A-Z Reflections

A-Z Challenge - Reflections

Initially, when I heard about the A-Z Challenge, I thought "No way, that sounds like so much hard work". I really should have left it at that. But no, not me. I kept seeing the badge everywhere and after a while it felt like I was the only one not invited to the party. Also, my new job was going through a very quiet period and I was able to spend all day blogging, so I thought: "Why not? How hard can it be?" Ha! Famous last bloody words!

Because I literally only signed up less than week before the start, I only had time to write about 5 posts ahead of time, but I was thrilled. FIVE posts ahead of time. How cool and organised is that? Little did I know how completely inept and unprepared I was for the challenge. I soon learnt the error of my ways. The whole point of the A-Z is to meet other bloggers and build your platform.

So, the goal: short, easy to read posts, pre-scheduled, and then off to visit as many other blogs as possible each day.

What actually happened: long, convoluted and VERBOSE posts, written the day (or night) before, whilst desperately trying to read as many blogs as I could fit in around that. Most nights, instead of rampant sex, I would be panicking and saying to the Bug: "Quick, what words begin with --?" and then somehow come up with a post for the next day when something he said sparked an idea. Most of it was utter nonsense.

Before the A-Z, I only blogged sporadically. Sometimes once a week, sometimes twice. But blogging every day meant I got to really make friends with other bloggers. The same people would stop by nearly every day and it was great returning the favour. I would look forward to reading their posts every day. Somehow that didn't happen when I only blogged when I felt like it, so I can really see the benefit of having a regular schedule of blogging (as I was told by the very astute Laura B Writer a while ago when she critiqued my blog), if not every day. I increased my followers by about 35 or 36 so that was really great too.

However, the best, best, best thing about the A-Z was all the wonderful, fabby new blogs and bloggers I got to meet. I would never have found half of them without that excellent linky list (what a great invention). I thought I would list the stand-outs for me:

Fart-makingly funny:

Lily from The Incoherent Ramblings of a Moose! Questions and Rabbits

The whole A-Z Challenge would have been worthwhile just to find Lily's blog. She is utterly hilarious. Her posts have me literally laughing uncontrollably. The conversations she has with her son are just too funny, in a warped way. If you don't follow Lily yet, you really ought to - you're missing a gem.

Chiz Chat - P is for Professor

He had so many excellent and hilarious posts, including kidnapping himself, his alter ego holding himself for ransom, freeing himself and continuing with challenge. So clever, original and yet so funny. This particular post is his critique of a Shakespeare sonnet.

Interesting:

Miranda Hardy
Miranda did her entire A-Z Challenge on dreams. Interpretations on dreaming about a subject with a different letter of the alphabet every day. A was for Alligator. It was so interesting, especially the Naked one.

Clever:

Sue H from I Refuse to go Quietly

Sue had an amazing idea for the A-Z. She wrote a single story, Approaching Zero, in 26 parts, each 100 words long, and each day starting with that day's letter and ending with the next day's letter. Very imaginative and clever, and obviously she was also one of the organised ones that had hers written and scheduled before it even started.

Poetry:

Sally's Scribbles

Sally from

I am not really one for poetry (unless it's silly and funny and a bit Monty Python'ish) but I was hooked by Sally's lovely poems every day. I may even be a poetry convert now. They were so easy to read, even when she tackled some really difficult subjects. I'm amazed she doesn't have more followers. Go give her some support please.

Ok - so that is my summary of the A-Z Challenge. In the end, I really enjoyed it and learnt tons. I will definitely do it again next year, but this time I shall be better prepared. And not quite so random. And maybe not post such utter nonsense. What do you think? Did you enjoy reading mine and others?What was your favourite post/blog?