When my lovely friend and fellow blogger Rosie Amber suggested I take part in the A to Z Challenge I didn’t really know what to expect. Yes, I knew I’d be posting every day except Sundays in April, and I had an idea for a theme – writing and editing tips – but I had no idea how interesting and valuable an experience it would be.
I started off the way I always do – incredibly efficient and well-organised (to begin with). I had ten posts ready to go before the challenge actually started – all scheduled so that all I had to do was hit publish. This, however, lulled me into a false sense of security and by the time I’d reached letter ‘M’ I was writing posts the day they were due. So much for being well-organised!
The best thing about the challenge was making contact with other bloggers – bloggers and blogs mostly concerned with writing, but in a variety of genres and with a variety of interests and insights to share. These are recommended:
https://saylingaway.wordpress.com/
and of course
https://rosieamber.wordpress.com/
The trickiest thing was navigating blogs other than those on WordPress – it was irritating reading and appreciating a blog post and taking the time to add a comment only to have to jump through hoops to get the comment published. Not the bloggers fault of course, but a bit of a shame as sometimes I just gave up!
Another minor irritation was the amount of blogs listed that actually weren’t taking part. I’m pushed for time and the challenge was a big commitment. It was annoying to click on link after link to find no mention of the challenge or to read about theme reveal that looked really interesting only to find that the blogger had decided not to take part. Having said that, with the amount of blogs listed, I can understand that it would be extremely difficult and time consuming to remove these blogs from the list.
That said, I did thoroughly enjoy the challenge. I made lots of new blogging friends and had a big increase in visits to the site. And I’ll definitely take part next year. Although I’ll try and stay organised this time!
SO glad you made it, it really is a great challenge to be a part of. Thanks for the shout out.
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You’re welcome 🙂
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It is because of the challenge that I follow your blog. I agree whole heartedly about the irritation over the difficulty to communicate with a comment or a like. I simply walked away never to return. A real shame after all the work it takes to post. Not as nice a person as you, I did feel affronted by the blogger whose site was too hard to navigate. (See my reflection.) I love the challenge and once again learned not only new information, but what makes a good blog and what doesn’t. Yours for instance…uncluttered, easy to READ with clarity. No time for less than that. Glad you participated and enjoyed. Me too!
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Thank you so much – feedback like that is so lovely and helpful to have 🙂
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That’s how I found you – through A to Z.
I agree with your points. I visited many that never did participate.
Met many fascinating bloggers this year though.
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And I found your blogs too! It’s a great way to meet other bloggers.
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Totally agree with your viewpoint and other comments Alison. I was having a writing week (away from the day job) when your A-Z started and it helped me no end – so big thank you and thanks for highlighting other bloggers I shall check them out too. Also, meeting other writers is great, how else can we support each other?
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Thanks so much Adrienne – it’s lovely to know that you found my posts helpful.
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I had no intention of visiting anyone taking part in this challenge, as I struggle to keep up with those I follow as it is, but I found your entires so interesting and valuable, that I really enjoyed the daily visit – and the enterprise of finding a relevant topic for the letter.
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Thank you so much Hilary – it really means a lot 🙂
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Your posts were really valuable, Alison. Even on the days I was pressed for time I tried to make it to your site. I plan on reading the ones I missed out too. Thank you so much for the shout-out. Appreciate it. 🙂
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Thank you – that’s lovely to know 🙂
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Just now getting around to visiting the blogs in the challenge. April was a busy month for me. Congrats on completing the A to Z Challenge! Looking forward to next year! See you on the Road Trip!
Mary
http://www.JingleJangleJungle.net
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