#atozchallenge: Sunday Summary March 18, 2012

Voting for the A to Z Video Challenge ends tonight at 11:59 Eastern Time.  Don't forget to go to the voting tab at the top of this page and register your vote!


Still A to Z posts popping up everywhere!  Here are some that we found recently:

Rena J Traxel is looking for some help for her April Challenge project and she's got a contest underway as well.

Fang at Fang Talks is ready to bite into the Challenge.  Talk your friends into joining, Fang.

Susan Oloier, Author has gone and done it--signed up for the Challenge.  I'm going to have to check into those raspberry Hershey kisses that she mentions.

Minnie, the ever popular denizen of Siv Maria's blog Been there, done that, made an appearance this week to preview the upcoming April offerings for that blog.  Sounds like some naughty, but witty fun from A to Z.  Siv also had a post encouraging everyone to disable the dreaded Captcha.

Jaycee DeLorenzo needs someone to hold her--or a least provide some moral support to get through the Challenge.  You can do it Jaycee!

TMW Hickman is Not Just Another Mother Blogger.  She offers her Reasons to Blog from A to Z.

Li at Flash Fiction suggests "Topics You Could Use {But May Not Want To}".   Actually some of them sound pretty good.  I hope someone takes her up on these.

There was lots of buzz about Word Verification this past week.  Jeremy at Geeky Tendencies was one of those offering a reminder to turn it off for April.

Claire at Claire's Writing Log is dedicating her April Challenge to her infant daughter--stories that she can read to her little girl when she's old enough to understand.  What a cool legacy to create during the A to Z!

Nikki at Inspire Nordic was practicing her A to Z chops with a little encouragement for more bloggers to sign up for the Challenge.

Yadin Bromberg is still plugging away at the A to Z Challenge.  This time he's wondering what he should blog about during April.   Whatever it is have fun with it!

Mary Aalgaard at Play off the Page is thinking about words and the April Challenge.  She also has some questions for her readers.

A to Z inspiration from The Twilight Zone?  Sure, why not!  It worked for Anna Smith at Universal Gibberish and her post tells the story.

Jessica Bell and Dawn Ius have another great A to Z plan in mind this year.  Read about it at The Alliterative Allomorph


We're glad to hear that Delores from The Feathered Nest has decided to join us in the April Challenge after all.   She's come up with a theme we can all relate to.

Dare to Know All There Is to Learn has made its April intentions known.

Shannon at Shannon's Book Bag will be back to try the Challenge again this year with hopes that she won't run into similar obstacles as last year.  Good luck Shannon.

Another blogger signed up may be a Daydreamer but she's also One Mum, Two Girls, and a Chauffeur--well that's her blog.    Stop by and maybe you can help her decide how she should approach the A to Z Challenge.

A call was put out for poets to join the Challenge at My Heart's Love Songs.   Thanks!

A to Z co-host Tina Downey  paid a visit to House Revivals to tell more folks about the April Challenge.

In a seemingly slightly eccentric move, Rob at The Slightly Eccentric Diary of Rob Z Tobor looks like he's already started the A to Z Challenge on his blog, but his March posts are only a warm-up for things to come in April.

Another blogger convinced by others to join in the A to Z fun is Violet from Revolution Evolution.

Sometimes I feel like I'm losing track of the blogs I include on the Sunday Summary.  I try to leave a comment on the blogs I've included.  I didn't see my comment on Sabrina's Writing Reflections post announcing that she had joined in so here is the mention in this summary.

Gossip Girl offers up some helpful reminders at Whatever.

That's it for this week's Sunday Summary.  Please try and stop by some of these highly supportive blogs and make a new friend...or in some cases say hello to an old friend.


And Don't Forget to Vote, Vote, Vote for your favorite A to Z Video.  If you haven't seen the videos yet, they're short and fun to watch.   And voting is easy.   Show our video entrants your appreciation for what they've done.




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A-Z Challenge 101: Etiquette Lessons For the Truly Novice Blogger

Welcome to Blogging 101: Blogging Etiquette For the Truly Novice Blogger.


Hello class!  Today's lesson is a review.  The big event is just 15 days away, and I just want to go over three very important topics regarding manners.

Question 1: What does it mean to follow a blog?  Well class, that's one of those topics that is WIDE open for interpretation. It's the sort of question that each blogger gets to answer as he or she sees fit. I'll be answering with my interpretation, since I'm the teacher. There are many different opinions, and I'm hoping that the comments on this lesson will be others sharing there views on the topic. Ahem, ya'll hear that? When I follow a blog, I feel like I'm putting a book-mark on that page so I can find it again. There are millions of blogs out there. Stumbling across the really cool one with the sunflower and flamingos logo again is kinda like winning a carnival game. Fat chance. (The sunflowers and flamingos, that would be my newly remodeled blog, by the way.  Our very own Retro-Zombie Jeremy genius digital artist did that)

Some bloggers do what we call a return follow – if you follow my blog, I'll go follow yours. See the inherent problem here? What if no one starts that chain reaction? Then what do you do? YOU GO EVERYWHERE. The absolute best way to gain followers is to go visit as many blogs as you can. Follow the ones you'd like to come back to. Polite bloggers, and most are polite, will in some way respond to your comment, either by visiting you, or by email, or by following you.

Question 2: What's the difference between someone following my blog and me being in the sidebar in somebody's blog-roll? Again, everyone gets to decide this one. I have a list of over 100 blogs I follow, but my blog roll is reserved for those I visit regularly, and has about 20 blogs in it. I change it frequently to reflect what I'm currently reading. I think of it as my “must read” and it does help bring visitors to those blogs. If you go check your stats, you can see what blogs are sending visitors your way. I always consider it a big honor when I find myself in someone's blog-roll. For example, our own Alex J. Cavanaugh has 1414 followers. I'm in his blog-roll. Half of the new people who come to see me, come from his blog. That's a lot of very nice advertising for me. Not everyone displays a blog-roll, but I highly recommend you do. It's a nice community-building effort on your part, and will bring good return on your time invested.

Question 3: What are the rules about commenting? Say it with me this time: each blogger handles this in their own way. I hope that in the comments on this post, you'll hear more ideas so that you have a wide range of opinions on which to base your decisions. If I visit a blog, I leave a comment. It's a “you scratch my back – I'll scratch yours” deal, just like the following. To show that you've actually read the post, say something specific, and then you can leave a standard part like, "I'm visiting from the A-Z Challenge, nice to meet you."  Sometimes it's hard to find something positive to say, but try to find something in common. My Best and I call these comments, the “Oh! I have a dog too!” comments. I think you catch the drift.

Before I dismiss for the day, here's your homework:

1. Turn off word verification. See this post for directions.
2. Put a link to your blog in your signature so that we can easily visit you back.  
3. Play nice with each other. No post. Just do it.
   
   
   Please vote for your favorite A to Z Video.  Voting closes tomorrow, Sunday night, March 18.  For ballot, go to the top of this page and click on the tab that indicates "Vote for A to Z Video" and then follow the instructions.
   
   
   Thanks!
   P.S I'm also at House Revivals today, telling Amanda's 800+ followers about the challenge.  I'd consider it a personal favor if you hopped over there to say "hi" and leave a comment for her.  
   
   Tina @ Life is Good 
   Co-Host of the April A to Z Challenge 
    Twitter: @AprilA2Z #atozchallenge

Encouraging Comments – Make it Easy

Preparing for the Challenge is a lot of work. We have twenty-six posts to compose for April. We’ll put great effort into making each one count. Be a shame if we didn’t receive many comments though. That’s why we need to make it easy for visitors to leave comments!

Here are some of the stumbling blocks:

Word Verification

Most people don’t even realize they have it on. The new word verification is difficult, though. There are those who won’t even bother with blogs that have this feature. During the Challenge, be sure your blog is word verification free. Both blogger and Wordpress have excellent spam filters. If you’re still concerned, you can set up no anonymous comments or blog owner approval. For details on how to remove word verification, see J A Bennett’s very easy directions.

Embedded Comment Boxes

Blogger has improved this feature, but often the page has to load twice. If your blog contains many gadgets or images, this slows the process. Check your comment box to be sure it reloads quickly after a comment is made. Some bloggers report challenges with embedded comment boxes. If your page is slow reloading after a comment is made, consider switching to a pop up comment box instead.

Miscellaneous Hurdles

Some blogs require the answering of a math equation, the re-typing of a long code, or a comment of a certain length. Considering removing these things before the Challenge begins.

Eliminating these challenges is in your best interest. You’re participating in the A to Z Challenge not only to discipline yourself but to make new friends as well. Make it easy for visitors to leave a comment. Not only will you receive more comments, but those people will return to comment again!


Ninja Captain Alex is one of the A to Z Challenge co hosts and can be found HERE

Don't forget to vote for your favorite A to Z video.  Click tab above that says "Vote for your favorite video".




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A to Z Ideas: Monday Movie Meme from guest Nicole of Madlab Post

Nicole from Madlab Post

        Stuck for ideas of what to write about during the Challenge in April?   The ideas are everywhere and a number of bloggers have been offering their suggestions based on how they are going to approach this year's Challenge or what they did in years past.   Here's what Nicole from Madlab Post is going to be doing.












The Monday Movie Meme Invasion of April’s A to Z Challenge

      Finding inspiration to blog every day is a challenge alone. This struggle can easily be elevated when you are faced with the task of blogging along the lines of the alphabet. I have found that keeping to a schedule helps minimize the risk of writer's block and blogger burnout all year long. My general blogging schedule includes writing a post every Monday, for the Monday Movie Meme that I co-host with Dale aka Smurfdok at Smurfin' the Web.

Monday Movie Meme History & How it Works

       Dale and I host the Monday Movie Meme, a weekly blogging activity where Participants list and discuss movies that fit the current topic or theme chosen by him or me. If the topic is "What are Your Favorite Best Picture Oscar Winners?" or "The Big Payback: Revenge Flicks", then you would either leave a comment on the host (The Madlab Post or Smurfin' the Web) blog with movies that you can think of that fit that topic or you can write a blog post with your answer, making sure to link to the host and also leave a comment on the host blog with a link to your blog post, in order to participate in that week's Meme.

While a simple list of movie titles will do just fine.... especially for those who do not participate by writing a blog post and only leave a comment with their answers, it's also more fun to write a brief explanation of why you chose a particular film or basically, which characteristics of the film coincides with the Monday Movie Meme topic....if you choose to participate by writing a blog post with your answers. These explanations help other participants who are unfamiliar with any of the films on your list to learn more about the movie and determine whether it is something that they would want to rent or buy on DVD or at the very least, keep a lookout for it on their local TV listings.

Our Monday Movie Meme Plan for the A to Z Challenge

In April, Dale and I are both participating in the 2012 Blogging from A to Z challenge and thus, we are incorporating our Monday Movie Meme topics within the challenge. Each Monday in April, he and I will choose topics based on the current letter of the alphabet that is being covered during the A to Z challenge.

A to Z Challenge Participants are Invited

Bloggers who signed up for the 2012 A to Z challenge are welcome to also participate in the Monday Movie Meme, which offers some structure and motivation to write...a benefit that many of you who are still wondering what to write about may find quite useful...on Mondays, at least. After that, you're on your own. Just kidding. I'm still trying to figure out what to write on other days of the week, myself, so you're not alone. We're all in this together...another reminder of why it's so fun to be a part of the A to Z Challenge. In the meantime, A to Z Challenge bloggers are also welcome to participate in the regular weekly Monday Movie Memes from now until April. If anything, it will allow you to try the memes on for size and get into a routine of blogging on Monday.

Related articles

• A to Z Video Challenge: Some Ideas from Nicole (a-to-zchallenge.com)
• Twas The Night Before Christmas When Nicole Dropped In (a-to-zchallenge.com)
• 29 Meme-Inspired Movie Posters [PICS] (mashable.com)
• Internet Memes: The Online Trends That Won't Go Away (stylecaster.com)

Getting to Know the Co-Hosts - Matthew MacNish

Name: Matthew MacNish
Blog[s]: The QQQE, Project Mayhem, Afterglow Book Reviews, and, of course, this one.
Other Online Info: Twitter: "@MatthewMacNish," Facebook: "Matthew MacNish"
Publications: My short fiction has been published in the anthology Literary Foray, from Static Movement Press, and the online magazine: Vine Leaves Literary Journal.


10 GETTING TO KNOW YOU QUESTIONS

01. What is the most daring thing you've ever done?
Not something I plan admitting to on the internet ... although, one thing I can mention is: back in high school, in Minnesota, I went to winter camp, and one night, we sat in the sauna for hours, and then jumped through a hole cut in the ice down at the lake - naked.

02. What is your favorite article of clothing?
My shell-toed Adidas, any pair.

03. What is your favorite monster?
Gary Gygax's Gelatinous Cube, from Dungeons and Dragons. I even wrote a piece of flash fiction about it, for Underneath the Juniper Tree, which you can read: Cubic.

04. If you had to dress up as your favorite literary character, who would it be?
Hmm. Normally I would say Gandalf, from The Lord of the Rings, but Jeremy went with that the other day, so I'll say Aang, from Avatar: the Last Airbender (the most excellent animated series, not the terrible live-action film), because I want to ride that glider.

05. What is your favorite fairy tale, urban legend or nursery rhyme?
Beren and Luthien.

06. What is a cause near and dear to your heart?
The environment.

07. What's the strangest item you've used as a bookmark?
Another book.

08. Do you have any nicknames? What are they and how did you earn them?
Big Bird. I suppose that's because I'm tall? Or was it because my friend who made that one up is so short?

09. Name one habit you want to change in yourself:
When I drink too much, I sometimes end up hungover. I'm okay with the drinking part, it's the hangovers I'd like to get rid of.

10. Tell us something interesting or shocking about yourself:
Not sure about shocking, but it's probably interesting that I used to own a small, independent record label in Minneapolis. It was called Butterbeat Records, and we produced 12" vinyl singles, mostly hip-hop, trip-hop, and electro. It was so small, and so before the internet got big, that you can't even find much about it on Google.

SOME A-to-Z QUESTIONS

01. What was your favorite A-to-Z post from 2011?
I'm afraid I have to admit I've never taken part in the A to Z challenge before. The enormity of the commitment always intimidated me. Then Arlee and Alex talked me into it, and now I realize it's not nearly as difficult as it seems. So don't be afraid! Sign up, pick a theme, schedule some posts, and you'll be good to go.

02. What brought you to the A-to-Z originally? Tell us about your first A-to-Z:
See above. I have been following and reading many A to Z bloggers for, what is it now, three years? I've always enjoyed the posts, but this will be my first A to Z!

03. Are you doing a theme?
I am, and it will be revealed in April.

04. Are you writing & scheduling posts in advance?
Absolutely. I can't imagine doing it any other way.

05. What is your favorite letter of the alphabet, and why? What letter do you like least?
I'm not sure. K for Katana? S for Samurai, Sword, Sorcery? M for Magic (and Matt)? I'm not really sure. I love language, and I love letters, but I seem to have an affinity for the crooked ones. My least favorite is probably C. C wishes he could be S or K, and sometimes he tries to be, but he never quite manages it.



Voting for A to Z Video Challenge is now open.  Please click on Voting tab at the top of this page and fill out the ballot.   Links to videos can be found there as well.






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#atozchallenge: Don't Get Lost in the Shuffle, Link Tips

It's not uncommon for people to post links on their blogs, but it can be troublesome when it directs someone away from your own blog and takes them elsewhere.  Sometimes they end up clicking through a few links and losing track of where they started.  Sometimes they just forget that they started elsewhere.

To keep this from happening, I wanted to pass along a little html secret I learned, which will allow you to post a link that will automatically open a new window, keeping your own blog open instead of replacing it.

In order to post the coding and keep it visible, I will replace the carrots < > with parentheses ( ).  When you do this coding on your blog, be sure to replace any parentheses with carrots.

The following is what it looks like when you create a typical link:

(a href="http://www.thewarriormuse.com/")(/a)

You enter the name for where you want the link to lead, like so:

(a href="http://www.thewarriormuse.com/")The Warrior Muse(/a)

In order to change this coding so that you will not replace your blog page with another page, instead opening the link in a new window, you need to enter the following after the quotes that enclose the URL:

target="_blank"

Your new code will look like this:

(a href="http://www.thewarriormuse.com/"target="_blank")The Warrior Muse(/a)

Don't forget to replace those parentheses with carrots (or whatever the heck those symbols are called.)

You won't get lost in the linky shuffle again if you use this little tip!

May you find your Muse.

Shannon

#atozchallenge- Fiction and SOS Call for Writing Prompts by Damyanti

 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.

#atozchallenge: Sunday Summary March 11, 2012

Official A to Z Logo Badge
Artwork by Ada Zdanowicz

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.

Of Glass and Paper made the A to Z announcement to make it official.

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 Dreams submitted 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 Spot and 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.

The Left Wright Brain also took the time to promote the A to Z Challenge with a nod to famous alphabetist Sue Grafton.

JoJo at Tahoma Beadworks and Photography has made the A to Z commitment with an announcement of intent.

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 at Teardrops 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:




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Related articles

• Keep Track of #atozchallenge via The #atozchallenge Daily! (a-to-zchallenge.com)
• #atozchallenge: Sunday Summary February 26, 2012 (a-to-zchallenge.com)
• #atozchallenge: A to Z Challenge Sunday Summary (2/19/12) (a-to-zchallenge.com)

Getting to Know - Co-Host Jeremy [Retro-Zombie]

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....


Jeremy [Retro-Zombie]

Not ready? No theme? Just signed up? This post is for you!

Hi and Welcome to the DE-STRESSING ZONE!

I’m Jenny Pearson, a co-host for the A to Z Challenge, and I’m here to share my de-stressing strategies with you.

I have lit some candles to set the tone for our de-stressing session.

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Last year I signed up for the A to Z Challenge on April 1st - needless to say I had NO posts prepared.

The outcome: I learned I CAN write a post a day - for twenty-six days - and live to post about it.

HOW?

By following these simple and easy suggestions...

ENJOY THE PROCESS! This Challenge should not be a chore; it should be fun. 

DON’T STRESS ABOUT NOT BEING PREPARED.  So long as you make the effort, in April, to post daily (see schedule) that's all you need to be prepared for. Yes, having some structure to your thinking is good...but it has to work for YOU so it remains fun!

IF YOU HAVE A THEME - GREAT. Many do, but lots don’t - it’s also not a requirement.

SPONTANEITY CAN BE A THEME. It was mine last year and I loved it. Don’t be afraid of it - you might actually enjoy it! (and have fun with it too)

FOR SANITY’S SAKE - K.I.S.S. (keep it short & simple)  Attention spans vary; if you want readers to stick around keep an eye on your word count. Just remember, visitors to your blog are hopping around to many other blogs, during this Challenge, and will appreciate your effort to K.I.S.S.

MAKE TIME TO EAT, SLEEP AND VISIT OTHER BLOGS. Start with the blog right after yours - aim for five blogs a day. As to nutrition and sleep...without enough of both, you will fizzle out. (and that won't be fun, will it?)

FOR THE DURATION OF THE CHALLENGE DISABLE WORD VERIFICATION. It slows the commenting process down thereby discouraging comments from visiting bloggers. (I will have a detailed post about this topic over at Pearson Report shortly - stay tuned)

LAST, BUT SO IMPORTANT...HAVE FUN! (have you noticed "fun" is the theme of this post)

I hope you are feeling the wonderful effects of our de-stressing session.

Now...take a deep breath in and slowly exhale - we are done! 

Happy Blogging!

 Jenny

Pearson Report

If you have any questions, about any of these suggestions, please don’t hesitate to ask for more information! Visit the FAQ section as well.

Take the time to check out these related posts:

How to save a post for a later date and time (old interface)

How to Pre-Schedule a Post (new interface)

Bloggers New and Improved COMMENTING feature is very COOL! 

How to Make a Hyperlink Signature: Guest Sue Travers

Banners and Badges...What would you like to see?

#atozchallenge: Getting to Know The Hosts...Shannon

The hosts of the A-to-Z are all looking forward to getting to know all of the A-to-Z'ers. In the meantime, we thought it would be fun to help you get to know us. We've put together a set of questions that we'll each be answering in our own way on different days leading up to the A-to-Z. Please feel free to ask any other questions you might have for us in the comments, and we will do our best to answer them.

ABOUT ME

Name: Shannon Lawrence
Blog: www.thewarriormuse.com
Other Online Info (Twitter, Facebook, Website): Twitter-@thewarriormuse, Facebook-http://www.facebook.com/thewarriormuse
Publications: I have a piece of flash fiction coming out in an anthology, due out in March, entitled Sunday Snaps: The Stories. You can also find occasional pieces from me at The New Never News, a fun mixed up nursery rhyme blog run by author J.A. Kazimer.

10 GETTING TO KNOW YOU QUESTIONS

1. What is the most daring thing you've ever done? I ran into a cattle stampede to save my 2-year old brother when I was 8. Why we were in the middle of a cattle stampede is a long story.
2. What is your favorite article of clothing? This may out me as a weirdo, but...my flannel hoodie-footie pajamas. You read that right. They have footies. They are so warm! P.S. I can unzip and remove the footies, but I rarely do. It's cold! FYI-this is my leisure wear when I'm writing.
3. What is your favorite monster? Right now, I'd say skinwalkers. I'm interested in Native American monsters and how they varied from tribe to tribe.
4. If you had to dress up as your favorite literary character, who would it be? I am currently trying to figure this out because I will be attending a costume event where you dress as your favorite literary character. The pressure! It would be fun to be rogue vampire hunter Jane Yellowrock, from Faith Hunter's Skinwalker. Too bad I can't bring weapons or a modified Harley to the party. If I want to wear jeans and a t-shirt, I can bring a wrench and be Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson.
5. What is your favorite fairy tale, urban legend or nursery rhyme? My favorite urban legend may very well be the one about the girl who's driving home late at night when someone behind her keeps flashing their lights at her. The longer it goes on, the more panicked she gets. When she arrives home, she discovers...dun, dun, dun...there is an axe-wielding maniac in the back of her car, and the man in the car behind her was flashing his lights whenever he saw him going for her. Ack! I always check the back of my car...

6. What is a cause near and dear to your heart? The longer I sit here, the more causes I realize I have. However, right now I am very interested in saving the wolves (the photo to the right is Baby, from Rocky Mountain Wildlife Foundation in Guffey, CO). Here, we reintroduced them then turned around and gave out hunting licenses for wolf season! How does that make sense? Oops, stepping away from the soapbox. I am also intent on bringing attention to childhood cancer. I almost stepped back up on that there box, but instead I will explain that my interest in this came about after a friend's daughter, who was (is) good friends with my son, was diagnosed with AML Leukemia at three years old. She is now a thriving almost-seven year old, who is officially in remission, but the battle is ongoing. I write about monsters, but I could never imagine anything more terrifying than watching my child fight this particular beast.
7. What's the strangest item you've used as a bookmark? I haven't used anything truly strange as a bookmark, but I have used a collection of odd items: tissues, tampon wrapper, folded toilet paper, paint samplers, other books, magazines, straws, barrettes, binder clips, paper clips, etc.
8. Do you have any nicknames? What are they and how did you earn them? I'm rather fond of Warrior, which some who read my blog have taken to calling me. My siblings call me Sissy (I'm the oldest of five). A friend calls me Non (for the end of my name) because I call her Stine (her name is Christine). And a group of online friends from a mother's forum I belong to call me Pookie. I have no idea how that started, and it is so not my personality, but it's officially mine now.
9. Name one habit you want to change in yourself: Pro.cras.tin.ation. Yikes.
10. Tell us something interesting or shocking about yourself: I was nearly kidnapped as a child, not once, but three times, in three different states (Oregon, Maryland, Colorado). I was also in the car when a serial killer went after my mom in the 80's.  Yes, a real one.  In fact, this prompted me to look him up and he was in the news in 2007 for admitting to an additional murder.  Maybe that's part of why made up monsters don't scare me.

SOME A-to-Z QUESTIONS

1. What was your favorite A-to-Z post from 2011? I think my favorite post was my Y post, because it was so full of optimism and accomplishment. That moment reflected my really starting to see myself as a writer, not just someone who sometimes wrote some stuff.
2. What brought you to the A-to-Z originally? Tell us about your first A-to-Z: Last year was my first A-to-Z, and I signed up right as it was starting. Boy, was I feeling panicky! I sat there with that linky page open all day, starting to fill it out, backing off, starting again. Finally, I swallowed my fear, typed in my information and hit "submit." Almost a year later, I am delighted with where the A-to-Z has taken me. I learned so much and have come so far, and believe it or not, the A-to-Z was instrumental.
3. Are you doing a theme? I have decided I am mostly not doing a theme. I do plan to have some things running consistently throughout, but not something I would consider a theme. I'm still waffling, though.
4. Are you writing & scheduling posts in advance? Man, I hope so! I do intend to, but ask me if I've gotten even one post done so far. Nah, don't worry, I'll just tell you...nope. I keep thinking I'll have a minute. hahahahahahaha!
5. What is your favorite letter of the alphabet, and why? What letter do you like least? I like "X" because it makes me work for it, but it's interesting. "J," on the other hand, is one of the ones I think surprised me with how hard it was, and it doesn't have nearly the personality "X" does.

Thank you for reading!
Shannon

I hope you've enjoyed these questions and answers. Don't forget, you are welcome, even encouraged, to ask any additional questions you might have in the comments section. Or feel free to answer the questions yourself! We won't tell.

****
We also have 2 new videos--both from Nicole Ayers from The Madlab Post.  Nicole submitted another video earlier as well.  Like her previous video, these two new ones are partly promotion for the A to Z Challenge, but also they have helpful prompts for those who may be struggling with ideas for April.  Watch and enjoy and then go to Nicole's blog and tell her hello.

Me and the A to Z: Guest Post from Mary at Giggles and Guns

Me and the A to Z

I'm smiling, no laughing, that Lee wants me to write about my experience with A to Z 2011.

Let me tell you...

See this doppel of me from Facebook? There's a reason it's not a photo. I'm bald now due to A to Z 2011. I'm kidding. All but a few patches have grown back. If I do a comb-over like a middle-aged man you can hardly tell. Honest.

        I watched the 2010 Challenge from the sideline. Most of it anyway. I discovered it late and was embarrassed to join half way through. I promised myself I would do the next one. When registration came up I jumped right in. I started preparing posts in February. I was on it like fleas on a dog. All I had left were my six doozies -- Q, V, F, Z, U and Y. I refused to skip an entry. A couple of times I think I was almost putting up posts only a few hours apart.

       As April approached I watched the list of blogs to visit grow ... and grow ... and grow ... More than once I prayed the monitors would shut down registration. They finally did. At something like 1200+.

       Seriously, guys, what were you thinking? My original plan of scheduling posts and spending xx amount of time visiting new blogs and checking out old friends was lost. No way. After all life goes beyond blog reading. Life, eye strain and headaches can put the brakes on visiting all those sites in 30 days. Best laid plans and all that. I think it was August by the time I got to the final participants. (My humblest apologies inserted here.)

      I notice that a lot of folks hit the high hundreds (and even thousands) with new followers. I didn't gain that many. Maybe because I didn't follow every blog I visited. Everyone handles the whole following thing differently. Some click the Follow Me button everywhere they stop. Some follow only those who write a certain type of posts. Some only follow where they want to return. To each his own.

      Well, A to Z 2012 is fast approaching. I was prepared to blow it off this year. But the more I see that button and read how excited everyone is the more I have to join, no, want to join. Besides, what would I do with all the posts I've already written. They wouldn't make sense to use any other time. That's right, guys, I'm ready. Bring on April!

My hints?

• Prepare early

• Keep it short

• Turn off the darn captcha and word verification. Many participants skip blogs where those are necessary. (Guilty) Imagine 1200 blogs each requiring two steps to leave a comment. That's a lot of wasted time and typing. I block anonymous comments on my blog because of an overzealous shoe salesman. Again to each his own.

THE most important thing to remember ...

ENJOY YOURSELF! Have fun. It's all about the fun and friends, old and new. I'm looking forward to visiting everyone -- hopefully, before the A to Z 2013.

********

There are just a few days left to submit you A to Z promotion video.  Look in the appropriate tab at the top of the page for more details.    Here's something fun from Tracy Jo Blowers at A Brand New Day.

Related articles

• A to Z Challenge and The Wistful Nebulae (breakthroughblogs.blogspot.com)
• Is it just me? (amultifariousme.wordpress.com)

Relax and Have Fun: Guest Sheri Larsen

REWIND:    I remember when I first heard about the A to Z Blogging Challenge.  It was last March, only a few weeks before the challenge was scheduled to begin. “What a fabulous idea!” raced through my brain. I was so excited at the thought of being included in an event with so many other bloggers that I signed up.

Obviously, there were ideas that immediately came to my mind for a few letters. But then I started to think about it, really started to think—THE ENTIRE ALPHABET—and then quiver, shiver, and sweat. How was I to handle committing to a new letter each day? What had I done?

What about those strange letters like X and Z? Or what if I had another commitment on the day P was supposed to be posted and there was no way to fit that letter into my post? How could I be unique? Would I make my posts about writing, which is what my blog is geared to? Or should I veer off course? If so, what the heck do I write about? What if there was an earthquake, a hurricane, or a flood?

I think you get my drift here.

With the help of a few deep breaths, I put an axe to that train of creative-diluting thoughts and went for the fun angle. I decided to stick to my normally posting days of M-T-F, highlight whichever letter fell on said day, and committed to seeking out new and interesting ideas to post about.  

FASTFORWARD: This challenge is to exercise your thoughts and push you out of that safe comfort zone. How else do we expect to grow if we don’t try new things? Whether you’re looking to grow as a blogger, a writer, or as a thinker, this challenge is for you.

Here’s a list of some fun ideas. All are special days celebrated during the month of April. Use this list as a reference if you feel stagnant during the challenge. I’ve even shared with you my official logo I’ll be using for all my ‘April’ posts! Hope you like it. 

APRIL is:

• ·     Autism Awareness Month = Letter A
• ·          National Frog Month = Letter F
• ·         National Humor Month = Letter H
• ·         National Educational Mathematics Month = Letter M
• ·         National Volunteer Month = Letter V

Of course, there are individual days to celebrate as well. April:

• ·         1^st – Cents Day = Letter C
• ·         3^rd – Find-A-Rainbow Day = Letter R
• ·         6^th – Jump-Over-Things-Day = Letter J
• ·         10^th – Encourage a Young Writer Day = Y
• ·         13^th – Scrabble Day = Letter S
• ·         21^st – Kindergarten Day = Letter K

For a more complete list and for fabulous explanations of each, click HERE. (can you link the HERE with this http://familycrafts.about.com/library/spdays/blaprdayslong.htm. *credit for research goes to family crafts

Sheri Larsen is a published freelance and short story writer, and KidLit author. Her current YA novel is with literary agents, and she’s preparing to sub one of her picture books to agents. Her website, Writers’ Ally (http://writersally.blogspot.com), is where she explores writing, children’s literature, and motherhood. She lives in Maine with her husband and four children.

We're still accepting A to Z videos until Sunday March 11th.  Details can be found in the tab at the top of this page.  This video comes from Reka at A Chronicle of Dreams.

Related articles

• My A to Z Blogging Challenge Secret: How I Survived.... (a-to-zchallenge.com)
• #atozchallenge: Sunday Summary March 4, 2012 (a-to-zchallenge.com)
• Training for the A to Z Challenge: Guest Post from Journaling Woman (a-to-zchallenge.com)
• Tackling the Taunting Letters: Guest Alana Garrigues (a-to-zchallenge.com)