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Tuesday, April 5, 2022

#AtoZChallenge D is for Doors #flashfiction Drabble

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The team's theme of the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge this year is:
ACCOMPLISHING YOUR DREAMS, AND THE DUALITY OF 22


The WEP team has accepted the challenge to write for the A – Z. This time we’re playing tag with the letter “D”. We’ve decided D is for Door/s. As we’re lovers of #flashfiction, we’re writing in the form of “Drabble” = flash fiction of exactly 100 words. (Yolanda Renee is on hiatus).
WEP 2022
 

Behind the Door

 
I’ll be lighthearted some time and peer in -
behind the door will be the ball you forgot,
neat hooks to hang things, walls that look too clean -
except a backpack-shaped amorphous spot
where that hung for years. A square rim of grime
will mark out a photoframe and passing time.
 
I’ll be lighthearted someday again between
your coming and going, growing, nothing caught
on the wardrobe shutters, bedclothes pristine.
Just some odd scraps of poems I once wrote
for some vanished milestone, in half-slant rhyme
will claw at my days and at passing time.

 
Nilanjana is a bi-lingual writer, blogger and market researcher. She specialises in poetry, panic and tinkering with bucket lists. Her physical address keeps changing now and then but thankfully her online home is constant at Madly-in-Verse.
 

They Told Her


She sat in front of the hedge where everyone told her there wasn’t a door. It didn’t lead to anywhere other than the neighbour’s yard. And Mr. and Mrs. Harrison wouldn’t appreciate either a hole in their hedge or a girl’s footprints on their perfect grass.

They told her the hedge was made only of leaves and branches. They told her there wasn’t a land full of wonder and magic beyond. They rolled their eyes and laughed. There definitely wasn’t a door in the hedge.

She pushed to her feet and opened the door anyway.


Jemi Fraser writes small-town romantic suspense stories filled with heart and humour.


Behind the Basement Door

 
It's also inspired by real life tornados that went through my state recently.
 
 
Huddled under the table, Mable cuddled into her mama’s side. The basement door rattled 
on its hinges. The wind howled.
 
Mama stroked her hair. “It’ll be okay, baby girl. The storm will pass soon.”
 
Mable knew what a tornado was. She’d seen pictures of them and the damage they could do. 
She never dreamed she would have to hide from one.
 
She covered her ears as the roar outside grew louder. She couldn’t block it out no 
matter how hard she tried.
 
The storm would pass soon, she hoped, but what would await them when 
they opened that basement door?

 
L.G. Keltner writes many things, though primarily sci-fi, while also caring for 
her energetic children. She lives in a small town in Iowa.

Romi Ran


Romi ran. If the enemies caught her, they would shoot her. Their boots trampled behind the corner, loud in the silence of the night. The houses stood dark, afraid. She didn’t dare knock on doors. Nobody would let her in, not against the occupants’ orders. Suddenly, stairs to a basement yawned in a narrow lane between two houses. At the bottom of the short staircase, choked with garbage, a half-door was ajar. Romi stumbled down and crawled in. She pushed the door shut, leaned on it. The enemies’ boots slapped past, their barrage receding. Safe for now. She started shaking.


Olga Godim is a speculative fiction writer from Vancouver, Canada. 
When she doesn’t write, she reads and makes book covers.

Vampire Hunter


The crumbling bricks of the castle behind me, I happen upon a twisting stone path below street level. I follow its twists and turns, sheltered by branches above which shake and whisper in the evening breeze. I imagine they warn: beware. The moon gives enough light for me to see. Around the curve, a door appears.  I stop. Look. See no one. See no thing. Where does this door lead? The hairs on my arms raise. To the subterranean tunnels beneath the surface where the vampires live? I feel the heft of steel in my hand. I push open the door.


Denise Covey is an Australian author of contemporary and paranormal romance. When she’s not dreaming up stories based on her travels, she loses herself in the pages of books.


Do you ever write flash fiction?



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Instagram @a.to.z.challenge @a.to.z.challenge Facebook logo @atozchallenge
Twitter @AprilA2Z @AprilA2Z Our hashtag is #AtoZChallenge
Please follow us on social media.

Sign up for the 2022 challenge? Click this:
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File, Make a Copy of the Master List for yourself! Click this:
https://tinyurl.com/AtoZ22
Be sure your copy is updated with everyone who signed up for the challenge. Hopping to other blogs to leave comments is half of the challenge!
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Monday, April 4, 2022

#AtoZChallenge C is for “Creativity vs. Conventionality”

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The team's theme of the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge this year is:
ACCOMPLISHING YOUR DREAMS AND THE DUALITY OF 22

C = “Creativity vs. Conventionality”

When I learned I'd be assigned to write for the letter "C" for the A to Z team post, the first word that came to mind was creativity — mostly because so much of what I do for work as well as for fun requires that aptitude. Over the decades, it’s a "muscle" that I've worked out a lot. So, I know it to be well-developed when it comes to the way I approach most things in life. 

In deciding to view creativity through the lens of the A to Z theme of duality the concept that came to mind as being the opposite of creativity, to me, was conventionality. And so, it is the inverse nature of those two concepts that I've chosen to write about today . . . but, through a blogging perspective.

Balancing the Creative and Conventional

When you consider the life of a blogger, there are likely many habits and rituals that contribute to the convention of writing and posting to a blog on a recurring basis.

Every blogger has their own individual process that likely benefits from the use of something conventional. Perhaps it presents itself in the form of sitting down to write at the same time every day or routinely doing Task A before completing Task B and Task C. Perhaps your convention is eating the same breakfast every morning or wearing the same sweater when you write.

Some conventions are arbitrary to one's creative process and are just convenient or the result of "doing what you've always done."  But, some conventions are essential and necessary to a blog's longevity, such as those used to reinforce branding objectives . . . or those that allow followers to feel continuously connected to the content of a beloved blog.

What Conventions Inspire Your Creativity

Still, as non-creative as some conventions might be, there are benefits to having them . . . if they serve as the foundation on which one builds something creative and original. So, it's not a bad idea to periodically review your creative process and note the conventions that work for or against your creativity as it pertains to your blogging process. Are the habits and conventions you use every day working well for your process . . . or are they detrimental and dousing your creative spark?

As bloggers and creatives, we have to routinely walk the line between conventionality and creativity to come up with something relatable, yet original for the masses. What conventions will you rely on to spark original blog posts throughout the month of April as you write for the A to Z challenge? How do you use conventions to spark your creativity?

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Are there any conventions or habits within your creative process that spurs
innovative ideas for your blog or creative projects?

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Twitter @AprilA2Z@AprilA2Z
 

Our hashtag is #AtoZChallenge
Please follow us on social media.

Sign up for the 2022 challenge?
Click this: https://forms.gle/pN8xCbvnxGLScj4V8

File, Make a Copy of the Master List for yourself!
Click this: https://tinyurl.com/AtoZ22


Be sure your copy is updated with everyone who signed up for the challenge. Hopping to other blogs to leave comments is half of the challenge!

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2022 merchandise #atozchallenge

 

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Saturday, April 2, 2022

#AtoZChallenge BINGO!

It's Sunday, a.k.a. Break Time, a.k.a. Visiting Day. And we have a game for you!

In 2017 J Lenni Dorner made an A to Z Bingo, just for fun, and we decided this would be a great time to revive the tradition. So, here is your A to Z Challenge Bingo card for 2022!

You can share your wins and results in your Reflections post in May, or with us in the comments.

Enjoy!



#AtoZChallenge Better Book Discovery

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The team's theme of the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge this year is:
ACCOMPLISHING YOUR DREAMS, AND THE DUALITY OF 22


It's letter "B "day on the A to Z Challenge blog. It is said that the second day of any challenge is the hardest. Motivation is pelted with realizations of the commitment needed to succeed. Scheduling and prioritizing become tangible instead of theoretical (inked-in instead of penciled-in πŸ–‹πŸ–‰). 

Banish the voices that say you can't do this. Hundreds of bloggers JUST LIKE YOU have completed the challenge successfully for over a decade. Don't bow out!

What benefit can come from completing the challenge? Building a better blogging community, for one. 
And if you're using your blog to write a book, you might publish it one day!
The best books created because of the April Blogging from #AtoZChallenge

https://shepherd.com/best-books/created-from-the-april-blogging-a-to-z-challenge


That's a list of books that exist right now because of this blogging challenge. How many of them have you read?

Shepherd.com has many book lists with various topics and themes. Over 40,000 people visit the site every month. And now our A to Z Challenge is there with a list of books that were written by bloggers like you who completed the A to Z Challenge in the past. A big thanks to Ben Fox for making this possible. 

When you're looking for a website with better book discovery tools, check out Shepherd.com
Authors recommend books and market their own for free on this site. Reach out with a theme idea for a list of five books that go along with a book of your own. πŸ“š

Have you ever published a book you wrote during and because of the A to Z Challenge?



The first of three #AtoZChallenge 2022 #AZchat sessions on social media is today. #AtoZChallenge #AZchat 2022 #AtoZChallenge #AZchat 2022
πŸ“… April 2 ⏰ 11pm GMT
See the time in your area:
https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html


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Twitter @AprilA2Z @AprilA2Z Our hashtag is #AtoZChallenge
Please follow us on social media.

Sign up for the 2022 challenge? Click this:
https://forms.gle/pN8xCbvnxGLScj4V8

File, Make a Copy of the Master List for yourself! Click this:
https://tinyurl.com/AtoZ22
Be sure your copy is updated with everyone who signed up for the challenge. Hopping to other blogs to leave comments is half of the challenge!
Get your 2022 merchandise here:  2022 merchandise #atozchallenge
https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/103818836

Friday, April 1, 2022

Attention!! Attention!! The Blogging from A to Z 2022 Challenge has begun!! ( #AtoZChallenge )

 

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The team's theme of the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge this year is:
ACCOMPLISHING YOUR DREAMS, AND THE DUALITY OF 22


     Are you ready?   Are you ready?  !!!
 
     Yeah, I said it twice.  Duality you know.  And I just want to make sure you're there for the Challenge.  I've got my posts all finished other than a few inserts I'll make along the way to keep things topical.  This is my first year for finishing every letter post ahead of time.  Whew!  What a relief!  Now maybe you'll see more of me in your comment sections.

       How about you?  Did you prepare ahead?  Or are you just winging it.  Either way it's all okay.  This is your personal Challenge.  You're not competing against anyone else.  You're only up against yourself.  Can you do it?  Will you finish?

        We think you can.  In fact we know you can.  We've done it and so have many of you.  If it's your first time then I assure you that you'll be fine if you just don't stress out about it.  This is supposed to be fun.  Are we having fun yet?   Hey, it's only the first day.

        You can do it!    

      
        How much preparation did you do ahead of time?   What advice would you give to other bloggers who might be concerned about whether they can finish this Challenge?    What is the biggest obstacle that you are facing in regard to finishing the Challenge this year?
 
Sign up for the 2022 challenge? Click this:
https://forms.gle/pN8xCbvnxGLScj4V8
***
 
File, Make a Copy of the Master List for yourself! Click this:
https://tinyurl.com/AtoZ22

Be sure your copy is updated with everyone who signed up for the challenge. Hopping to other blogs to leave comments is half of the challenge!


Get your 2022 merchandise here:  2022 merchandise #atozchallenge
https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/103818836





Wednesday, March 30, 2022

#AtoZChallenge 2022 Master List SIGN UP for the April #Blogging Challenge

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Get your graphics: http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/p/2022-badge-graphics.html


The team's theme of the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge this year is:
ACCOMPLISHING YOUR DREAMS, AND THE DUALITY OF 22
What will your theme be, if you'll have one at all?


Sign up for the 2022 challenge! Click this:


https://forms.gle/pN8xCbvnxGLScj4V8


Get on the Master List! You aren't officially part of the challenge without completing this sign-up form.

(The Theme Reveal is a *separate* A to Z Challenge activity. Signing up for the Theme Reveal did NOT automatically sign you up for the Challenge. Thank you.)

What information will you need to sign up this year?
  • Blog name - This is what you call your blog. It doesn't include the word "wordpress." It isn't a link. There's no "www" or ".com" -- It's just what you call your blog. This blog's name, for example, is "Blogging from A to Z April Challenge."
  • Author's Name -- How you would like people to refer to you. ("Great post, *name*!")
  • Blog Link - This is a link to your blog. It isn't the hidden place where you create posts. It's what people type or click to get to see your posts. (For example, you're currently viewing "http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com" which is our LINK -- but this post was written on "blogger.com")
    • It must go to a PUBLIC blog where anyone doing the challenge may COMMENT WITHOUT LOGGING IN, SIGNING UP, or SUBSCRIBING. 
  • Category -- There are 48 choices, including the option to "prefer not to say." Pick whatever best aligns with your theme. Don't have a theme? Pick whatever best matches the type of blog you have.

2022 #AtoZchallenge categories

  • There's then an option to name your own category if you couldn't find something suitable.
  • Adult content? -- As this is an all-ages event, there is an obligation to note if a site is unsuitable for young people. Adult content blogs generally have any of the following:
    • Excessive Violence — If your blog reads like a how-to guide for Hannibal Lecter, you have excessive violence. If you've written the A to Z guide of how to pummel someone, make πŸ’£, create πŸ”ͺ weapons from ordinary objects, or kill without detection, you have excessive violence.
    • Nudity for sexual purposes — If you write erotica, you have adult content. πŸ‘™ If body parts normally covered by swimwear or underwear are visible on your blog, you've got adult content. This gets tricky with art blogs, so if you fall into that gray area, ask the team for a ruling (before April 8, please). 
    • Strong and frequent harsh language — If the F word is being used as a verb, or it is used more than three times in 500 words, that is considered adult content. If most of your blog posts have three curse words, that is adult content. 🀬
  • Continuous story? -- If someone visits your blog for the first time in mid-April, will they be able to figure out what's going on? Or will it be like reading a book from the middle, watching a movie without the first half, or trying to enjoy a show without character introductions?
    • People may wish to visit daily to keep up. Or might want to read it all at the end of the month.
  • Voting? -- Some bloggers will let the audience decide what their next post will be.
    • Blogs that mark this as "yes" especially need to attract commenters daily!
  • Will you hop to other blogs? -- The April Blogging Challenge has two parts. One is posting to your blog every day in April (except Sundays), and the other is commenting on the blogs of others in the challenge. Here are your choices:
    • I will seek out new blogs from the list 😁
    • I will visit those who comment on my blog 😊
    • I will visit my friends' blogs 😏
    • I'm new, so I don't know yet πŸ€”
    • I won't be visiting other blogs 😐
    • Other:
  • Author's Pronouns -- he/him, she/her, they/them, abstain, other (Use "abstain" if you prefer not to select the pronouns by which others may correctly refer to you.)
  • Year -- The challenge has run for TWELVE years! What year did you first try it?
  • Twitter Link (optional) -- If you use it. Remember, this link starts with "https://twitter.com/" and then has your handle. There's no "@" symbol.
  • Facebook Link (optional) -- If you'd like people to friend or follow you there.
  • Instagram Link (optional) -- New this year! Check out the hard work Anjela Curtis has done to create ours, please.
  • Physical location of blogger (optional) Country first please -- This is an International blog hop. A great way to find others beyond your homeland, or to discover those living nearby, is to share a general location.
  • Theme (optional) -- Please keep it to 100 characters or less. A short summary of your planned posts for April. https://tinyurl.com/AZtheme22 The theme reveal hop had the option for longer descriptions.

That's it. Now you know what to expect when you sign-up. It looks like a lot, but it doesn't take long to fill out the Google form. 

Remember to make sure that your blog is open to public comments and that people do not need to "log in, sign up, or subscribe" to leave you a comment.
(If you use Wix -- https://support.wix.com/en/article/wix-blog-about-wix-comments#guest-commenting  -- please learn how to allow people who don't use Wix to leave you a comment.)
(You must create and sign into a Tumblr account before you can leave comments. This is why the A to Z Challenge does NOT recognize Tumblr blogs as official participants.)
(The A to Z Blogging Challenge is not a "blog by email sign-up" either. We do not support or recognize "private blogs" that request email addresses be sent first, and then blog links or posts are privately sent later.)

Any blogs found in violation will be removed. Please privately contact a team member if you feel you've found such a blog on the Master List. (Include the blog name, please.)


The #AtoZChallenge is planning three #AZchat sessions on social media.
April 2, April 15, and May 2.
#AtoZChallenge #AZchat 2022 #AtoZChallenge #AZchat 2022
The first one is πŸ“… April 2 ⏰ 11pm GMT
See the time in your area:
https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html


Master List Sign-up Form
https://forms.gle/pN8xCbvnxGLScj4V8


Are you ready to make posts and hop to other blogs this April?



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Twitter @AprilA2Z @AprilA2Z Our hashtag is #AtoZChallenge
Please follow us on social media.

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File, Make a Copy of the Master List for yourself! Click this:
https://tinyurl.com/AtoZ22
The Master List will be complete on April 10 (after H), when sign-ups close.
Be sure your copy is updated with everyone who signed up for the challenge. Hopping to other blogs to leave comments is half of the challenge!

Get your 2022 merchandise here:  2022 merchandise #atozchallenge
https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/103818836