 |
| Badge artwork by Ada Z from collagepodge.com |
There's a certain sadness as well as a relief when the party's over. Yes, this April A to Z party is now finished, but the Challenges haven't ended yet. We have a few more things that we'd like for you to do. Don't worry--it will be fun and painless. Certainly not the stress of the daily April postings.
Most of you are probably aware of the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge Reflections Post that we have scheduled for next Monday May 7th. Some may still not be aware of what this is all about. Let me explain what's going to happen with this May 7th post and thereafter.
May 7th -- A to Z Reflections Post
This is your time to tell us about your A to Z experience. Share your pleasures, your pains, your setbacks, your gains. Who did you meet along the way that you found to be especially helpful or inspiring? Did you have a favorite blog post? Or a favorite series? Which blogs did you discover during April that you will be returning to in the future?
Express your gratitude or vent your frustrations. If you'd do this again, let us know why. If you hated it. tell us why. We want you to tell your A to Z story to the rest of us and tell it in the way that suits you best. Like the Challenge itself, this Reflection post is your creative outpouring. Be it prose, verse, song, video, or images, you can express yourself in anyway that you like.
And guess what: You don't have to have finished the Challenge or even entered the Challenge to be eligible to submit a Reflections post. Didn't finish or never got started? Let us know what happened and tell us how you feel about that. If you were an observer who followed some of the A to Z blog posts and even commented on a regular basis, give us your thoughts about the Challenge. I know of a few of you that I could name, but you know who you are. Your thoughts are important as well.
You can put up your Reflections post anytime between now and Saturday May 12th. The Linky list will be made available on May 7th. Please add the link that goes directly to your Reflections post and not your general blog link. This list will be up for a while and since there could be a large number of links on the list it may take a while for readers to get through it and we don't want visitors to have to be searching for your Reflections post.
Evaluations Posts
On the last three Mondays of May, I will be putting up posts evaluating this year's Challenge. I did this last year and it provided us tremendous insight. Even though all ideas received last year were not implemented in this year's Challenge, some remain under consideration for future Challenges.
This year I will once again be drawing upon what you have to say in your Reflections, what some have requested in direct emails, and observations made by the A to Z Team. I will be looking at the good parts of the Challenge and the bad parts that might need to be changed. Then on Monday May 28th I will wrap things up with some conclusions and final thoughts about the Challenge.
We hope you can join us for these days to add your thoughts and help us out.
Post Challenge Challenge
For those who would like to stay active in this A to Z community until the end of the year, A to Z Team members Shannon Lawrence and Tina Downey will be reviving last year's popular Post Challenge Challenge. More details will soon be appearing on the A to Z Blog as will a sign up list.
We Want You!
There's lot's of open space on the A to Z Blog in the coming months--after all we A to Z Team members can't do it all and you'd probably get sick of hearing from us if we did. We are inviting you to come and post something in this space. Anything that would be of interest to the A to Z community is welcomed. If you are interested in submitting something please contact one of the A to Z Team members. Contact information is in the tab at the top of the page.
We look forward to your participation in all of these above mentioned events. Thanks for Blogging from A to Z.
The A to Z Blog will be taking a break for a few days. Come back on Monday May 7th for the Reflections Post sign up list.
I can't wait to find out what this post challenge challenge is all about :)
ReplyDeleteFun, exhausting, challenging! I think we're all taking a break! Thanks for this opportunity. It was def. enlightening and a learning experience. :) See ya' on the 7th.
ReplyDeleteIt's been a great experience and I've found so many cool people along the way. I owe a huge thank you to everyone who commented or visited, you made the exhaustion worthwhile!
ReplyDeleteSharing!
ReplyDeleteHeather
A brilliant challenge and see you on the 7th!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Participants for making this another successful year! Look for the info about the Post-Challenge Challenge, the PCC until we get a cooler nickname, on 5/14. Please considering joining this group of stubborn and committed (should be committed?) bloggers who aim to visit every blog on the list.
ReplyDeleteTina @ Life is Good
Co-Host of the April A to Z Challenge
Twitter: @AprilA2Z #atozchallenge
Anna -- You'll start hearing some more about everything on Monday May 7th with full details about the PCC on May 14th.
ReplyDeleteMiMi --Looking forward to your participation. Rest up!
Ride -- Yes it was tiring but a good tiring. Thank you.
Heather -- We can learn much through sharing.
Scots Lass --- See you then my dear.
Tina -- I'm sure there a quite a number who will be ready to join up by May 14th sign ups.
Lee
I had a great time, and would like to thank everyone involved in organising this challenge.
ReplyDeleteYes, a break is definitely needed. All the hosts and co-hosts did a wonderful job. I honestly have no idea how you guys did it! You were everywhere!
ReplyDeleteThis has truly been so great! A worthy break for all of us. And more challenges? Oh, what fun! :)
ReplyDeleteI had a great time and I am so sad that it's over!!! I picked up about 40 new followers!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much to ALL of the hosts, you were all wonderful!! I am already planning a way to do better next year..
ReplyDeleteHi Lee ... you and the team have done a great service to us all - I enjoyed the Challenge hugely - it set me on learning about my country and my castles .. one or two ..
ReplyDeleteSee you in and around shortly - thank so much for all your hard work .. much appreciated from over here .. cheers Hilary
It must be an incredible job to organize this and keep it all afloat. Kudos to Lee and all the team.
ReplyDeleteI'm very grateful to be back to normal blogging. This was an interesting experiment, I'm glad to have met some great new-to-me bloggers, but this is it for the challenge for me.
All the best to you all as you continue with your post-challenge activities.
Excellent! Looking forward to it :)
ReplyDeleteokay i think i have got it--will do--thanks again :)
ReplyDeleteEveryone did such a wonderful job, and I had so much fun doing A to Z. Thanks again!
ReplyDeleteOh, it's not over for me... I still have 3 blogs I haven't finished with yet... I ought to be done in the next week or two... Definitely by next year's challenge! :D
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed it. I followed the schedule and finished! Yay! Take care -
ReplyDeleteAnd sorry for not comprehending - do I post my reflections post on my own blog or post it on this one? (Just called me addled by work. :))
I'm considering doing the PCC and will determine that over the next week or so. It all depends on what it entails and how I'm feeling after my Reflections post, lol.
ReplyDeleteLike the great ol' rocker Lenny Kravitz said...
"Baby, it ain't over 'til it's Over!"
So many days we've tried and kept our A to Z Challenge momentum alive,
'cause baby, it ain't over 'til it's Over!
~Nicole
Blog: The Madlab Post
@MadlabPost on Twitter
I will try and make a contribution to the 7th but I have things to do places to go and a list of stuff that I need to get done, so I can only do my best. If I make it I make it, and If I dont I dont.
ReplyDeleteI dont think my quirky little blog or my comments will make a huge amount of difference as I drift about in the backwaters of cyberspace...
Thanks to you Lee and all the team for a fun and happy A to Z.
ReplyDeleteWill only be too pleased to help in any A to Z programmes in the future,
Yvonne.
The Reflections post will go up on your own blog between now and May 12th. Once the Linky list for participants appears on May 7th you can add the link to your Reflections post to the list so that others may find it. That is the Link to the Reflections blog post only and not the link to your site.
ReplyDeleteThe Post Challenge Challenge will not be an intensive challenge like the A to Z Challenge, but it will be more like a community of bloggers. We may have some brief challenges mixed in, but mostly the PCC will involve networking and getting our blogs out in the open.
Lee
I already have my post ready for Monday. I thought it went really well this year.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great challenge. Thanks so much for organising it. But I have to admit to massive relief it's all over! The Reflections post sounds like a great way to wrap it all up. I will definitely start writing mine. Thanks again.
ReplyDeleteThanks Lee, for all you do.
ReplyDeleteI'll be adding my post to the Reflections list on May 7th. See you there.
Congratulations to all A to Z finishers! Just for fun, I made a graphic for my blogs. Feel free to use it, if you completed the challenge. Please link to my blog, if you do!
ReplyDeleteA to Z Blog Challenge Finisher Badge
Well done to all Challenge finishers, and a big hip-hip-hurray for the brilliant organisers! I'm curious about the post-Challenge challenge, and will certainly be back with a Reflections post.
ReplyDeleteI do wonder what the post challenge challenge will be. It was a great month. Thank you all for hosting.
ReplyDeleteI'm excited to see what the Post Challenge Challenge is all about!
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU to Arlee and all of the co-hosts of this years A to Z Challenge. I think everything ran quite smoothly.
ReplyDeleteThanks to everyone for a most memorable month. I guess M is my favorite letter. Hope to see all of you "out there." Almost made my 100, but more important, met some great people: writers, artists and great all-round super people.
ReplyDeleteThanks to all our wonderful co-hosts! I made it!! See you on the 7th and beyond. I'm already having A-Z withdrawals!!
ReplyDeleteMany thanks...it was fun :)
ReplyDeleteThankyou for another great A to Z challenge! It's been a blast.
ReplyDeleteStuart
Lloyd of Gamebooks
http://virtualfantasies.blogspot.co.uk/
Sorry I missed it. Maybe next time around. (-;
ReplyDelete