Z is for Zzzzzz #AtoZChallenge

CONGRATULATIONS!

You have reached the end of the 2018 A to Z Challenge! Whew! Whether you planned it, winged it, stumbled or breezed through it, you deserve a pat on the back! Good job!

And now, go get some sleep.

Literally. Figuratively. Go and relax. Take some time off. Do something lazy and fun. Don't forget: Relaxing is important. Us writer-y, bloggy types tend to constantly go for the rush of writing, or feel like we should be writing, or thinking about writing. But it is just as important to let your brain rest occasionally, and recuperate for the next project.

So. Go sleep it off, and don't feel bad about it! We'll see you on May 7th for the Reflections posts!


If you wish to include a direct link to your blog post of this day's letter, please click: 

[LINK TO DAILY LETTER FORM ]

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The A to Z team recommends TimeAndDate or WorldTimeBuddy for your time zone calculation needs.
We post at Midnight GMT.
Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is the standard by which all time zones are based. Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is the time zone used for UTC. That's why we use it.


If you wish to visit other blogs in this bloghop challenge who have incorporated today's letter into their current post, please click: 
[ LINK TO DAILY LETTER SPREADSHEET ]
(If you intend to make a copy of the spreadsheet, we suggest waiting until the form closes.)


https://goo.gl/9f9mfR
Click for the MASTER LIST of all participants who signed up for the #AtoZchallenge 2018!


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Once again Jeremy Hawkins has designed a special T shirt to commemorate this year's challenge.
2018 Blogging from A to Z Challenge T shirts now available!   For info visit A to Z T shirts.

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T is for Tales #AtoZChallenge

You probably noticed that we have expanded and reorganized our list of Categories this year. It is an exciting change, and people have been taking advantage of it! I am especially pleased that there are several blogs rocking Mythology and Folklore themes this year. Check out some of them:

Story Crossroads: Tales of Kindness Across Cultures

Kelsey Ketch: Egyptian Mythology

The Mad Grad Student: Characters from folklore and mythology in video games

Writing Dragons: Dragon art from various artists

Our Literary Journey: Fantasy creatures

I also have a folktale theme running on my own blog this year, and I wanted to note how fascinating it is to receive comments on posts about folklore and mythology. I am used to mostly discussing tales with professional storytellers and folklorists, people who are steeped in this kind of stuff. It is interesting to see how non-folklore people, especially fiction writers, react to the same stories. Listening to folktales is an acquired skill; people who don't regularly interact with them have vastly different reactions than those who do. Folktales make sense in a different way than fiction does. That's the fun part: You can pick them apart and say "but none of that makes any sense!" or "there is no character development!", but in the end, they still carry deep truths, and they are still entertaining. On the other hand, getting opinions on the tales from many people of different backgrounds often makes me re-think the stories in a whole different light. I love that experience.
I recommend adding folktales to everyone's regular literary diet!


If you wish to include a direct link to your blog post of this day's letter, please click: 

[LINK TO DAILY LETTER FORM ]

This form will close in 48 hours.

The A to Z team recommends TimeAndDate or WorldTimeBuddy for your time zone calculation needs.
We post at Midnight GMT.
Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is the standard by which all time zones are based. Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is the time zone used for UTC. That's why we use it.

If you wish to visit other blogs in this bloghop challenge who have incorporated today's letter into their current post, please click: 
[ LINK TO DAILY LETTER SPREADSHEET ]
(If you intend to make a copy of the spreadsheet, we suggest waiting until the form closes.)


https://goo.gl/9f9mfR
Click for the MASTER LIST of all participants who signed up for the #AtoZchallenge 2018!

N is for Netiquette #AtoZChallenge

Netiquette is one of my favorite words. It is a combination of "net" and "etiquette", and it sounds rather dainty; it refers to the rules and guidelines of acceptable online behavior. Sometimes it is nebulous, and sometimes it feels like such a thing does not exist at all. Blame that last one on trolls.

In the spirit of generally being courteous to each other in online spaces, and especially while visiting each other during A to Z, here are some nice things you can do for your fellow challenge participants!

1. Write comments with substance. I know we talk about this a lot, but it bears repeating. Instead of saying "nice post!" and running away, pick something in their post that you particularly liked, and highlight it. It shows that you actually read the post, and the compliment is a great ego booster!

2. Follow your favorites. Visits during April are all nice and great, but it shows even more support if you sign up to follow the blogs you really like. Click follow, sign up for updates or newsletters, or pick any other option the blog offers. This way, you can keep up with them after A to Z!

3. Share on social media. If you find a post you loved, or a blog you enjoy, share their social media posts (tweets, Facebook posts, etc.). If they don't have them, copy and past the link and make some noise for them! :)

4. Support your artists. If you love the flash fiction they write, the poems they post, or the things they paint, draw, crochet, design, etc., consider supporting your favorite creative people! Buy the ebook, buy the print, order a T-shirt, or whatever you have the mood and budget for. Or if you can't spend right now, put them on your Wish List. See if someone surprises you :)

5. Leave a link! Please leave a link. I know this is also something we keep repeating, but I'm saying it again, because it breaks my heart every time when someone comments on my blog, and I can't find where they came from to visit them back. Please leave a link! Here is how you do it nicely.


If you wish to include a direct link to your blog post of this day's letter, please click: 
LINK TO THE DAILY LETTER FORM

This form will close in 48 hours.

The A to Z team recommends TimeAndDate or WorldTimeBuddy for your time zone calculation needs.
We post at Midnight GMT.
Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is the standard by which all time zones are based. Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is the time zone used for UTC. That's why we use it.


If you wish to visit other blogs in this bloghop challenge who have incorporated today's letter into their current post, please click: 
LINK TO DAILY LETTER SPREADSHEET
(If you intend to make a copy of the spreadsheet, we suggest waiting until the form closes.)


https://goo.gl/9f9mfR
Click for the MASTER LIST of all participants who signed up for the #AtoZchallenge 2018! 

E Is For Everybody And Everything #atozchallenge

There's a lot to remember to do during the A to Z Challenge:

• Write all your blog posts. 
• Schedule all of them for the correct day.
• Respond to everyone's comments.
• Visit other blogs and leave them comments.

It's that last thing that trips up a lot of people. How do you find blogs to visit? 

Here's what I do:

• Visit the blogs of everybody who was kind enough to visit my blog and leave a comment. This should be the first thing you do: acknowledge the comment they left, then go visit their blog and leave a comment there.
• Visit the blogs of everybody who left a comment on my visitors' blogs. As I'm reading and commenting on someone's blog, I look at the other people who left comments there. Some of them are bound to be people who left me a comment, but many others won't be. I give them a visit and leave a comment there.

I can keep iterating through this over and over, or I can refer to the daily lists, the theme reveal list, or the original sign-up list. 

Two things you'll want to remember: you won't be able to visit everybody, and not everything will be interesting to you. There are close to a thousand people who participate in A to Z each year, each with their own interests. If you visit 10% of them over the next month, you're doing really well, and don't feel guilty if the theme isn't all that interesting to you. The goal is to make blog buddies! Remember, you share one interest: you're bloggers. 

If you wish to include a direct link to your blog post of this day's letter, please click:

https://goo.gl/forms/RmTGYV8Mde9f1VxM2

If you wish to visit other blogs in this bloghop challenge who have incorporated today's letter into their current post, please click:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1M8WZYFyhp__ea0iGI2FlpQeL6gob-PJSh6PBZpKyVYg/edit?usp=sharing


Click here for the MASTER LIST of all participants who signed up for the #AtoZchallenge 2018!
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nd9634nZWf1FmHFZ6ofKxBiIwGPWqkct9T9H5ugDQBA/edit?usp=sharing

Make new friends and learn new things!

2018 Pre-Challenge Blogging from A to Z Survey #AtoZchallenge

Jayden, our new co-host, has crafted this poll to help our 2018 challenge be a huge success. It can't happen without you.

Please take a minute to fill this out. (It doesn't matter if you've been with us since 2010 or if 2018 will be your first time-- we want YOUR ANSWERS!)

As a bonus, there's a special prize pack for one lucky random winner!
Any A to Z participant who completes the survey and publically shares this post is eligible to win.
Closes March 3, 2018.

Disney's "Frozen" executive trio stationery set (leather journal, writing utensils, light keychain), Thor: Ragnarok coin, keychain (nail clipper, bottle opener, logo of 2018 Superbowl champions-- the Philadelphia Eagles), Minion Dave sticker, "Party Rd" Pennsylvania Amish country novelty road sign, 5 postcards (Pennsylvania state images, Pennsylvania Dutch direction sign, Pennsylvania Amish horse and buggy Intercourse picture, Whoopie Pie recipe, Shoofly Pie recipe), and "Be Insta Famous" social media journal.

(Estimated value= $50 US)

Important Upcoming Dates:

• Pre-Challenge Survey Closes   ---  March 3, 2018
• A to Z Challenge Sign Up   ---  March 5, 2018 
• Theme Reveal   ---  March 19, 2018
• "A" post   ---  April 1, 2018 (No fooling! 😁 )
•  After Challenge Survey  ---  May 3, 2018
• Reflections  ---  May 7, 2018

Mark your calendars. 📅 

Survey link: https://goo.gl/forms/jXMnJKkwrdUt3y0o1

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