Want to Join Us for the ULTIMATE ROAD TRIP?

Hi Guys, and welcome to the 2013 Post A-to-Z Road Trip!

Feel free to snag this badge for your own blog!

Despite quite a bit of late snow here in Colorado, including a lovely blizzard on May Day, I'm totally ready to get back on the road. Blue skies, black roads, yellow lines, and the sound of my tires on the pavement. I want to feel the heat, smell the wildflowers and chlorine.

But most of all, I want to visit the rest of the A-to-Z Challenge participants. I definitely didn't have time to visit everyone during the Challenge, so now is the time. 

What are the technicalities? There aren't many. The linky opens today. Sign up if you'd like to come with us on a summer of fun, visiting fellow A-to-Z'ers, discovering new blogs. We'll close the linky in December, meaning you can waffle all the way until then. And though it will be closed in December, that doesn't mean you have to stop. The linkies will still be available for visit up to the 2014 Challenge.

We'll have occasional check-ins, but there's nothing required of you other to make whatever effort you like to visit participants of the 2013 A-to-Z Challenge.

We won't be alone on this road trip. No, Tina will be revising her role as my lovely co-host, and Nicole will be joining us for the first time this year! 

As we get started, Tina has some pointers for you, and Nicole's got something to say, so I'll hand the floor over to them. 

See you on the road!

~Shannon, The Warrior Muse

I'm excited about this 3^rd road trip! First of all, did you know that it was because Shannon and I organized the Post-Challenge Challenge in 2011 that we got chosen as co-hosts? Pretty cool. Then in 2012 we renamed it the more apt “road-trip”. History lesson over! We're really glad to have Nicole to take some driving shifts.  The more the merrier the trip!

Tips for the road: you're in charge. Want to visit one new blog a day? Want to visit hundreds of blogs a day? No problem. You're driving. Unless you hitch a ride with a friend, which I think is a good idea. Accountability and all that, not that this is a diet or a competition or anything. It's just some friends hanging out and continuing visiting.

Some strategies you might want to try:

Visit all the blogs with your same category

Visit all the blogs whose names intrigue you

Visit all the even (or odd) blogs

Start from where you left off and keep on truckin'...

Whatever you do, don't forget that this trip is a journey, not a destination. Signing up on the linky doesn't mean you're committing to visiting ALL the blogs. All you're saying is, “I ain't done yet.” We'll have some encouraging rah rah posts along the way, and a chance for you to share your best “finds” along the road. Personally, I like those little Mom and Pop cafes that are off the beaten road, and the food is real and so is the atmosphere – so cool but unknown blogs that need some customers!

Keep track of your finds, give us a holler if you run out of gas or need your tire changed. We're here as your guides – we've journeyed similar roads in the past! Good luck, and drive carefully.

~Tina @ Life is Good

Maps - Check! iTunes – Check! GPS - Check? Water – Check!

I’m ready to hit the road with Shannon and Tina for this Post A-to-Z Road Trip that’s taking us over some commenting highways, down a few tweeting tunnels, up through subscribing/following bridges and back again. One of the most exciting things about this trip are the fellow drivers and carpools accompanying us as we stop in towns all across the country to find out what each and every person in our alphabet network is cooking up on his or her blog.

Want to know a secret? We’re also taking advantage of some uncharted territory – back roads and routes that have little to no traffic signs – which means there are no set rules for how or where you drive your vehicle, no speeding limit for how fast or slow you go and most importantly, zero guidelines for where you choose to park your vehicle throughout our cross-country journey. I’ll be offering up some refreshments at rest stops, accompanied by tips and tricks that you can use to keep you on course – until we’ve racked up enough miles, stories and traveling buddies that will get us through another 26 days of blogging in April or any other month for that matter.

Honk if you’re packed in, gassed up, buckled up and ready to join us on the road for some sing-a-longs, games, rest-stop snacking and much more cruising through lanes of A-to-Z blogs!

~Nicole, The Madlab Post

Sign up here for the Post A-to-Z Road Trip!

Submissions Open for Your Best A to Z Post of 2013

Sandra Tyler of Woven Tale Press is inviting A to Z submissions from 2013 to appear in an upcoming edition of  The Woven Tale Press:

In honor of the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge which annually spurs so many bloggers to persevere in writing daily for an entire month, a special edition of The Woven Tale Press is planned, to highlight some of the best of this year’s A-Z challengers’ posts.

The Woven Tale Press is an e-magazine – an eclectic monthly culling of the blogging web; too many well-conceived and artful posts are relegated to their archives too soon.  Posts ephemeral, but meant to be indelible.

So to prevent your posts from gathering dust in those archives, submit your favorite 2013 A-Z post from 2013 for consideration at:

http://woventalepress.com/a-z-challengers-submit/

To read the most current issue of The Woven Tale Press, click on the cover below:

Or click on this link:  http://issuu.com/sandratyler/docs/woventalepressissuefinal_2

Important Update from the publisher:

The Woven Tale Press has been blessed with so many terrific submissions! However, 

despite so many submissions, many are duplicate letters.

So A-Z challengers who have not already submitted, consider submitting your best of letters:

B, D, G, H, L, O, Q, S, T, U, W

Related articles

• The Woven Tale Press
• The Woven Tale Press

Challenge Reflections Post Linky List Opens

Be sure to save badge image and download it into your sidebar.

The Linky List went live Thursday night and is now ready for sign-ups.   The List will remain open for the next week and will be accessible in the above tab labeled "2013 A TO Z REFLECTIONS SIGN UP/LIST".

Important Note!!     Please Read


before signing on to the list!!

 

          This list is intended only for those who are posting an A to Z Reflections post.   Please post only the link to your Reflections post and not the URL address of your blog.  If your intent is to add a link to your advertising site or just to get your blog noticed, be aware that those links will be removed from the list when discovered.   If you have any problems with your entry or accidentally enter the incorrect link, please contact us.  Refer to the "Contact Us" tab for contact information:

Remember to add the link to your exact post when entering it on the list!




Be sure to visit others on the list to see how their experience compares with yours.  Leave a comment so they know you stopped by.    Interact and network!   And you can still follow blogs that you aren't following already.  If you do follow a blog, let the blogger know that you've done so and you may get a new follower as well.

Have Fun!

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A to Z Reflections Post 2013 Now Open

For the benefit of those on the other side of the world and anyone who has a Reflections post ready, here is the Linky List.  

      This list is intended only for those who are posting an A to Z Reflections post. Please post only the link to your Reflections post and not the URL address of your blog. If your intent is to add a link to your advertising site or just to get your blog noticed, be aware that those links will be removed from the list when discovered. If you have any problems with your entry or accidentally enter the incorrect link, please contact us. Refer to the "Contact Us" tab for contact information:


For list go to:  http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/p/2012-to-z-reflections-linky-list.html

It's Not Over Until It's Over! Time to Reflect

The "I Survived" Badge Is Ready!

      Thanks to our in-house art guru, Jeremy Hawkins from Retro-Zombie, we have available for all of you who finished this year's A to Z Challenge a badge for you to proudly display on your site to show all the world of your amazing April feat.  Congratulations to all of you!

The Blogging from A to Z April Challenge Reflections Post 2013

         By now you have probably heard mention of this Reflections Post.  Those who are past A to Z participants are undoubtedly familiar with this Reflections Post and may have done one in previous years.  For those who don't understand what this is all about, I'm here to explain it to you.

          The A to Z Reflections Post is a post presented on your own blog site giving the A to Z Team, the other Challenge participants, and any other readers your thoughts about this year's April Challenge.  The way you present your post is up to you.   Essentially you can take the same approach with this post as you did your other Challenge posts.

          We are looking for feedback about the Challenge.  Tell us what you liked and didn't like, what worked and what didn't.   If you have suggestions about making future A to Z Challenges better, this is a good time to let us know.  You can highlight other bloggers who you felt did an outstanding job or direct us to specific posts that particularly impressed you or that you found to be very helpful.

          In other words, we want to know how the A to Z Team did and how the Challenge worked for you.  If you'd do it again, tell us why.  If you would never consider A to Z again, let us know what would make you feel that way.

         Please put up your Reflections post between now and Thursday May 9th.  After your post has gone online you can add the link to that specific post to the Linky List once it has opened starting Thursday night.  Enter the link that goes directly to your Reflections post and not your general blog address.  The list will remain open for entries for one week and will be accessible for the remainder of this year.

         The list is intended for A to Z Reflections posts only.  Any links to advertising sites or non-relevant posts will be removed from the list.    And remember that these posts will be directed to a diverse audience of varying ages and sensibilities so please respect others by refraining from posting obscene materials or hurtful attacks upon others.  We want a productive interchange of ideas that can lead to positive innovation.

Coming Soon!  The A to Z Road Trip!

       Details for this will be coming on this blog in the next few weeks.  Be watching for more information about this event.

       If you still have questions please let them be known in the comment section.  

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• Yep, that's all folks!

Z - Is "Z" the END?

Not the World, just the...

A to Z Challenge" for 2013

--------------------------------

So another challenge has come to a close, were you able to make your post, did you make them on time and did you have a great time meeting new friends?

Did you have fun!
Jeremy [Retro]
Oh, No... Let's Go CRAZY!

If you get a chance please stop over to my site and say "Hello" and thank you for another great challenge!!

Yep, that's all folks!

Tomorrow is the last day of the challenge. Did YOU survive? YES? Oh good, but wait, there's more!!!!! 

The A to Z Reflections Post!

        This tradition started with the very first Challenge in 2010 and has continued every year since.  Some of you may be wondering what this Reflections post is all about, so I will tell you.

        On Friday May 3rd an A to Z Reflections Linky List will go on line for you add the link to your post of your Challenge reflections.  This is the time when you can share your thoughts about the Challenge.  Tell all of us your likes and dislikes.   Let us know how the Challenge benefited you and what aspects bothered you. 

         You can also share highlights such as new blog discoveries you made, certain posts that you enjoyed, or things you learned from other bloggers.  The Reflections post is your time to tell us what's on your mind about A to Z so we know what we did right and what we should change next year.  Also you can feel free to provide any ideas that you think might enhance future Challenges.

          When the list goes online, please wait until your post is up before adding your link to the list.  Unlike the Challenge itself, for the Reflections list we want you to link directly to your post.  This list will remain open for the week following May 3rd so you'll have plenty of time to add your link and you can post your Reflections any time during that week.   You can post your Reflections any time after April 30th, but list will not be available to you until May 3rd.

          We look forward to hearing from you.  And this gives you an added week of doing some more visiting.  We hope you have fun and we all become more informed.  Any questions?  Just ask.

X is for Project X

Those of you who are aspiring writers (and probably a few of the established as well) know what I’m going to be talking about here. No, it’s not your WIP. This is that one project that has been tucked away in the back of your brain, nibbling away at your imagination, patiently waiting for its day to come. You’ve not spoken of it to a single sole because…frankly…you’re not sure if you can pull it off. Its breadth and scope frighten you so much that anytime it creeps into your forebrain you shake it off and push it back into its shadowy corner.

So, how do I know about this if nobody talks about it? Because I’m a writer…and an average-Joe, no different than a lot of writers…so naturally I would expect that if I have a Project X then most everybody else does as well. I imagine for some there’s no name for their project -- because it’s barely a cohesive collection of ideas loosely tied together into a plot -- and for the others all they might have is title and a broad concept. That’s where I’m at. I have a title, and a general notion of what the book could be, but I’m scared to death of it.

In my case I lack the confidence to tackle Project X, for several reasons. The first, it’s a genre I have never written in before, Adult SCI-FI/Horror. Secondly, it will require a level of research beyond what I have previously devoted myself to, and time availability will be a factor. And finally, until I have a couple of published books under my belt I don’t believe my voice will be strong enough to tell this story.

What about you? Do you have a Project X? Care to share anything about it here today? Let me take a bold step and lead the way. The title of my Project X is – Apollo’s Ghost.

Did you know I was holding a contest during the A-Z Challenge on my own blog, Cruising Altitude 2.0? You can read all about it HERE, then stop over and join the fun.

W is for...Winning & Warriors

As Charlie Sheen would say...Winning!  (Geez, that's SO two years ago...)

We're almost to the end now. Hang in there. You've got this!

Congratulations on making it this far. And if you didn't? You still deserve congratulations for going outside your comfort zone and giving a challenge like this a try. Either way, don't let yourself get discouraged. Let's make it through these last few days together.

You're all Warriors for taking on this challenge. Let's keep that momentum going!

How are ya'?

May you find your Muse.

Shannon L.
The Warrior Muse



Image of W courtesy of Ashley at clker.com: Monogram
Image of warrior on horse courtesy of OCAL at clker.com: Warrior Horse Sword


Join us for the A to Z Reflections post starting Friday May 3rd.   For more details be sure to visit this post. 

Very, Very Near to the End... ( #atozchallenge )

   

   The time is getting closer.  An A to Z Victory is almost yours to claim.  So what's next?

The A to Z Reflections Post!

        This tradition started with the very first Challenge in 2010 and has continued every year since.  Some of you may be wondering what this Reflections post is all about, so I will tell you.

        On Friday May 3rd an A to Z Reflections Linky List will go on line for you add the link to your post of your Challenge reflections.  This is the time when you can share your thoughts about the Challenge.  Tell all of us your likes and dislikes.   Let us know how the Challenge benefited you and what aspects bothered you.

         You can also share highlights such as new blog discoveries you made, certain posts that you enjoyed, or things you learned from other bloggers.  The Reflections post is your time to tell us what's on your mind about A to Z so we know what we did right and what we should change next year.  Also you can feel free to provide any ideas that you think might enhance future Challenges.

          When the list goes online, please wait until your post is up before adding your link to the list.  Unlike the Challenge itself, for the Reflections list we want you to link directly to your post.  This list will remain open for the week following May 3rd so you'll have plenty of time to add your link and you can post your Reflections any time during that week.   You can post your Reflections any time after April 30th, but list will not be available to you until May 3rd.

          We look forward to hearing from you.  And this gives you an added week of doing some more visiting.  We hope you have fun and we all become more informed.  Any questions?  Just ask.


Here are a few more bloggers who could use a last minute boost with followers.  Can you please help by visiting, following, and letting them know you stopped by?:

Tales of the Rock

Ramblings of a Silly Girl

Rabbit Trails

DeeCoded

Reflex Reactions

Warped Nerdiversity

Embracing Dawn

Writing Women's Fiction

My Crazy Family Circus

Lyre's Musings

Mainely Write

Flat Stanley and Friends

The Ninja Librarian

Simply Sarah

Bookish Geek

Ordinary Never Sleeps

      Let's ramp up visits, comments, and follows in these last few days.   And don't forget to subscribe to the blogs that you would like to keep following after the Challenge if they are on Wordpress or some other format that doesn't use Google Friend Connect.

      Let's put the Varoom! into the last few days!

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U is for Ubiquitous

From January until May the A-to-Z April Blogging challenge is ubiquitous.You see it all over the place. Mentioned on a blog here, a blog there, a Facebook page, and even on Twitter. You understand how amazing the challenge can be.You also know how unpredictable it seems. Even if you are the underdog during this challenge, and though it may take time, ultimately you decide despite it's untimeliness, that you will sign up and participate. 

Then you must choose to do a theme, or just write each post day by day. And you want to post something unique so you scour the internet for unheard of words even if it means writing about unicorns or ukuleles.  And then day one is upon you and your post isn't finished or perhaps it is already live. Either way you begin visiting other blogs and realize all that you learn from them. 

By day two you are having a bit of fun but by day ten it is upsetting. Maybe comments aren't coming in despite all your work and you're uber disappointed. Or maybe your own blog became unavailable at one point and you begin to understand why those comments didn't come. You being to come undone. But now it is day twenty-one and the challenge is almost through. And you see all the progress you've made it to. 

And that ultimate decision to join in the fun appears when you discover all that you've done. 

Hope you're all enjoying the challenge! 

T is for TIME!

Time. I don't know anyone who has as much as they want, do you?

I think as bloggers, we as a subculture have an especially short amount of time. Most bloggers, or at least those I'm familiar with, have a day job, a family, all while we are trying to work on our novels, or our music, our pieces of art, our humor, our crafts, or whatever our passion is, yet still attempting to maintain sanity. It ain't easy.

Then, to all of the above, let's add changing our blogging frequency (for most) add more visiting, more return/recognition of comments, and you've got a person stretched pretty thin.

Yet, most of us are loving it! Why? I think what we all have in common, regardless of what type of blog we have (and sorry if I didn't mention your flavor...but these daily posts are supposed to be short...) is DETERMINATION. Hmm, someone wrote about that at D...

TIME (whatever we may have) + Determination = Success

If you've made it this far, you're going to make it all the way! Six posts left. Just keep swimming, just keep swimming...

What I'd really like to know though is what have you learned? How did it go? Now that it's all over, what advice would you give others? (Yes, I know it's not over...I'm advertising...we take liberties...) How has participating changed your blog? You'll get a chance to tell us during our traditional Reflections Posts. Don't worry right now about when or where or how...just finish The Challenge. We'll let you know later what the rest of the scoop is.

Stars!!

That's right. The ones out there in space. That's where you've been aiming the past few weeks, right? You set your goal of completing the Challenge and aimed for the stars.

Well, guess what? Only seven more letters to go. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel. That's not just faint twinkling anymore. That's the bright glow of the Challenge's end.

And when we reach it, we'll be stars. Super stars!

Now, let's get it done.


Co-host Ninja Captain Alex is the author of CassaStar and CassaFire and his blog can be found HERE

R - The Raven - Edgar Allan Poe

---------------------------------------------

The Raven

---------------------------------------------

What is one of your favorite Edgar Allan Poe reads?

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
"'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door -
Only this, and nothing more." ...

"I wish I could write as mysterious as a cat."

 -Edgar Allan Poe

"With me poetry has not been a purpose, but a passion."
-Edgar Allan Poe 

... And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,
And the lamplight o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted - nevermore!

Long post, maybe... well it could have been?
Jeremy [Retro]
Oh, No... Let's Go CRAZY!

QUICK! Let's Do Something Now! (#atozchallenge)

 

Badge from 2012 designed by Ada Z

    Here we are past the halfway mark and I'm still finding some blogs with a lot less followers than they should have.   So today I'd like for everyone to try a little exercise in social media networking.

       Since a big part of the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge has to do with networking, building communities, gaining followers (who you hope will become your regular readers), and discovering new blogs to follow, let's try to give a power boost to everyone we can today.

        Below I've listed some blogs that have a Friend Connect widget.  Some of these are below 50 followers and I like to see us get them to that number.  In the second list there are blogs that are on their ways to 100 followers--let's get them there today.  And if you see that they've already hit today's goal then help them get to the next level.  If you don't see the widget first off then scroll down until you find it.  As of this writing these blogs all had a Friend Connect widget.

         How will it help you besides maybe giving you a good feeling that you helped others?   If you follow any of these, leave a comment letting them know that you've done so and invite them to visit your blog as well.  If everyone is following the blog etiquette of reciprocity then you'll both get a new follower from your actions.

        So how about it A to Zingers!   Give the community a boost today and let's see how much growth we can all experience in our blogs at the midway part of the Challenge.

         Extra Bonus:   If you want to take it even a step further, when you visit a blog to make a comment, visit the other bloggers who have already commented on that blog and join their blogs.  You can see some very serious blog building action with this added step.   This is a bonus move for those who have the time to do it.  I think you may have fun with this one.

      Here are the lists--take a look and spread the blog lovin':

Help these bloggers reach 50 followers:

Little Moments

In My Own Words

Profiling Great Americans

A Devotional Mosaic

CRE8TIV Glory

Diary of the Sunday Visitor

Maui Jungalow

Random Musings from the Kristenhead

Kids Math Teacher

Designs By Row

Me-anders

The Sun Will Rise

Mammajenna Says It

Random Thoughts From a Random Guy

Reading Practice


Help these bloggers hit 100 followers:

The Written Word of Yvonne Lewis

Unveil the Other Side

The Occasional Adventures of a Hermit

Live at the Moment

Lynda Grace An Hour Away

Awakenings and Reflections

Joanne Clancy

The Ruralhood

It's a Joy!

CHill Thoughts

Wilderness

.Naturally Sweet

 
        Is your blog not on this list and you think it should be?   Please tell us in the comments.   Now let's get out there and do some quick networking.   Quick!

        And thank you all for helping make this push today!

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PMA!

PMA - Positive Mental Attitude!

You know what? You’re going to need one to finish the A to Z Challenge. At least finish sane and in one piece.

Yes, it can feel overwhelming. The list is huge and daunting. Your comment section explodes. All these new bloggers start following you. You realize you are falling behind with every aspect of blogging.

Your attitude will determine how you handle it.

You can grow frustrated. Maybe even angry. You tire of trying. Maybe instead of feeling overwhelmed, you are underwhelmed. You want to quit because your efforts don’t appear to be netting any results. A negative attitude takes over, and no matter what happens now, you view the situation through jaded eyes and a closed mind.

Or you can a positive approach. You take a deep breath, determined to take a proactive response and find a solution. No one is visiting your blog? You reevaluate your posts and set a goal to visit even more blogs on the list. More visitors than you can handle? Visit as many as you can and don’t sweat those you can’t. Regardless of the task or obstacle, you are determined to find a way to make it work and on your terms.

Which approach will garner better results?

Your attitude is all you can control. A PMA won’t make the problems go away, but it will equip you to better handle the situation. Choose a PMA whenever possible!