Wednesday, February 1, 2012

A to Z April Challenge

Oh, man. I must be seriously deranged. I signed up for the A to Z Challenge yesterday (thanks, Damyanti, for tweeting the link!). What is it? Short version: 26 new blog posts in April, one every day except Sundays, each starting with a different letter of the alphabet (thereby A to Z, duh). Long version: click here. Apparently it's a ton of fun, gets creative juices flowing, one meets amazing bloggers, gets lots of exposure, makes new friends... Cool, huh?

Except for the fact that my blog stats tell me I put up a new post on average twice a week.

No, it's not that I don't like blogging--love it, in fact. Since we're on the subject, let me please ask for a round of applause for all Quiet Laughter's readers--the blog got over 1200 hits in January. Almost double what it got in December, which was around 10% more than November, which was, in turn, around 10% more than October, so on and so forth. Quiet Laughter was born in June last year, and traffic has steadily increased every month (mainly thanks to Clarity of Night's fiction contest in July, the Six Sentence Sunday weekly blog hop, and the Bluebell Books Short Story Slam), but the spike from December to January took me completely by surprise. So--thank you, all, for your visits and your comments--they make my day, every time.



Back to the A to Z challenge--ahem. So in April, together with my blogging buddy Cindy Dwyer (Cindy, you're not leaving me alone with this, are you?), I'll be writing a new blog post every day except Sundays. What about? Yeah, that's the question, isn't it? I doubt I'll be able to stick to one subject for the whole 26 posts--you know me, eclectic blogger (if you're in a kind mood). But I'd really like to make this a cross-culture A to Z. Short essays on those scenes from daily life us expats (or frequent travelers) experience, whether frustrating, funny, or illuminating, that give this homeless life we've chosen its spark. I'm not promising anything, but that seems like a good idea right now.

Or I might just go off on a tangent, get all dark and maudlin. Spice it up every now and then with something about writing :)

13 comments :

  1. Yay!! I've also signed up for the A-Z. This is my second year... I had a real blast last year....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Excellent, Mish! Glad to hear it, and look forward to your posts, as always :)

      Delete
  2. I have to confess, the no Sunday thing dealt my nerves a serious blow. I was counting on the Six Sentence Sunday for a (relatively) easy 4 posts throughout the month!

    But...y...y...ok YES I'll do it.

    God help me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hahahahahaa... I think the no-Sunday rule was meant as a day off, but--yeah, it's a blow :) Still, I think you have more than enough material from An Apple to share throughout the month. What I've started doing (ok, *will* start doing) is making draft posts with Cool Titles (say, A is for Alzheimer's / Abruptness / Amiable / Adopted / Andes... you know, just brainstorming with the 26 letters. Then, from now until March 30, I can put in some ideas for that particular post together. I *hope* by midnight March 30 I have enough for the first five posts. If not--well, I'm in trouble :D

      Delete
    2. I was just thinking the same thing - D is for Dentist! That's the sum total of my plan so far.

      Delete
  3. Hi Gullie, first time visitor and great to meet you! I didn't consider a tag-team duo but makes sense. Good luck to you and looking forward to your posts.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Stephen! Glad you stopped by :) and thanks for the good wishes! I'll look forward to yours as well, and you're welcome to join the tag team--this is exciting!

      Delete
  4. Just stopping by to follow you from the A-Z challenge! Last year was so much fun, I decided to give a go again!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! Glad to have someone with a bit more experience to "fall back on" :D I'm sure we're going to have a blast. Thanks for the visit!

      Delete
  5. Guille - Great post, thanks for highlighting the A to Z Challenge!
    I really like your enthusiasm and energy around the thinking about, and planning of, your posts. Don't fret that you only post about twice a week now...you'll be surprised how quickly you look forward to posting the letter of the day...it's quite addictive!

    Welcome aboard!
    Jenny @ Pearson Report
    Co-Host of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jenny, I'm honored :) Thanks for the visit, and the encouragement. I know you're right--this seems like one of the best decisions I've ever made. The community is so warm and welcoming!

      Delete
  6. I know several people who've signed up for this and your post is the last straw - I signed up myself. I'll have a difficult time, similar to you, cuz I maybe post twice a week (i don't really count) but I love your theme. I'm looking forward to reading your entries!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Gwen! I'm glad you like the theme--I'll see how long the creativity holds out, haha. I'm so happy you signed up, too, and I'll look forward to your posts as well :)

      Delete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...