#AtoZ : A to Z Challenge Sunday Summary

        Our fellow co-host from Retro-Zombie has been turning out some beautiful blog art for those who want to adorn their sites with A to Z decor.  Check the tab at the top of the page for additional selections.

      We're looking for you to start promoting the A to Z Challenge outside of the blog circle that includes you who have joined already.  There are an untold number of bloggers who would love to do what we're going to do this April, but they don't know about it yet. When it comes to telling others, it starts right at your own blog.   Have you been helping to spread the word about the A to Z April Challenge?   It helps the cause when you tell friends and post publicity articles on your blog.

      Here are a few that I found this week:

      Lucy Adams announced her intentions to return to do the Challenge of 2012.  We're glad to see you back Lucy.  And thanks for that rousing plug for A to Z.  I was surprised to learn that Lucy published a Kindle book based on her posts from last year--the third A to Z inspired book that I'm aware of.  Take a look at ABC Book of Literary Devices.

       Joyce Sully from Small Wonders is also going to be joining us in April.  How do I know?  She announced it in her blog!  Welcome to the April fun.

        At Older Mommy Still Yummy Monica tells about her experience in last year's Challenge and provides words of encourage to those who are considering this year.  Nice job Monica!

          I absolutely adored the alphabetical call to action from Anna Smith at Universal Gibberish.  Go by and say hello after you read this for yourself.

         Passionate Musings did some ruminating about the Challenge as well.

          Ella at Ella's Edge found her topic for the letter Z.  She provides a peek into her April plans.

         Cherie Reich is offering a promotional opportunity for published or soon-to-be published authors on her blog Surrounded By Books.    Don't pass up this one up if you want to get your name out there a bit more.  Free promotion?  What's not to like about that?

        Since we're on the subject of getting yourself promoted, if you missed my discussion of this topic earlier in the week please check it out starting with Tossing It Out and following the link trail from there.  Self-promotion is nothing to be ashamed of nor be intimidated by.  In fact, for authors or anyone with something they want the world to know about, if you don't promote it yourself it may not get done at all.  Helping to promote A to Z will get your feet wet and make it easier for you to promote yourself later.   Stephen Tremp has already stated his intentions on becoming a "publicity hound".

        The A to Z Challenge announcement can also be found at Lady Reader's Bookstuff, The Written Word, and Rebekah Loper,

        Show your support for all of these A to Z Challenge allies by visiting their blogs, leaving a message, and giving them a follow.

         Tracy Jo at Brand New Day dropped a teaser in her blog that she has an A to Z video forthcoming for the A to Z Video Contest.  I'm anxious to see what she'll come up with.
 
         We're still accepting submissions for the A to Z Video Contest and you can find details in a tab at the top of the page.  To inspire you here's an entry received this week from Dale Smurthwaite from Smurfin' the Web.   Enjoy:





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Training for the A to Z Challenge: Guest Post from Journaling Woman

         A couple of weeks ago, Teresa from Journaling Woman published a post that offered some great tips on meeting the Challenge in the best blogging shape.   It was entertaining and funny, but on target as to some of the things challengees will want to consider as they approach April.   Teresa has given me permission to reprint her post on the A to Z Blog.

Lee at Tossing it Out is the man behind the scheme. He thought up this challenging blogfest and it’s been a hit ever since. And he’s recruited some of his friends and fellow bloggers along the way to help. Beginning January 30^th you can sign up.

Now, I don’t join blogfests often. There’s the commitment issues. There’s the “marching to my own drummer” philosophy. But sometimes you long to belong.

And that’s where the Blogging from A-Z Challenge comes in. To get prepared, I’m in training. Here’s my workout plan.

Exercising

Fingers stretch out. Fingers pull in. Repeat eight more times. Then—stop.

Resting

·         Get eight hours of sleep.

·         Dream each night about a dancing alphabet.

·         Leap vigorously to catch random letters in your dreams since you will need them to complete A-Z.

·         And even if they struggle and bite to be free, catch them. It’s well worth it.

Mental Games

Repeat daily: A-Z is only one month. Not even a month. Only 26 days. It’s a challenge not a marriage. You’re only committing yourself for 26 days. Consider it a very long date.

 Read

·         The Little Engine That Could (I think I can, I think I can)

·         Old A-Z posts for ideas. New A-Z posts for ideas.  (This helps you know you’re not alone.)

·         Gone with the Wind (“I can’t think of that right now, If I do I’ll go crazy. I 'll think about that tomorrow.”)

Nutrition

·         Eat chocolate – lots and any kind is fine.

·         Drink coffee. Lots. Coffee helps with memory. True story, I think.

·         Eat fried foods to store fat because writing is a lonely and cold profession. You’ll need the comfort of fried food.

Write

Write random ideas. Write conversations. Write grocery lists. Write until you find your theme. Then…write it for real.

And that’s my training workout for the Blogging From A-Z Challenge coming to a blog near you April 1-30.  I’m stoked. I have a theme. I’m getting prepared.  

Now go visit the Blogging from A-Z Challenge site to learn more about it. Get outta here--go!

Related articles

• Memoir Through Journaling: guest Teresa the Journaling Woman (wrotebyrote.blogspot.com)
• The Lazy Blogger: Hosting Guests on Your Blog (breakthroughblogs.blogspot.com)

Get Yourself a Theme Song!

Many of you have already planned your A to Z posts. However, I’m sure some of you still wonder what the heck you’re going to do for the Challenge. I understand - I’ve been in both situations. And in case you’re wondering, planning posts around a theme was much easier than winging it!

The first year, I don’t think any of us really knew what we were doing. The closest I came to a theme was that my posts were all entertainment related. Movies, music, games - you name it. For Q, I blogged about Q*Bert and “Q.” Yes, the crappy 1983 movie “Q!” I was desperate…

The second year, I realized I needed a plan of attack. I was a co-host last year as well, and I knew I couldn’t be floundering around for post topics. I at once hit upon the idea of featuring two blogger buddies per letter. Some of the letters were challenging, but I stuck with my topic until the last couple letters. (Thank you, Matthew – QQQE was a much better choice than “Q!”) As an added bonus, everyone really liked my Challenge theme.

You may think A to Z a challenge enough without adding the limitations of a theme. But choosing one overall subject for your posts really allows for a lot of creativity. You could select any topic under the sun and run with it. The only limitations are in your mind. A theme also helps you to plan ahead for each post, which frees your time during the Challenge to visit other blogs.

So, start brainstorming now! Avoid total brain freeze when you reach the more difficult letters. Believe me, you don’t want to post about crappy movies like “Q.” I’ve already done that!

Ninja Captain and A to Z Challenge Co-Host
Alex J. Cavanaugh


And related to today's topic comes another entry to the A to Z Video Contest.  Today's submission comes from Dale Smurthwaite at Smurfin' the Web.   Hop over to his site and say hello.  If you are interested in knowing more about the A to Z Video Contest click on the appropriate tab at the top of the page.   Now rock out to Dale's video:






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A to Z Challenge--How to Wing It in Style: guest from Jamie at Mithril Wisdom

        Jamie Gibbs from Mithril Wisdom is no stranger to the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge.  In this guest post Jamie provides some excellent Challenge wisdom that may alleviate some stress come April.  

A to Z Blogging - How to wing it in style

It’s certainly no secret that I rarely prepare for blog-type events. I’m usually the one frantically hitting that “Publish’ button mere seconds before each deadline (and on one occasion, several days after it). I enjoy the spontaneity of winging it and the thrill of the unexpected when I blog with little planning. However, writing by the seat of your pants does not mean you should walk into the A to Z Challenge blind. A small amount of planning can go a very long way. Here’s a few tips to wing it without making a fool of yourself.

●        Know your theme

            Even if your theme is to have no theme, make sure you know the general feel of the posts that you’ll write. Things will be a lot easier when you’re sitting at your keyboard, struggling to find that elusive ‘Q’ topic, if you know that whatever the ‘Q’ is, it needs to be in the realm of, say, Aztec gods (and the answer, of course, would be Quetzalcoatl).

●        Prep each day with one word

            You have two whole months until the Challenge starts, so grab a pen and paper, and write the alphabet. Go on, do it, don’t be shy. I’ll wait. I’ll just busy myself thinking about dragons.

Right, done that? Awesome. Now think about a single word to go with each letter (sticking with your theme). I hope you left enough room next to each letter to write the word itself. I probably should have mentioned that earlier. Hmm . . .

It may take some time, but using those single words will make your posts so much quicker to write each day. Even if you still haven’t thought of any for the elusive ‘Q’ by the time April rolls around, you’ll have 25 less posts to worry about because of your list.

●        Read around. Read widely. Read everything!

            The A to Z Challenge is about community above all else. There are hundred of awesome bloggers who are participating, and it would be a shame for you to miss out. Don’t just read the blogs you know, or those who comment on your posts. Don’t just focus on the blogs that are similar to your own. You’ll be surprised how much inspiration you’ll get from reading outside of your comfort zone. Even better, you’ll meet new friends along the way. Everyone’s a winner!

Good luck to all of you, and extra good luck to my fellow winging bloggers. I look forward to seeing you blogging by the seat of your pants - and doing it in style.

Related articles

• Inspiration for your posts (a-to-zchallenge.com)
• alexandra heep (a-to-zchallenge.com)
• Tell Me About This A to Z Challange (a-to-zchallenge.com)

Telling the Rest of the World: Publicizing the Challenge

Image via Wikipedia
       Li from Flash Fiction requested that we address the subject of getting publicity for the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.  As an author, Li recognizes that participating in an event such as the April Challenge can add something extra to her writing resume and even more so when people know what the A to Z Challenge is.  How do we go about getting the word out?

       Many of you have already been publicizing the Challenge on your blogs and that is something that is greatly appreciated.  It because of the bloggers like you that the list grows with new participants.  Don't stop promoting the Challenge to other bloggers.  Let's get as many participants as we can.

       But what about the bloggers who aren't part of the community in which we blog?  There are millions of bloggers out there and most of them don't know about the A to Z Challenge.  And how about those who don't have blogs (or at least not yet) who just enjoy reading things on line?   How do we tell those people about the A to Z Challenge?

        One way is getting the word out through the media.    There are many outlets out there through which you can spread the news about A to Z:   newspapers, newsletters, magazines, radio, television, and so on.  Why would we want to do this?  My answer is to be a part of something notable.

        Many of you blog in order to promote yourself or some product that you represent, such as your books or other creations.   When you are attached to something big you gain additional recognition for what you are doing outside the Challenge.  Even if you aren't promoting anything in particular it's still fun to have the bragging rights of being part of something that others have heard about.  If an event or movement that you are a part of "makes the news", you are a part of something noteworthy and you can use that to your advantage.

       In the interest of keeping this post short, I'm going to quickly offer some ways you can help spread the word about A to Z in a bigger way than just on your blogs.

       Here are some things you might try:

        1)    Contact someone you know who has media ties.  Perhaps you know someone who works for a newspaper or radio station, publishes a local newsletter, or is affiliated with an online news distributor.   Let them know about the Challenge.  Be excited about it and ask them if they can help by featuring it in the resource they work with.   Offer to write the story for them.

       2)   Ask someone who knows someone.  Maybe you're part of a committee or have kids on a sports team.  Find out who submits news releases to media outlets and ask them if they can help you make contact.  Or there might be a neighbor or relative who has contacts that can help.  Check around. Be creative.

        3)   Keep your eyes and ears open.  Your local newspaper probably offers a forum for making announcements--add your A to Z announcement for local bloggers to see.  Put up notices on public bulletin boards at libraries, student centers, and other similar places.  Find any opportunity you can to tell others about the A to Z Challenge.  Last year my daughter in New Jersey called me in Los Angeles to tell me about a radio talk show where the topic was blogging.  I got on the phone and before I knew it I was on the radio talking about the Challenge.  Within an hour of that appearance I received several emails about the Challenge from people who had heard me and we saw a spike in sign-ups.

       4)   Be a publicity hound.   Some of you may find self-promoting to be a distasteful activity.  Do it vicariously by promoting the Challenge.  You can drop your name in as a participant and still gain some recognition for yourself.  Get your blog address published and you might get some visitors you might not have otherwise had.  For those of you with product, you may gain new customers.   Self-promo is not a dirty word--it's a necessary part of building your platform.

       These are a few ideas that you can try, but it doesn't end there by any means.  Use your imagination to come up with ways of getting the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge more widely known.  Then tell us about your experiences and send us your links.   We'll tell your story here.

        Last year I offered a series about getting publicity.  This information is not only useful for getting A to Z publicity, but also for promoting your own interests.  Here are the links from last year that you might want to read for more information:

http://tossingitout.blogspot.com/2011/03/more-challenges-reaching-for-stars.html

http://tossingitout.blogspot.com/2011/03/making-news-why-you-should-be-promoting.html

http://tossingitout.blogspot.com/2011/03/easier-way-to-get-news-story.html

http://tossingitout.blogspot.com/2011/03/press-release.html

http://tossingitout.blogspot.com/2011/03/what-story-should-i-tell.html

        Here are a couple examples of good press stories:

From Alana at Writercize:    Benefits of Blogging Challenges

Nicki Elson at Not So Deep Thoughts had this one from last year:  

Author Invites Local Bloggers to Join International Blogging Event

             Try it and let us know about your results.  Have you used press releases to promote yourself or something you were involved with?  What are some other ways you can suggest publicizing A to Z beyond the blogs?




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More Easy Production Ideas for A to Z Video Challenge Entries : Guest Nicole from Madlab Post

Nicole from Madlab Post

         Nicole from Madlab Post is back with some more tips about making videos.  For those who are new to the A to Z Blog or just happened to miss the announcement along the way, we are having an A to Z Video Contest where you can submit a promo video for the April Challenge.  Details can be found by clicking a tab at the top of this page.  There is also a tab where you can go to visit some of the videos that have already been sent to us.  For those who may be intimidated by the prospect of making a video, Nicole is offering some assistance.

More Easy Production Ideas for A to Z Video Challenge Entries – Part 2

        Live shots, which are one of the easiest ways to make a promo for the A to Z Video challenge and get it up online was covered in Part 1 of my production tips for bloggers. Since all videos are not made equal, there are additional ways that you can promote the 2012 Blogging from A to Z Challenge using video editing programs that came with your computer and video footage that you recorded on a camcorder or modern day gadget such as an iPhone or digital camera. Here are some options that can be used to step things up a notch on the editing side when making an online video.

        Import the recorded footage that you want to use into a video editing program that came with your computer. This can be done using either a firewire cable or a USB cable, depending on the camera that you have. If you are using a PC, then you will be making your video with Windows Movie Maker. Mac users can use iMovie to edit their videos.

       To make this process easier, it may be better for you to start off with one or two Live Shot recordings based on the previous post (Part 1) on video tips. Once your video footage is imported into the video editing program, you can trim the footage so that the finished video only includes the portion of the footage that you want. You can also add titles to the video, which makes for a good time to add the address of the A to Z Challenge website in your video somewhere. The screen in Windows Movie Maker and iMovie will display the running time, so you can make sure that it is 2 minutes or less.

      You can also add a music track by importing an MP3 song or audio recording from your computer, into the video editing program and then adding it underneath your video on the timeline (assuming you are either using Windows Movie Maker or iMovie, but other editing programs such as Adobe Premiere Express allow you to add music as well…I just don’t remember what the interface of that particular program is like, so I won’t comment on it at this time) for an extra layer to your Blogging from A to Z promo. Once you have the video done the way you like it, export it or save it and then upload it online somewhere where it can be viewed by the public and submit it using the submission form on the A to Z website and then you're done.  

       Actually, you’re not done….don’t forget to promote it to your blogging friends and social networks or mention it or embed it on your own blog.

Related articles

• iPad Video Editing Gets Serious With Avid Studio (readwriteweb.com)
• A to Z Video Challenge: Some Ideas from Nicole (a-to-zchallenge.com)
• Benefits of Video Marketing (socialpeel.com)
• Week4 Part6 Workshop (slideshare.net)

Banners and Badges... What Would you like to See?

So we all have been coming up with ideas that would better serve all the participants, to make you feel you are all part of our "A to Z Challenge". I am and have been making several of the animated-styled "Banners and Badges" and I wondered what you all might want to see to put on your site/blog?

Some of the issues that come up are: will they fit to my site, do you want animated, how to get them to your site and that darn HTML codes. I hope to make some simple suggestions into making it a little easier and give you some copy and paste codes that will add flair to your site.

Some of the "How To" answers are on our "FAQ", so I will give you some things I have learned over on my time using "Blogger".

One: If you are looking for any of the banners/badges the codes are on main "A to Z" Challenge at top or bottom. Copy the text in box below and then follow these few steps [Blogger Only]:

01. Go to Dashboard

02. Click on Design/Layout

03. Add a Gadget

04. Scroll down until you find "HTML/JavaScript" click open

05. [New Window] Configure HTML/JavaScript comes up

06. Paste "Copied Code" into lower box

07. Give it a "Title"

08. Click Save [Almost Done]

09. Back to Design/Layout [your new banner/badge has to be placed] You need to put it somewhere on your Blogger site. This is completely up to you, we of course would like to see our "A to Z" Challenge up on the top.

Two: Adding A Photo/Picture to your "Blogger" site using our stuff... see the "Banner/Badge" above if you like them please take them, I will help you do that.

01. Right Click [PC] either of the images above and tab them into another window that image should be in a window all by itself. If there is a MAC person out there please share if this is something different, as I am working on PC.

02. Right Click that image and save that image to your hard drive, somewhere where you save your downloaded images.

03. Go to Dashboard

04. Click on Design/Layout

05. Add a Gadget

06. Scroll down until you find "Picture"

07. Add a Title: A to Z April Challenge

08. Add Link: http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/

09. Shrink to fit should be clicked on, to make sure it fits your site.

10. Add Image from Hard Drive and look for that image you saved in your downloaded images

11. Find image and click once so it is "Highlighted" from your computer [you can click twice, it will open much faster] then click open.

12. This image is now loading in the picture window, once complete "Click Save"

13. If the image is too small, then try reloading it... this time click off "Shrink to fit"

14. Back to Design/Layout [your new image/photo has to be placed] You need to put it somewhere on your Blogger site. This is completely up to you, we of course would like to see our "A to Z" Challenge up on the top.

Next Time: How to make your own Moving Pictures in your Post.

Any questions, please ask!

-Jeremy [Retro-Zombie]

Ps. Please let me know what kind of "A to Z Challenge" Banners/Buttons you would like to see, I will see what we can come up with.

Super Blog Sunday

        Despite a bit of a glitch with the Linky list on Friday night to Saturday, the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge of 2012 is off to a huge start.  Over 300 sign ups on opening day!  Captain Alex has been fixing the list whenever fixing has needed to be done so we have a purer list to work from once April comes.  Please let us know if your list information is incorrect and needs to be fixed.  Also, if you run across a link that is bad let us know so Alex can fix it.

        Today we'd like to pay tribute to some super bloggers.   A number of you have helped give the A to Z Challenge an extra boost with your guest posts on this blog as well as posts on your own blogs.

         Here are a few of the fantastic A to Z promoting blogs that have been brought to my attention:

Teresa at Journaling Woman gave a textbook presentation of how to do the A to Z Challenge.  This is an outstanding post that you should check out.

Inky the Hamster Mommy gave the Challenge a nice plug the weekend before sign-ups began.  If you want to see what a niche blog is all about, you need to take a look at Inky's place.  You might end up getting diverted for awhile playing with the cute little hamster.

A new entrant to the Challenge is Aimee Kay from How Can You Help?.   In keeping with her blog name she's helping out by promoting the Challenge.  Check out Aimee's blog for relevant ways to help in your community.

Now whenever I hear someone say "Whatever", I'll be thinking of the Gossip Girl since Whatever is the name of her blog.  She also gave A to Z a shout-out and that's all fact and not gossip.  Well, Whatever!   Hmm,  I like that.

Shay from  Seriously--WTH? joined in the list debut day celebrations with a rousing call to blog action.  Thank you, Shay!

More stirring words came on a debut day post from Jamie at Mithril Wisdom.   Jamie will be a guest on the A  to Z Blog this coming Thursday.

Also spreading the news about A to Z was Heather M. Gardner at The Waiting Is the Hardest Part.

We also appreciate the nod given to the Challenge by Beth Stilborn at On Writing, Reading, the Arts, and Life.

       I'm sure I've missed more of your promo blogs for the April Challenge.  I'm trying to keep my eyes open to catch as many as I can.  I want you to know that we appreciate everything each of you are doing to let more bloggers know what will be happening in April of 2012.  Keep on spreading the news!


Facebook fans!!!  Please "Like" the A to Z Facebook page by clicking the button on the sidebar or go to the page itself at:


  http://www.facebook.com/atozchallenge


We are nearly at 100 likes.   Let's push that number up!


Twitter users!!!   Team member Damyanti, our Twitter news editor, has requested that you get the word out on Twitter.  Follow the Challenge and tweet it everywhere.  Here's our Twitter info:

Twitter: @AprilA2Z

#atozchallenge

Can we get the Twitter followers to 1000?

Related articles

• A Big Day!!! Blogging from A to Z April Challenge Sign-ups Are Open (tossingitout.blogspot.com)
• How To Choose The Right Niche For Your Blog (basicguideforblogger.wordpress.com)
• Official A to Z Sign Ups open today (a-to-zchallenge.com)
• To blog or not to blog (wordingmythoughts.wordpress.com)

Adding Badges and Banners to Your Blog

Badge by Jeremy at Retro-Zombie

     The 2012 A to Z Challenge is off to an exciting start.  We are hovering around the 500 count right now and growing steadily.  I encourage each of you to continue promoting the Challenge on your blogs and in comments.  Let's aim for 1000 sign ups before the end of February.  We'll give some reasons why you might want more sign-ups in future posts.

       Alana Garrigues from Writercize did a nice job promoting the Challenge this past week. Check this out:

http://technorati.com/blogging/article/benefits-of-blogging-challenges/    

Please show Alana your appreciation by stopping by her blog to say hello and thank you.   We'll probably hear more from Alana on this site in the weeks to come.  

       Have you seen the A to Z Twitter newspaper that Damyanti has been managing for the Challenge?  It's in the sidebar to your right if you want to click on it and see the full thing.  Damyanti has been doing an outstanding job keeping the Twitter buzz going with tweets and the newspaper.   If you're on Twitter be sure to follow the Challenge at @AprilA2Z.   The hashtag is #atozchallenge.  Since I'm not on Twitter yet I don't know exactly what this means, but those who are should know what I am talking about.  Keep the Twitter buzz coming.  Damyanti will be here on the A to Z Blog in an upcoming segment to talk more about this Twitter topic.  

        Jeremy from Retro-Zombie will be also providing you with some helpful information in an upcoming post.  In case you don't know him yet, Jeremy is one of the A to Z co-hosts.  I encourage you to stop by his blog and say hello.  He is a very creative guy.  Jeremy is responsible for the animated badges and banners you can find here on the A to Z Blog page and have probably been seeing popping up on blogs everywhere.  Have you added one to your page yet?

         We've had a number of folks wondering how to add badges and banners to their sites.  Today I'm providing a brief how-to for those of you who have Blogger blogs:      

    How do I add a badge or banner to my own blog? (old Blogger format)   

 Here is how to put the badge or banner that includes code on your site if you are using the old Blogger .

1. Copy the code beneath whichever badge or banner you prefer. The badges and banners  appear on the A to Z Blog page. The code is in a small text box beneath the badges and banners.

2. Click "Design" at the top right hand corner and you should be taken to a page where page changes can be made.

3. You should see a sidebar with a little box that says "Add a Gadget" at the top. Click that link.

4. A pop-up box should appear. Scroll down to "HTML/ Java Script" and click the plus sign.

5. A configure box should appear. You can give a title. In this case something like "Blogging from A to Z Challenge" or "I'm Blogging from A to Z in April". Then in the content box you will paste the code that you have previously copied. Click save and that box should disappear.

6. to be safe also click "Save" on the top right of the Page Element page. Then click view blog and you will be taken to the blog page again where you should see the badge if you've done it right.

How do I add a badge or banner to my own blog?

These directions are for installing the “2012 Blogging from A to Z” badge or the other badges and banners that provide code on a Blogger-hosted blog, using the newest version of the editor.

1) Choose the badge or banner you wish to add.

2) Copy the code from the box under the badge.  Make sure you scroll through that whole window because there's more code than is displayed in that small box.

2) Click "design" at the top, right of your own blog.

3) Click "layout" from the menu down the left side of the page.

4) Click "add a gadget" in the place where you'd like the badge

5) Scroll down the list of available gadgets until you get to "html/javascript" "add 3rd party functionality or other code to your blog", then click the blue plus sign.

5) Paste the code you copied in step one into the big, blank box.

6) If you want to add a caption, put it in the strip where it says, "title".

7) Click "save."

8) Now view your blog to see if it worked!

         Remember that whenever you have questions, you can ask in the comment section or click on the FAQ tab above to see if the question has already been answered.  If there is no answer yet, ask!

          Hope you're having fun visiting your fellow A to Z-ers.  If you're not yet, I encourage you to drop by some of them between now and April.

          Don't forget the Video Contest.  You can read about it by clicking on the appropriate tab at the top of the page.  If you missed it earlier this week, I leave you with the most recent entry sent in by Kathleen at Living 2012:

Light My Fire: Reflections on the A to Z Challenge

Today we have the privilege of helping Jaime D. of Awakenings and Reflections celebrate her blog's 2^nd anniversary! She's guest posting to offer some motivations that will light the fire in YOU  to join us for the challenge!  Let's give her a warm, alphabet-fan welcome!

Light My Fire: Reflections on the A to Z Challenge

       I have been blogging for two years and really enjoy it. There are so many interesting people in the world and blogging connects us on multiple levels. As much as I love blogging, I just don’t feel like I have fully embraced it. I am intentional about creating my posts and I truly appreciate all of the amazing writers and photographers who share their work. I’ve been feeling stuck, though. I have felt like I need to move forward and I didn’t know how to. That is until I came across an A to Z Blogging Challenge badge at Teresa's blog, Journaling Woman.

     After reading about the Challenge, I feel motivated to join. More importantly, I feel motivated to write. Since this will be my first time, I’ve been reviewing the great tips and resources out there. It seems like most people are faced with the ultimate question: to write posts ahead or not? I have decided to choose my words prior to April. They will be words that mean something to me so that when I write I am being authentic. I have created a table with the different posting days in April and am jotting down one or two words (post themes) when they pop into my head. But who am I kidding? I am a procrastinator and I work best under pressure. I’ve always been like this and it is too late in life to pretend that I’m not. I’ll probably end up with a combination of pre-written and in-the-moment posts.

       I’m sure that this challenge holds different meanings for everyone involved and that bloggers are motivated to join for an array of unique reasons. For me, the A to Z Blogging Challenge is the spark that has been missing in my blog world. I already feel a rush of adrenaline from the anticipation, an increased sense of community and the energized feeling I get when I know I am about to embark on an adventure. My creative fire has been lit and I am thankful for the spark provided by the A to Z Challenge.

Wishing that everyone finds their spark,

Jaime, of Awakenings and Reflections

   

How to save a post for a later date and time

I remember how tickled I was when I found out how to save a post for a later date and time.

This is how it’s done, using the “old” Blogger interface. 

Write a post.

Decide on the date and time of posting.

Click on Post Option.

Select the Schedule at option.

Then go ahead and set the date and time.

Click on picture to enlarge.

When you are finished setting the date and time you MUST press the PUBLISH POST button to save it as “Scheduled” to your post listings.

If you go back and edit this post, you MUST press the PUBLISH POST otherwise it will be saved as a draft.

Click on picture to enlarge.

Finally, this is how it will look in your Posting List. Note the difference! 

Click on picture to enlarge.

I hope you find this helpful - if you need further assistance you can visit me HERE and leave me a note; you can also leave your questions here in the comment section...either way, I’ll be happy to help you out!

Cheers, Jenny @ Pearson Report

A to Z Video Challenge: Some Ideas from Nicole

         Now that you're signed up for April you've got 2 months to get ready for it.  This is a great time to make a video to enter into the A to Z Video Promo Contest.  Make a short video about the A to Z April Challenge and submit it to us.   Check the above tabs for more details.  And to provide some helpful tips on video ideas we have Nicole from The Madlab Post with us.

Easy Production Ideas for A to Z Video Challenge Entries – Part 1

Nicole from The Madlab Post

Contrary to what some bloggers who are Blogging from A to Z in April may believe, making a video for the A to Z Promo Contest that is open now, is pretty easy. It’s 2012! Meaning, you don’t need rolls of 8mm film and conversion equipment to submit something to the A to Z Video Challenge. All you need is a video recording device. Don’t have a camcorder? That’s ok too.

In this day and age, you probably own at least one gadget that has the capabilities to give you a two minute long video recording, such as an iPhone, iPod, Digital Camera (you know, the ones you use to take digital photos of your vacation or kid’s birthday party with? If you have a newer model, as in the last 5 years or so, it should have a video recording feature), Flipcam, Android phone with video capability, DSLR with video capability or a webcam…yes, I said a webcam, but before you either get your undies in a bunch or start losing them to get ready for your closeup because you’re such an exhibitionist, read on as I unpack a box of the simplest ways for Bloggers participating in the A to Z challenge to make a video promo for this event….webcam not included!

It’s all in the Live Shots

Make a video that features everything you want all in one shot, or rather, one recording. You just press the record button, record all you need to get in the video…in 2 minutes or less, of course, and be done with it. It does not matter what you choose to be the subject of your live shot nor does it matter what you record, so long as everything is included to convey the message that you want to get across to viewers.

You can record yourself talking to the camera, similar to the style in which one would record a live video podcast or TV contest entry. For those of you who are camera shy, like me, you also have the option to let the world or your surroundings speak for you. Record your pets or an area of beautiful scenery in your town and then signage to convey the message of your video. Want music? Play a song on your radio in the background while recording the video. Don’t have a radio? Fine. Put a CD into your DVD player and turn on the TV to let the sound play through the speakers in the background. Problem solved!

Have kids? Great! Let them be the star of the live shot and instruct them to talk about the A to Z challenge or the alphabet in general. You can also use props to spice up your live shot so that it doesn’t look like a talking head from the local news broadcast, boring viewers to death. That is of course, unless you want to have a talking head video as your live shot. There are ways to make this work without being boring.

You can either record a simple video testimonial, talking about your previous experience with the A to Z challenge, why you plan to blog from A to Z in April or what your exact blogging strategy is to complete the challenge and come out on the other side in one piece…OR…you can find one of those silly Bobble head toys (they make a lot of them for NFL players) and record the bobble head while you act as the voice in the background. The live shot approach works well for those using digital cameras or video camcorders that can be easily connected to a computer for sending to a hard drive and/or then uploading to YouTube or other online video website of your choosing.

Stay tuned for more ideas for the folks among you who want to take it a step further and get all fancy with recorded footage! In the meantime, if you need inspiration or need to see examples of how simple yet powerful one shot or live shot video recordings can be, just check out some of the “My Secrets” uploads on YouTube. This one made by Kaline Bran almost moved me to tears.


Visit Nicole at
The Madlab Post

video link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENZIaXjVAc4


Here's a quick sample that Nicole put together for this post that will further illustrate what she's talking about above:




And here is our latest entry sent in from Kathleen at Living 2012:



See--isn't that fun?

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