enhance subject post


What caused problems - for me:

  • Word Verification
  • Blogger
  • Bogus blogs, with no mention of A to Z, using the list as a lure.

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Tips From a First-timer:
  • Print the calendar month of April or use a monthly calendar page to plot out the letter for each day, allowing for 'rest' Sundays. 
  • Do advance research, if required.
  • Schedule posts.
  • Respond to those who make the effort to stop by your blog. 
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Did you learn something about yourself and your writing via the A to Z Challenge?  Do you think it was worth the effort?  Have you claimed your survivor badge?  Please share your thoughts in the comments.

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