or What am I doing with all of my free time?
Many people had a theme for their month of posting such as a travel log or writing techniques (many of the participants were writers). And I swore, after last year, if I ever did this again, I would only do it with a theme. However, that didn't happen.
Then I said that I would look ahead and have my alphabet planned out with topics. Well, I tried to do that but, I couldn't come up with much. Actually, it was easy to come up with words and topics, but thinking of something to write about them was difficult. So that also didn't happen.
So what did happen? I think, this year, I didn't try as hard to make the words and topics fit the letters. For example, the letter O was about M&M's. Logically that topic should have been under M but I stretched it with the title, Only the Red. In addition, I tried to get ahead on Sunday, our day off. I usually wrote Monday and Tuesday then which took some of the pressure off at the beginning of the week. Also, friends were suggesting topics for me which helped. I couldn't always used them, but they did help spark my thinking.
So the same question as last year. Will I do this again? Maybe. I think it took me out of my comfort zone with both topics and frequency and that was a good thing. Also, I enjoyed the challenge. Let me rephrase that. I enjoyed completing the challenge. I wasn't always thrilled with the work and time it took, but it's good to say that I did it. But a month was long enough for me and I need to resurface and catch up on some things that were neglected. However, I hope to maintain some of the momentum I gained during April.
And before I finish, I also want to say thanks to all of the dedicated volunteers who made this challenge possible.
Now it's time to get ready for tomorrow's Second Look. :)
I always tell myself that I will do the A-Z challenge, but then spring comes and I invariably say "next year" :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting, Keith. I only heard about the challenge last year right before it started. We'll see if I do it next year. I think you would have plenty to say if you joined the challenge. But it does take a time commitment.
DeleteI think I prefer your eclectic approach to a themed one. The surprise element is fun for me--who knew we could generate such a discussion on pedicures? :)
ReplyDeleteI like the eclectic approach also. I didn't want to be locked into a theme when I had something else to talk about. Because unlike some of the other participants, I wasn't going to do two blogs to cover both aspects.
DeleteCongratulations! I enjoyed your posts for this challenge and I am with Kris, I like the organic feel it had. I might say I would like to try it next year, but I don't post frequently anyway to think I could ever maintain it for a month.
ReplyDeleteEclectic to organic. I consider those compliments. Thanks.
DeleteI think it would be interesting to see what you would do every day for a month. You certainly do enough cooking to keep that up.
I have read your posts this month usually backwards as I was always playing catch up but I enjoyed them a lot, well except for the bad news about your husband who I hope is doing well.
ReplyDeleteWould I ever consider doing another A-Z challenge? I don't know. I chose a theme which then prevented me from blogging about anything else for a month as my goal was to take weekends off but you just showed me that I could do the challenge and make it fit anything that popped into my head. So I guess the answer is I might consider it next year. :-)
While you and I have interests that generally direct our posts, we both like to blog about what is going on around us. And that is always changing, so it's hard to fit into a theme. I think the alphabet theme is about all I can handle.
DeleteWe'll see what happens next year. Maybe you can join me, or I can watch you as you do the challenge. :)
You did well. Congratulations are in order.
ReplyDeleteThanks.
DeleteYou did well. Congratulations are in order.
ReplyDeleteI also only heard about it the week before it started, so I had very little prepared. I ended up massaging some of the post topics to fit the letter. I agree with another commenter that this turned out to be of benefit - very small chance of your massaged topic being duplicated! I enjoyed the challenge and will probably do it again next year. I hope to have more of a theme in mind, but I will def play fast and loose with the titles :)
ReplyDeleteBTW I am assembling a collection of posts from participants like yourself who have written a recap. It's on Listly here. Enjoy! http://list.ly/list/17Wd-2016-a-to-z-challenge-wrap-ups
Last year I only heard about it a couple of days before it started. So this year when I was aware of it ahead of time, I thought it should be easier. Well, maybe a little, but not a lot. The new trick is one you also discovered--massaging the topics to fit the letter. I didn't do it much, but it did come in handy a couple of times.
DeleteI enjoyed reading your A-Z posts and think there is something to be said for random topics rather than a set theme. I felt mine this year of Memories from Childhood had wider appeal than my previous ones based on family or local history, and I was delighted with page views and comments. I had drafted up to the letter M before April 1st, but still spent far too long tweaking before posting and towards the end was writing only a day ahead. I can't imagine being able to do the challenge at very short notice. I also find it difficult to keep to short posts which does not help. Yes, I had my stressful moments with the pace - not least finding time to read and comment on other blogs. I say every year - not again, but here I am already pondering on a future theme. So watch this space for A-Z 2017 - I might be there!
ReplyDeleteWe'll see where we are next year. If only I could keep a little of the momentum going without posting every day, I wouldn't do the challenge. But I think that's part of the purpose--to help people step up their writing.
DeleteI think you memories theme was good. Some people may not be interested in others past, but I always like to hear others stories.
Well, one year was plenty for me! I felt completely overwhelmed by it last year - not just the writing, but trying to respond to all the comments and visit the blogs of everyone who visited me. I have trouble just keeping up with the few blogs that I follow regularly. Anyhow, I was quite impressed that you did it again.
ReplyDeleteAll of the blog visiting and commenting did take a lot of time even though I liked visiting and meeting other bloggers. Sometimes, I think that I want to grow the number of readers I have, but realistically I don't have much more time to put in on this blog. So, I think I'll stay where I am. I'm just glad that I don't need to make any money from blogging. Now that would be a lot of pressure.
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