Time to Sign Up for the A to Z Video Challenge!

     Are you ready to sign up for the A to Z Video Challenge?  We hope so!
 
        The A to Z Video Challenge is a bit of an experiment so we hope you'll bear with us if we occasionally have to tweak it a bit over the course of the next       couple of months. Please feel free to provide any suggestions or comments that might help   us in this              experiment. And of course, feel free to ask any questions you may have about the Video    Challenge.
 
        First let's review the two videos that kicked off this challenge:
 




               These great videos are from Ron Easton and Ada Zdanowicz.  Each of them provides an example of what your video entry should include.  

          We want to encourage creativity in this Challenge.  Your 

video can be funny, dramatic, commercial, arty, educational, or 

whatever style you choose.  But for the sake of uniformity we  have some rules.

          Here are the A to Z Video Challenge rules:

1.   Videos should be no longer than 2 minutes in length including credits.

2.   Subject matter of video must pertain in some way to the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge and include the site address of a-to-zchallenge.com prominently in the video.

3.  Content should be suitable for general audiences.

4.  The video must be new and made for the A to Z Challenge and it must not have been previously posted online anywhere including a blog or website.

5.  Videos must be downloaded to YouTube or a similar site where they can be shared in order to allow them to be placed on the A to Z Blog and to be linked to for viewing purposes by the audience.  The video creator should place their entry or entries on their blog or web page if they have one.  The entered link can correspond to any of these placements.

6.   All videos will remain property of the creator with permission granted to A to Z Blog for exhibition on that site.

7.   Finalists will be chosen by a panel of judges that may include A to Z Team members or others selected by the Team to act as judges.  Videos will be accepted for judging until 11:59 PM EST Sunday March 11, 2012.

8.   Winners will be chosen in a vote by the A to Z audience between March 15th and 19th with winner(s) announced on March 20th.   Voting will close at 11:59 PM EST on March 19th.

9.   Number of winners may vary depending on number of entries received.  If  there are enough entrants categories such as most creative, funniest, best animation, or others may be opened per judges determination.

10.  Prizes will be determined by the A to Z Team and subject to any additional prize donations.

11.   Rules for the A to Z Video Challenge may be subject to minor adjustment depending on number of entrants or other unforeseen factors.

       We hope this is simple enough for everyone to understand.  If you have questions please ask.


         Now about the prizes.  Since this is a rather hastily assembled contest and an experiment at that, prizes will be limited primarily to promotion and recognition.


          Winners of the Challenge will be given special guest or feature opportunities on some of the A to Z Team Blogs.   All video entries will be featured on the A to Z Blog with winning videos featured again in special promotional spots on the A to Z Challenge Blog after the Video Challenge has closed and during the month of April.  


          As stated at the opening, this A to Z Video Challenge is an experiment we are trying out this year to see what the level of interest is.  If all goes well, perhaps next year we'll start putting this Video Challenge together earlier and get some bigger more tangible prizes.  But the exposure and promotion gained for your blog, website, or video-making talent can be very valuable gaining you new fans or even clients.   And the bragging rights could be fun too.


        As the Challenge continues this year we will probably see some  surprise prizes appearing along the way.   It probably won't be big cash awards or expensive premiums, but we might be having some fun things to add to up the ante.  It depends on how many of you enter the Video Challenge.


         So now for the entries.  The entry form is included in this post today and will continue to be found at the top of the page by clicking the tab marked "A to Z Video Challenge Entries".    Fill in the form with the link where your video can be found, your name or the name the entity submitting the video (blog, website, company, organization, etc),  your email address so we can contact you (this will only be seen by Challenge administrators), and tell us if you will be participating in the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge.  


        That's all there is to it.  So if you already have a video made, then submit your information now.   Or come back later and submit it when your video is ready.  You have nearly two months to submit your video since we will be accepting them until 11:59 PM EST of Sunday March 11, 2012.   But please don't tarry.  We're anxious to see your videos.


        Now let's get creative!

The Retired Knitter Is Not a Quitter: Elaine Shanks

     Elaine Shanks is ready for the upcoming Challenge.   Today she reminisces about her experience in the 2011 Blogging from A to Z April Challenge.

E – for Enthusiasm, 

      U – for Unexpected, 

              P – Persistence

      I don't remember how I discovered the 2011 A to Z Blog Challenge. One day it wasn't on my radar and the next day it was.

      Life is like that.

      But I do remember how thrilling it sounded as I read the description. I remember thinking – Yes, I could do this … a posting for every letter of the alphabet and my brain just instantly started popping out suggestions for various letters – the zanier the idea the better! (ah, Zany … now there is a good Z word.)

      Anyway, I digress. So I quickly hit the “join” button. That day was in late March. I feared I was already “behind” in the preparation. People had been signing up for a few months. Gosh, only one week for me to prepare.

      But my brain bubbled with ideas and my key board got a work out that week.

      I remember that first day – April 1, 2011 – visiting blog after blog eager to see who was doing what. I felt like I had joined hands with a cyberspace crowd of bloggers and we were off and running together. It was very exciting.

      I made sure that I wrote and “schedule to publish” 4 or 5 postings ahead. Keeping “ahead” seemed like a good idea. I wanted no pressure. I wanted to keep up. I wanted to rise to the challenge and finish with everyone. I wanted to enjoy the “high-fives” of all my companions in this cyber neighborhood and enjoy the fruits of everyone's labors. And I was thrilled when someone stopped in to visit and comment. I was filled with great Enthusiasm. (I love my E word - Enthusiasm is infectious. I love it in myself and in others).

Then, in mid April, it all began to fall apart. Oh, I had 4 or 5 postings scheduled to be released in the near future, but my blog writing stopped dead. You see I am a caregiver for my 85 year old mom and the winter of 2011 was very difficult for her. In April she became ill and was hospitalized. My brain was now focused on the part of my life (elder care) that was always filled with Unexpected events. (I am not a fan Unexpected - so U has been taken off my list of good letters).

        And so I watched from the sidelines as my 4 or 5 blog postings automatically published. Then I watched as my blog fell silent. Sometimes I would take time to peek at the other blogs – those that were still going strong … and I felt … let down. I wouldn't finish with the rest.

         But I am not a person to be kept down for long. I am Persistent – some might say stubborn.

        When the cloud that covered my family began to lift and mom began to improve, I started to write again. And I finished – not with the pack, but on my own schedule. I didn't reminisce with the finishers in the weeks after or take the “I Survived Button” for my blog – because I didn't really finish or survive within the scope of the event. But I had a whole lot of fun and made friends with many new bloggers. Persistence got me to the end. (Persistence is a very good P word.)

       And come April 1, 2012 – I'll be back! I will start again with the pack. I will plan 4 or 5 posting ahead, because you never know what kind of curve ball life will throw at you. And I plan to finish with the pack.

But if not, I will finish … 'cause it is just that much fun.

      We will "meet" again on April 1, 2012 at the starting line ... I can't wait to see you there.

Elaine Shanks, Retired Knitter (http://mynext20yearsofliving.blogspot.com)

I have been blogging since July 2010. I am retired, a knitter, a knitting group coordinator, an elder caregiver, an enthusiastic starter and a persistent finisher. I am also "grandmother" to 3 fabulous dogs - Meathead, Grimace and Milo. And like the rest of the world, I am trying to be better to myself - diet, exercise, friends and family. All these things are part of my next 20 years - and part of my blog. 

        All I can say is not bad Elaine.  Not bad at all.  Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the A to Z Challenge. You are a winner!

Related articles

• Blogging from A to Z April Challenge-- 2012 Edition (tossingitout.blogspot.com)
• Another One Who Reached the Finish Line: Sue Harding (a-to-zchallenge.com)
• We Interrupt This Program For A Very Special Announcement! (breakthroughblogs.blogspot.com)
• Awesome Stuff and the Big Announcement! (alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com)

A to Z The Writercize Way: Helpful Tips from Alana Garrigues

A to Z The Writercize Way

Hello all you A to Z Challengers in the blogosphere.  April 1st and the 2012 challenge will be here in the blink of an eye, so I wanted to help you out with a couple of tips, tricks and observations I noticed from my participation last year.  My name is Alana, freelance writer, mom to twin preschoolers, daydreamer and author of the Writercize blog.

First off, thank you to Lee for allowing me to guest on this page. And second, let me just say that I had an incredible time participating in the 2011 Challenge, and had the opportunity to "meet" some of my favorite writers and virtual friends during the challenge last April. It is not an easy challenge, but with a little preparation, it could be the most worthwhile blog network you will do this year. If it's not already on your list of things to do in the New Year, add A to Z Challenge to your New Year's List of Resolutions!

On to the meat of the message:

• Stay true to your voice and your blog throughout all your posts. The challenge is a great way to expose your voice to many potential new contacts and followers. Be honest and true to yourself and your readers, and you will gain much from the challenge. If your blog is about cooking, don't blog A through Z about movies or music (unless they are related to cooking) and expect to connect or click with the "right" kind of reader. If you don't already have an "about this blog" page set up, do it now, before the challenge starts, and make sure it jives with the content you put out there.
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• If your voice and blog are loosey-goosey random, it may help challenge readers for you to pick a theme for the challenge and stick with it.  Last year, two writer bloggers arranged a list of 26 emotions that were used as the basis for daily short stories and poems.  Readers could jump between the two blogs and leave a guess as to the emotion in the comment form.  It allowed them to take a break from writing about writing and exercise their writing muscles, and showed their voice through their quick writing samples.  Plus, they could blog about other things during the month outside of the theme, and readers immediately recognized it as an "extra" post.
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• Comment thoughtfully.  It is ok to visit fellow challenger blogs and write something along the lines of "fellow A to Z Challenger" with your name and URL in the comment, but be sure to let the blogger know you actually read something in their post in that comment too.  There is nothing more annoying than spam when you are churning your heart and soul out daily.  Maybe you like their voice, or a photo or a word in the post.  If you don't like anything about it, you might be better off just moving on to the next blog rather than leaving a spam trail in your wake.
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• Forgive yourself.  It is highly unlikely that you will be able to visit all of the blogs in the challenge.  I know of 2 or 3 participants last year who did, and I honestly have no idea how they did it.  Aim high, but be realistic.  Visit as many as you can; use the "next blog" button that will surely be created in time for the challenge or refer to the list and work through it, but don't be too hard on yourself if you aren't able to visit 50+ blogs a day.  It's a challenge, and I commend you if you are one of those speed readers with magical time management skills, but I also forgive you if you're just an average Jane like me.
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• Make a plan.  Write down the letters A through Z in a notebook.  (Or computer program if you like to be modern.)  Fill in an idea for a word or image for each letter.  Give yourself flexibility for inspiration to strike on the day of the post, but be confident in knowing that you have something to fall back on just in case.  If thinking of words for the letters A to Z makes you freeze up, think up a theme that you can work into your blog.  Last year I saw photos, recipes, ideas for party themes, posts inspired by names A to Z (biblical, historical, fictional), movie reviews, book reviews, flash fiction from words submitted by readers, and more. The sky truly is the limit. If you're a geography buff, tackle cities or countries A to Z. If you love comic strips, share your thoughts or best lines from characters A to Z. If you're an illustrator, find a different way to draw the letters.
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• Post ahead.  Right around mid-alphabet, you may lose some steam and be happy if you have scheduled your post in advance.  It will probably happen again around those pesky letters like Q, X and Z.  Don't let yourself stress about it.  Schedule those posts and take a break from blogging on those days as they come along, or spend the time you would be posting visiting extra challenge blogs.
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• Tell your friends about the challenge. They'll thank you for it at least 75% of the time.  And the rest, you can be miserable together as you compare finger blisters and dilated irises from late nights typing away!

I write an educational blog called Writercize, and I post writing exercises several times a week on a wide variety of topics and formats from fiction to nonfiction to poetry to real world applications. I started the blog last year about a month before the challenge and decided to dive right in when a writing friend told me about it.

In the spirit of writercize and the A to Z challenge, I would like to challenge you to the following writercize from the tips listed above. It will get the writing juices flowing and help you prepare for April all at the same time! I'd love you to share some of your results as a comment. Here you are:

writercize:  Write down the letters A through Z in a notebook.  Fill in an idea for a word or image for each letter.

Now, discuss. And best of luck in the challenge. I'll be reading!

Alana Garrigues
Freelance Writer

web:  www.alanagarrigues.com
blog:  writercize.blogspot.com
twitter:  @alanagarrigues