Monday, May 3, 2010

Reflections on the A to Z Challenge

When Arlee Bird asked me to participate in the A to Z blog challenge for the month of April, I was dubious at first. I was just about to complete my first full month of blogging every weekday and was overwhelmed by the idea of adding an extra day a week to blogging. But I said yes and I'm glad I did.

Over the month, I talked about a lot of different things. My blog posts are almost always off the cuff, and it was fun (if not sometimes harrowing) to figure out what I would write about each day. I talked about writing techniques and concepts, like auditory detail and found stories. I shared how I tempt my muse into my writing room. I also talked a lot about encouragement and not giving up, namely here, here, and here.

I wrote some fun and silly entries... like what I'd rather be doing than working my regular day job, built-in writing x-ray specs, and Darth Disco. I shared personal stories about my family, my town, and myself. I gave you guys an album review.

I talked a lot about the WIP, my first novel, which is nearing completion... how I'm plotting the murder of one of my characters, and how the book is going in general. And I shared a victory with my blog friends when I learned my story "Out of the Blue" is getting published by moonShine Review.

My favorite post for the month, though, was my entry on Lycanthropy Awareness. It was a lot of fun to write and everyone really seemed to enjoy reading a little snippet of horror, especially with the philosophical aspect offered at the end. I'm pretty proud of that one.

I did miss three entries during the month - R, Y and Z - the first because of a road trip, the other two for personal reasons which kept me from the internet. I wish I could've done every letter, but I'm very proud of my accomplishment. I had a great time with this project and would definitely participate in another blog challenge... although one which asks me to post six days a week I might re-think. By the end of the month I was pretty darn burned out.

I also had a great time reading everyone else's entries. Thanks, Lee, for hosting this challenge and asking me and everyone else to participate. It brought us all a little closer together and helped us learn more about each other, and that's an invaluable experience.

20 comments:

Jessica Bell said...

You were an awesome challenger :) I really enjoyed your blog. Although I didn't quite manage to get to you every day, the one's I did get to were fantastic. I'm so glad we've come in contact. I'll see you round in cybespace! ;)

Arlee Bird said...

I never had any doubts about your abilities -- always have said you were a prolific blogger before I even knew what I know now about you. You did a wonderful job and your skillfulness of writing off the cuff merely attests to your professionalism as a writer. Thanks for staying with us and building up you fan base. Now I guess you have a novel to focus on!
I do hope you'll join us with you 15 favorite albums on May 17th. I'll put up a linky list in a few days.

Lee
Tossing It Out

Kierah Jane Reilly said...

B, I loved all your posts! You never ceased to entertain and teach at the same time :)

Carolina M. Valdez Schneider said...

That is a serious accomplishment! I don't think I ever could do it. I struggle just to blog once or twice a week most weeks. It's amazing, though, what you can accomplish just by making the commitment. Well done!

About Me said...

I'm with Carolina. I struggle to blog once a week because it's so darn time consuming for me. Don't fret over missing three days of the challenge. :)

Beth Zimmerman said...

B ~ You did GREAT! I enjoyed getting to know you even if sometimes I didn't know what on earth you were talking about! :)

Anne Gallagher said...

You did great! It was a lot of fun keeping up. I especially loved your Darth Disco post.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I certainly enjoyed your posts last month!

Hannah said...

I loved all your posts! I may not have commented on all of them but I did read the all. :)

Mel Chesley said...

Weee!! I'm so glad you finished too! I'm trying to hop around to everyone's blog and comment a congrats. :D

B. You're the Bomb Diggity! I'm glad I found your blog through this challenge. I adore everyone I've met so far. ;)

Theresa Milstein said...

I enjoyed X-Ray Specs!

Dawn Ius said...

Thanks for the links to previous posts. I'm a new follower and love your recent posts. Now that I have some time, I can scroll through some of your favorites. Sounds like the challenge was a lot of fun. Good job for rising to it!

Anonymous said...

Great job. I hope your celebrating!
I didn't catch all your entries but really enjoyed the ones I did. I hope to come back and read the others soon.

Lisa said...

Congratulations on a great finish! :O)

Unknown said...

I enjoyed the challenge and I enjoyed reading yours as part of the challenge, I too missed a few A,B,C but that's because I started late!!! Overall you did wonderful!

Anonymous said...

Congrats on finishing the challenge. You did a great job :o)

Rebecca T. said...

I enjoyed your posts, though I didn't make it over here as often as I would have liked. Thanks for all of your wonderful comments on my blog. Glad to have found you through this challenge.

Hart Johnson said...

I think you did a fantastic job this month--your posts were always thoughtful (even the humorous ones) and I love your thoughts on your novel and hearing about how you process.

We writers are an odd bunch, so it is nice to really connect with people who GET US. (Did you make your 100K by May?)

Ella said...

I am happy you were part of it; You have a gift, your words just flow on the page! I learned a lot reading your post. It was a great challenge; Thanks for your comments, they encouraged me to continue. We all could try to write a book after the event, our struggles, what we endured, roadblocks,highlights, etc. It was a curve road, but I'm glad you crossed the finish line with us!

Congrats on your success, so far...I think you've only just begun!

Grammy said...

Hi, I'm glad I "met" you and look forward to reading more of your posts. I really enjoyed the x-ray specs, too.
Best wishes to you, friend.
Ruby