How To A-toZ
It has come to my attention that there might be some bloggers out there — either new-to-blogging bloggers or new-to-this-challenge bloggers — who would benefit from a brief overview and tutorial regarding how to “do” the annual interwebs-wide April A-to-Z Blogging Challenge.
So this is it, in a nutshell:
Throughout the month of April, you write (or otherwise create — photos, artwork, etc.) and publish posts titled alphabetically from A to Z.
You’re “supposed to” write a single post per letter, in order (from A to Z), which gives you 26 posts in a month.
But really, I say: Do it however you want to do it.
The first two years I did this challenge (2018 and 2019), I did it the way I was “supposed to.” Last year, I combined letters for my posts. Since I found the challenge of how to combine letters rather fun, I will be combining again this year.
If you want to, you can write to a theme. This is purely optional. Last year I had a theme, and this year I will as well.
In terms of how to approach this project, I’d recommend the following:
- sketch out a list of letter-based ideas and come up with a posting schedule that will suit you
- write ahead, based on your topics/titles, so that you aren’t exhausted at the end of the month
- sign up for the challenge on the masterlist, which can be found here (it’s open through April 7th)
- let me know in the comments section below if you intend to play along — I will come show you some bloggy love!
- choose some blogs from the masterlist (or from the list I will personally post here on my blog) to visit throughout the month of April — this is a blog hop, essentially, so with all the writing and reading you’ll definitely be hoppin’!
And that’s it! 🙂
There are badges for each individual letter of the alphabet as well as banner-and-square badges that just indicate the overall A-to-Z challenge. (Find badges here.) I put these badges on each of my A-to-Z posts and link the badge back to the A-to-Z main site. To be clear: That’s not a requirement. (It is, however, good blogging etiquette.)
If you have any further questions about how to A-to-Z, please let me know. I’m happy to help walk you through what to do. 🙂
And again: If you’re playing along this year, please let me know in the comments below!
Oh brilliant 😊 I look forward to seeing your posts again this year?
My posts are coming together. Having learnt my lesson from 2019 where I was utterly spent by the end of the month (and didn’t finish!)
Contrary to the punctuation above, I’m in no doubt that I’m looking forward to your posts. (The ? Should be a !)
Yes, I learned after the first year to start working on my posts EARLY. I have 7 done going into April, so *fingers crossed* it will be a cinch to get through the rest of the month! 🙂
OH I totally want to play along, but I’m afraid I’ll get distracted / not finish / be tardy / have a [no post /own topic post for 2 days then A-Z post 3 at a go] schedule and people will be disappointed or annoyed. Or I’ll have nothing relevant to say (relevant, relevant – yes I know I always have something to say LOL…)
It *doesn’t* have to be a post a day right? Like you said, combining letters could work too?
fondles recently posted…Not Just Clothes on Shein and All Sorts of Pain + a PS
You can totally combine letters! I had one post last year (theme: health) that used 5 letters:
https://mrsfever.com/2020/04/04/emotional-impact-grief/
And lots of people do “regular” posts interspersed with the alphabetical ones. So no worries about that.
And you totally do not have to have any kind of theme — I didn’t, my first two times — so if your ‘I’ post is for Italian and your ‘S’ post is for Shein, it’s all good. 🙂
(Jz used to do this challenge, so you can check her previous A-to-Z miscellany as well if you want another ‘take’ on it.)
thanks for the links… i”ll check them out.
OK what the hey. I’m in!
*grin*
Brilliant post! I will link to this in my reveal and tweet this too.
Look forward to your a to z
May x
May More recently posted…April, the Fool on the Hill ~ Short Story
Great post! The little reminders are always helpful. You already know I’m along for the ride again. Haha
I posted my theme and actually have a couple posts ready to go.. woohoo productivity!
For those that are unsure, it really is a lot of fun 😉
Yes, I’ve got you on my list. 🙂
Tomorrow I will put up a “here we go!” type post and link to the people I know are playing.
A fabulous guide. I won’t be doing the A to Z this year – too much playing in my life and no planning – but on Blogable we will. And of course I will be reading your posts 🙂
~ Marie xox
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Mrs. Fever,
I think I would like to try it this year! Not sure I will have a theme as I am just getting stared with ideas. I think I will be combining some letters so that I don’t overwhelm the few viewers that I have. 🙂 ?
Hugs,
Windy
Oh lovely! I will be putting up a list of who’s playing tomorrow, with links to their blogs. I will be sure to include yours!
(And theme, schmeme. Lol. It’s in no way required — just an option if you want it.)
Yay! Thank you!
I saw some other bloggers mention A0Z, and I was not sure what it was. Are you the host Mrs Fever?
No, it’s actually a thing that was started by some blogspot bloggers back in 2010 and is an open-to-bloggers-everywhere yearly thing. As such, it’s kind of a big thing, in terms of numbers of participants (400+ people do it) and it’s easy to get lost or overlooked. I think it’s a fun challenge though, so I just try to cheerlead for the members of my own little blogging community who want to do it. 🙂
If you want to play (or think you might want to), let me know. And I’m happy to help you if you need help sorting a posting schedule or aren’t sure how to set it up. You can follow the links in my post to get to the main A-to-Z project page{s}, but also feel free to give me a shout if you anything is unclear.
Mrs. Fever,
I’m trying to look at what I have in the hopper to be edited and then other posts that still need to be created from scratch (most of them. LOL) Anyway, you said you combine letters. So if I had a post titled Apples Bananas Canada (I don’t, just need an example), would you post that on the A day or the C day ? What have you found works best regarding that if I am not going to try and write 26 separate entries?
Thx,
Windy
Windy recently posted…Initation — Stress Relief Spanking
I try to write in order and give myself time between posts, so I would just make Apples Bananas Canada my first post. If it was ready to go on April 1st, that would give me 3 days before I had to have my next post ready.
Does that help?
It absolutely helps! Thank you!
Windy recently posted…Initation — Stress Relief Spanking
I’m so far behind. One year I’d like to do this—but far too busy this year. I’ll just struggle to keep up with reading others posts. lol
It’s something I wouldn’t be able to manage if I didn’t plan/write ahead. I start working on this project in January; I know some participants who start working on the next A-to-Z as soon as the current one is finished.
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