All A to Z participants have some or the other plan for how they're going to meet the challenge. Like last year, I'll be doing fiction, based on prompts left by readers. Like I said in my last fiction post on this blog, please send me prompts---I only have 10 so far!
Challenge me with an interesting picture that you would like me to write on, and drop me story starters, each sentence/phrase beginning with a different letter (i.e. the first word of the starter must start with a different letter from A to Z). Since I'm co-hosting, I need to schedule all A-Z posts in March, so I can get on with hosting duties---this is an urgent request!
You can drop me the prompts in the comments on this post. You may also mail me the pictures and story prompts at atozstories at gmail dot com.You need not be participating in the A to Z Challenge to challenge me with either a story starter, or a picture, or both. The more the merrier! Last year I had asked for word prompts, and I got loads to choose from! This year, I'm taking it a step further.
As a sort of warm-up and illustration of what I hope to do, I'm pasting below a picture, a story starter( both randomly chosen) and the resulting drabble.
Story starter: The only thing remarkable about ...
Picture:
The only thing remarkable about Miranda was her voice like coarse sugar, which proved to be her undoing at the Annual Charity Halloween Ball. The minute she spoke they knew who she was. She never won any prizes.
One year she went clad in a fencing costume with the back of her head split open, dripping blood. Every time someone spoke to her, she coughed and removed a bloodied handkerchief from her lips.
Since no one wanted the handsome carpet ruined by too much blood, they declared the winner early. She went up to the dais, and fell down, quite dead.
For most of you in the United States, did you remember to set your clocks forward for Daylight Savings Time?
The A to Z Video Challenge Contest ends tonight. We must have your videos turned in by 11:59 PM EST tonight Sunday March 11, 2012. Finalists (which may be all submitted videos since there are so few) will be selected by readers via a voting poll which will be made available between March 15th and 19th. Since there are so few videos entered, the poll may actually appear earlier than March 15th. Be watching the A to Z Blog site to vote for your favorites.
Kern Windwraith at The Odd Particle [Re]View decided to take the plunge into the alphabet soup of April. Don't worry, Kern, you'll be fine.
Deena will be busy in April as she participates her blogs Deena's Days and On the Road with U2. On the latter she'll be doing her 26 favorite U2 songs from A to Z--that should be fun.
Victoria at Always a Booklover makes a hard sell for her readers to join the Challenge. Good promotion Victoria!
November Rain has her own special A to Z blog at A-Z Bloggit Write. She debuted her site with a Challenge announcement. Go over and become an early follower.
Rek from A Chronicle of Dreamssubmitted her video offering last week-end and had a few more words to say about her entry and the A to Z Challenge.
Some great Challenge tips are offered at a post from RJR Daydreamer. This might be a good checklist for everyone to review.
Ruth at Welcome to Me offered a Challenge post awhile back showing that it's not always all about her.
LB from LB & J blog is taking the big plunge to make her first blogging challenge the April A to Z. She's planning a fun theme revolving around Disney.
The official announcement of acceptance was made at Club Creative Studio. I guess we should be expecting some creative posts from this blog.
Suze at Analog Breakfast offered some helpful tips about A to Z Blogging on her site.
Pick a day at My Write Spotand you're apt to find something about the April Challenge. Donna's doing it right/write. Maybe you can help her out.
My dear blogging friend Debra Harris-Johnson from Dream Weaver puts the A to Z Challenge in perspective as she reflects on its value and its potential for those who write.
A to Z co-host Damyanti is still looking for your help with story prompts for her April Challenge entries. Read about it at Amlokiblogs.
Telling others about the A to Z Challenge works. Read the story at The Writer's Experiment for a testimonial.
I missed this mention from early last month. Jan at begin...begin again made the announcement shortly after sign-ups opened and I'd be amiss not to mention this.
Rhonda Parrish is asking readers to ask her a question. Go to her blog to find out why.
Pam at 2 Encourage tells about how her Challenge theme in April will be about "The Blessings of Blogging". There are so many aren't there.
Carrie Anne Brownian will be digging up characters to bring back to life. Hmmm--that maybe isn't phrased quite right. I've made it sound like a zombie theme. You'll have to go to her site to read more.
You might find it helpful to read Jo's fine article at In Which We Start Anew--good advice for all.
Jarm Del Boccio at Making the Write Connections wants lots of bloggers to join in the A to Z Challenge. She would also like for all of you to stop by and give her a little help.
Ms. Pat at just sayin' has a lot going on, but she's moving forward with the April Challenge on top of everything else.
Texas Yellow Rose from Phoenix Once Again does some contemplating about the Challenge--yes, it's going to be fun.
Story Gush gushed about the Challenge. Well, at least gave a short mention. The chosen topic sounds like a fun one.
Kela atTeardrops On My Book also gave A to Z a plug just in time to make this week's Sunday Summary.
We're trying to keep up with all of the mentions. If you run across one that you think should be included in the next Sunday Summary, please let us know. Make sure you stop by today's featured blogs and tell these bloggers hello.
Another video entry came in, this one from Rachel Morgan:
Name: Jeremy Hawkins Blog[s]: "Retro-Zombie" "Two Thumbs" Other Online Info (Twitter, Facebook, Website): Tweet "@iZombieJMH", Facebook "Jeremy" and "Ebook Designs" Publications: I have recently finished a book called "CHATTERBOX" that I wrote back in 1996, that I have wanted to share and I did. It was meant to be a very visual book and in 1996 no publisher wanted to touch it, times have changed and I made it like I wanted to see it.
10 GETTING TO KNOW YOU QUESTIONS
01. What is the most daring thing you've ever done?
-Doing an opening for a tv show I worked on in the 1990's for something called Fangoria's "Weekend Of Horrors" I had to do my opening on the stage before the show started. People kept coming in to sit and I was nervous to begin with, there were a good 300 hundred people cheering me to screw up.25 takes later and a crowd of who turned on me about 12 takes into it...
02. What is your favorite article of clothing?
-My leather jacket that is pushing 15 years old.
03. What is your favorite monster? -Peloquin from "Nightbreed" 04. If you had to dress up as your favorite literary character, who would it be?
-Gandalf - JRR Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings
05. What is your favorite fairy tale, urban legend or nursery rhyme?
-Hey Diddle Diddle
06. What is a cause near and dear to your heart?
-Fighting Cancer... for my father [rest in peace]
07. What's the strangest item you've used as a bookmark?
-Banana Peel.
08. Do you have any nicknames? What are they and how did you earn them?
-My friends used to call me "JH" cause we all went by our initials and it sounded cool, lately I am more of a "grunt sound". People now sort of call me "J" it's easy I guess...
09. Name one habit you want to change in yourself:
- My focus is so bad I find myself one place and the next I am somewhere else... what were we talking about?
10. Tell us something interesting or shocking about yourself:
- Shocking, huh? I wear a cowboy hat when I work on my computer [and nothing else, shocked... ha], it gives me a sense of a wild side. Interesting about me, I love soundtrack/scores to films I have over 4000 plus and it's mostly scores. Some get confused what is the difference between a score and a soundtrack... a score is the musical piece and the soundtrack is different bands singing songs.
SOME A-to-Z QUESTIONS
01. What was your favorite A-to-Z post from 2011?
-This is an easy one... the letter "O" and I am not sure why it brings the most attention... people come looking for my "O" post at least 50 a week.
02. What brought you to the A-to-Z originally? Tell us about your first A-to-Z:
- I knew a guy who knew a guy and that guy knew this girl... I am thanking my good friend and co-host Alex who has this amazing gift to be on the pulse of the blog world and his love for "Rush". It's funny how it started for me, at the time I was doing lots of art/design that features "ZOMBIES" and felt this was a great chance for me to switch to something less monstrous. A to Z challenge was my chance to be normal, but if you have seen my stuff... what is normal?
03. Are you doing a theme?
-There is a theme, though will it be entertaining... fingers crossed!
04. Are you writing & scheduling posts in advance?
- Oh my gosh, yes... last year I went in unprepared and it is harder to come up with something, I went blank at least 26 times.
05. What is your favorite letter of the alphabet, and why? What letter do you like least?
"W" is my most confused letter in the bunch... shouldn't it be "Double V" instead of "Double U"... though it's not a hate more of a sadness. I love the letter "X" cause that marks the spot to many things... treasure, last crusades and a world of generation "X'rs.
I am hoping you all will stop by the retro-ranch soon... those who might be interest in reading my mess of a book... I will let you... email me and I will send you a link....
