AtoZ Challenge Reflections

I decided to join in on the AtoZ Challenge at the end of March. I had no hope of writing all my posts in advance and sitting back to just let them flow onto the page each day. Nope. This was an everyday deal. I knew what I was signing up for. And I needed it to be that way. Just to see if I could do it.

I’d never promised to be an everyday blogger. But for one month I would try. I printed out a blank calendar, filled in the dates and letters, and set out to brainstorm 26 topics. Most posts had one- or two-word titles. On purpose. I intended them to be simple. And to stick to the recommendation of short {or short-ish} posts. Definitely a challenge, but a good one for me, and worth the effort!

With so many bloggers participating {just over 1,700}, I knew keeping posts short would be more welcoming to first-time visitors. As I visited other participants’ blogs, those long posts definitely discouraged me from sticking around or spending much time there.

And I’ll admit, after about a week, I found it close to impossible to visit five new blog a day from the list {though I hope to catch up a bit now that it’s over}. By the time I hit Q, I was hoping just to make it to Z on my own posts. In the end, I fell behind in the alphabet by one day and finished the Challenge on May 1st. I might also add, April was my busiest month at work in a long time. It’s no wonder the masseuse I saw last Friday said I had the back of a lawyer.

In all, I enjoyed my experience in the AtoZ Challenge. I even posted a survey last week for my readers to tell me what they think {about my blog and the Challenge}. 80% of respondents said they enjoyed reading shorter posts every day, and yet in the comments many said they don’t mind longer posts. I guess it all has to do with a connection to the topic. People who aren’t interested in the topic of marriage aren’t likely to stick around. BTW – If you haven’t responded to the survey, it’s not too late. Just click here.

As far as what Google Analytics shows, the traffic patterns as a result of daily posts made the graph look a little more like the Rocky Mountains {in April—with its higher peaks and not-as-deep valleys} and a little less like knives poking through fabric {like March—with its high peaks on post days and deep valleys on non-post days}.

One of the most beneficial aspects of the Challenge was meeting other bloggers with similar interests. I loved finding a blog I liked, commenting and then seeing comments back from that blogger on my own blog. It’s encouragement for me to “get out there” more often to explore the blogosphere and meet other bloggers by actively commenting on their posts.

Will I do the Challenge again? Ask me next year. For now, my takeaway is to be more intentional in my blog planning, like I did for April, so when it’s time to write there’s already a structure in place to follow.

A few blogs I happened upon during the Challenge:   

Our Life in a Caravan – About a family living in a motor home

Civil War Horror – Exactly what it sounds like

I Refuse to Go Quietly – This was a fascinating take on the Challenge. A story broken into 100-word sections posted each day. {I only visited one of those days but was intrigued by the concept and hope to find time to go back and read the whole story from start to finish.}

I happened upon Magpie Writes on the day she learned she’d gotten an agent. That was pretty exciting!

Although I might have found Whole Foods Living on my own, since eating healthy is a high priority, I was so glad to have found her through the Challenge.

And here are a few LSL followers who participated in the Challenge {Way to go fellow-bloggers!!}:

Overcoming Loneliness
Our Simple Love Story
The Newlywed Wife

What thoughts or observations do you have from the Challenge, either about my blog or the whole thing in general?

Related posts:

• Heads Up! It’s the A-to-Z Challenge!
• AtoZ Summary To-Date
• What Do You Think?
• Date Night

Tagged as: AtoZ Challenge