Quiz Time!

If you find yourself scrambling for something to write a post about, I have a suggestion: A QUIZ!

"Quiz" probably isn't the word for what I'm thinking of. I've seen it called a meme, a blog hop, even a blog award. Whatever you call it, you ask some questions and invite your readers to answer them, either in the comments or on their own blog with a "ping back" to yours. (Or, if you work with Blogger, a comment on your blog with the address of their answers.)

One I participate in is Share Your World, hosted by Melanie. She gives us four or five discussion questions, which we answer on our own blogs and "ping back" to hers. It's fun to do, and even if the questions are serious, I usually find a way to make my answer humorous, which is not the same as humerus, the bone between your shoulder and your elbow.

Give it a try sometime. I think you'll enjoy it.

Be sure your blog displays the participant badge so people know that you're doing the Challenge!

Please consider getting a t-shirt.

Be sure to get a copy of the Master List! Go here and select File > Save A Copy.

P is for Perfection (or lack thereof) #atozchallenge

Are you a perfectionist? It can be both a good and a bad thing. Do you struggle with needing everything you do to be absolutely perfect, just so? Is it a driving force in your work, or does it keep you from writing? Do you keep endlessly tweaking your WIP, and not letting anyone read it until you think it's good enough?

If any of these things sound familiar, I have a challenge for you:

DO SOMETHING 'OKAY'. Not perfect. Just okay.

Write something imperfect. Show an unfinished story to a stranger. Publish a blog post that could probably use more editing. Take a leap. Not everything has to be perfect all the time. Give yourself permission to make mistakes. (It really is harder than it sounds.)

And if you are on the reader/commenter side of this thing, here are some things you can do to help:

1. Compliment specific things! It means a whole lot to writers to read compliments that go into detail.

2. Tell people what you want more of. More of that character. More of that kind of story. More of that fantasy world. It is a lot more inspiring than "constructive criticism." 

3. Don't message people with "I found a typo!" Just. Don't.

Happy writing, happy reading, happy blogging! :)

Off Day Tomorrow!

Tomorrow is an "off day" in the Challenge. Remember, we take Sundays off from publishing A to Z Challenge posts. So tell me, what are your plans for tomorrow?

• Write and schedule this week's Challenge posts. Many of us completed all our Challenge posts and scheduled them before April started, but many others are writing their posts while the Challenge is ongoing. You might want to use tomorrow to get a few posts written and scheduled.
• Write and schedule this week's non-Challenge posts. Just because the A to Z Challenge is ongoing doesn't mean that all other blogging activity has to come to a halt. I have several features (Song of the Day, One Liner Wednesday etc.) that I'm continuing this month. How about you?
• Catch up on your Challenge reading. We get so busy reading and replying to comments on our blogs that we might let our reading and commenting on other blogs fall behind. That's part of what Sunday's for. It's also what the Road Trip is all about. More on that later.
• Something else (maybe nothing?) Spend time with your family! Watch a ballgame! Do some more work on that novel! Take the whole day off from blogging and the Challenge. It'll all be there on Monday.

Whatever you choose to do tomorrow, enjoy your day! We're past the halfway point. Only two more weeks to go!

Be sure your blog displays the participant badge so people know that you're doing the Challenge!

Please consider getting a t-shirt.

Be sure to get a copy of the Master List! Go here and select File > Save A Copy.