We're officially gearing up for the 2013 A-to-Z Challenge, so time is running out to catch up with all of last year's participants. How far have you gotten? Are you able to make any monthly progress? Weekly? Daily (you visiting fiend, you!)?
What's your plan of attack as you go through the list? Do you find that you go in order, or do you randomly choose someone to visit? Did you go through the Post A-to-Z Road Trip sign-up list first?
What I've found works best for me is to go down the list and open a series of blogs at once (usually ten at a time). I visit those blogs, then if I find I have some more time I open ten more. This helps me take little chunks at a time, and to feel like I've made progress.
Let us know how you're doing, whether you're still at it or have given up. This isn't a competition, so don't feel pressured to have made progress. Do you intend to keep going? Were you able to visit everyone already? If so, what was your secret, and what tips might you like to pass along?
Click here to access the 2012 A-to-Z sign-up list.
Cheers!
Shannon (The Warrior Muse) and Tina (Life is Good)
To be honest, I'm just waiting on 2013 now. Whatever I didn't get to read in 2012 for A to Z, perhaps those blogs will participate in 2013, and I can read them then. I'm currently reading a bunch of posts for another blog hop. There's so many hops out there that I just have to keep moving forward. Can't wait for 2013 A to Z!!
ReplyDeletehmmm i don't even know about doing the challenge this go round--but if i did, i think i need a plan--happy new year :)
ReplyDeleteI had a lot of fun with the blog challenge last year. I'm considering what theme I'll do for April. It really helped to have a theme and plan out the posts ahead of time. Even writing down a title/subject and saving it as a blank draft post gave me the reminder to fill it in.
ReplyDeleteLike you, I tend to open several window/links at a time and go through them.
I got through a couple of hundred of them in the end but to tell the truth I have now stopped. It is tricky as I post to my own blog on a daily basis and follow a small group of blogs as they post, which varies. Then I have life and the universe plus work, a house and a garden to stay on top of. So all in all I was happy to find three or four blogs I really enjoyed on the last A to Z and which I still follow, I will probably do it again this year but I suspect if even more take part this year it will be impossible to look at all of them as it will become a full time job.
ReplyDeleteI really would love to see the A to Z split up into about a dozen categories this time round if it was possible. And hope to see a little less hard sell too ......
I follow so many blogs already, I didn't even try. Hopefully I will be able to visit more this April.
ReplyDeleteI made it - I reached the end of the list today! The post the other day about the new badge got me through about 150 blogs in three days.
ReplyDeleteSo I'm just in time to prepare for this year's challenge.
Chippy
I will admit, as co-host of the road trip, that Shannon wrote the whole post and kindly put my name on it. Shannon, you're much too kind. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI pulled over to the side road when school started. With a firm schedule (as in boys to school on time) and my teaching a class at my church every week, I just didn't have time for sight seeing, as much fun as it was. I bought 38 books as I met wonderful, new to me authors, I laughed at some seriously humorous post. Great humor blogs out there. I saw lovely photos. I heard some original music, and I cringed at some blogs who need a warning about seriously adult content. All in all, it was just like a slice of America, and though it takes time, the trip, though I didn't get all the way through, was worth the time put in.
I did chunks of 12 blogs (I like dozens)very randomly because I had a good color contrast with the ones I'd already been too. Shannon's idea of opening them all up at once is great though, and would be much faster.
Tina @ Life is Good
http://kmdlifeisgood.blogspot.com/
I checked out a lot of blogs during the challenge, but once the challenge was over, I tended to forget about it, but I'm excited about participating in this year's; thinking of a theme for it.
ReplyDeletebetty
Jolie, you're right, there are tons of blog hops and the like out there.
ReplyDeleteLynn, a plan is definitely a good idea should you decide to do it.
Stephsco, I agree that having it mapped out helped significantly. There were still a few I scrambled on last time, and I was writing them all the night before (after the first couple days, which I had done in advance), but that little bit helped.
Rob, I completely understand. I've had trouble just keeping up with my own blog and the blog I edit for my writer's group. Even I, as a co-host, have ceased finding time to visit more blogs. But there are people still able to do it, and I don't want to abandon them, either. You know?
Alex, I imagine you wouldn't be able to keep up the same attention to your blogs if you tried to hit everyone after it was done.
Chippy, CONGRATULATIONS! Fantastic!
Tina, school starting, and then taking on extra duties in various other places, derailed me, too. I keep waiting for it to slow down, but it never does.
Betty, totally understandable. Some do the visiting during, and some like to do it after. 2013 will be fun!
Shannon I must say that once summer really got rockin' my time for continuing down the list ran out. I would have to choose that or working in the current. I am ready for 2013 A-Z...well not really since I have no idea how I am going to approach it. But I work best under pressure!!
ReplyDeleteI have my plan and I'm ready to go! I just clicked on the link again and visited some of those blogs right down at the bottom of the list and most of them seemed to have quit around June of last year. Sad.
ReplyDeleteI wish ! The challenge ended and although I had the best intentions, I never went back to visit the blogs I missed. Hoping to do better this year. I think I'll try the tactic of opening of several at once. That seems like it would be helpful. I also hope we have thay widget again this year to visit random blogs and have the live counter going. That was awesome.
ReplyDeleteLife became far too busy for me, so I will only have the chance to visit the road-trip links. Thanks for the reminder!
ReplyDeleteMy plan of attack is to totally satirise this alphabet challenge. Just like I have done the last two years. Of course, the irony is that I've brought further attention to your blogfest. Although, I seem to mostly get ignored.
ReplyDeleteOh well, have fun.
Gary
Hi, I'm not sure...I kind of like jumping around and visiting a few favs and newbies ;D
ReplyDeleteI'm on the fence about 2013-time will tell!
Yes, thanks for the reminder :D
Hi Shannon .. love the A - Z .. and I'm part organised with my blog posts ..
ReplyDeleteI started five ahead and went forward that way - though I didn't get through as many as I should ... I'm distinctly off the gaming blogs - but loved finding new people ..
Cheers Hilary
I did go through the linky list and found some great blogs along the way!
ReplyDeleteAfter the challenge ended, I attempted to make my way through the reflections list and did pretty well, but didn't finish. :( But I did pick up some great new blogs to follow and some amazing, loyal followers in return.
ReplyDeleteLast year I wrote many of my posts ahead of time. This year I'd love to have them ALL done, then I can focus on visiting the list. I noticed especially in the first two weeks people tend to have more energy to visit back, so I'd like to push through as many as possible at the beginning.
Already people have been asking me, "When are you going to do that alphabet thing again?" I can't wait to start!