I’m getting psyched about the upcoming A to Z Challenge 2014 in April. It will be my first—last year I signed up and scheduled a couple of posts, but came down with pneumonia just days beforehand and pulled out. This year—knock on wood (and pop a few antibios)—I’m raring to go.
Samantha Redstreake Geary and friends are hosting a Theme Reveal Party on March 21 to get everyone even more psyched, if that’s at all possible. I’ve reblogged her post below; for more details, read further.
Personally, I can’t wait! Tune in on March 21st to see what my theme will be.
With the greatest international blog event ever created, The A to Z Challenge *sign up here*, hovering on the horizon, you may be asking yourself, “Should I invest in a few more pounds of coffee?” or “Should I send the kids to Grandma’s for the entire month of April?” or “Should I rent a cabana on a remote island for the duration, with unwavering internet service, a full open bar and an on-call massage therapist who resembles Henry Cavill and articulates like Benedict Cumberbatch?”, the answer to all of which is a resounding YES.
When faced with a tougher question, such as “to theme or not to theme?” during the 26-day regimen, look to the Magnificent Seven of #TeamDamyanti to “unofficially” advise you.
Themes are fun. They make an impression on your audience. For instance, if you, perchance, plan on incorporating tantalizing images of attractive Australian…
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M.L. Swift, Writer 
Thanks for sharing this, Mike! I already kind of revealed my theme, but I can do it again, with fun and fanfare. Surprised I hadn’t caught this coming up, as Jemima Pett is one of my blogging buddies (great lady, really cute fun books for kids of all ages–sort of like mine, i.e. really grown up books masquerading as children’s books).
Had me chuckling with your example. I’ll always be a kid at heart. Yes, all the fun and fanfare and glitz! It’s all about the presentation. I’m looking forward to the reveal and the April challenge. 😀
Wow! So nice to see this post, Michael…..AND your spanking new design. I was kinda partial to the old header. Hmm. Now let’s not get into the typewriter-envy conversation! (I realized that each time I type en, joy automatically follows!)
Looking forward to a fabulously hectic couple of months … and of course, beyond! 😀 I just love the A to Z Challenge!
Love,
Vidya
#Team Damyanti
A to Z Challenge Theme Reveal BlogFest – Sign Up Now #atozchallenge #atozreveal
Aren’t all months fabulously hectic? Okay, sometimes unfabulously…but I like to work. And I like to write, so the two make a pretty fabulous combo.
I’m glad you like the design! I also like this layout and wanted to make use of these historiated letters, thus the change of headers…I’ll be using the whole alphabet during A-Z.
The typewriter was a wallpaper image from Google images I cropped, filtered, and colored. I wasn’t sure of the copyrights of it. These letters are from a book that is now public domain, and were collected by a fellow named Liam from a great website he runs called fromoldbooks.org.
Thanks for coming by, and for helping out with A-Z this year!
Part of the excitement of Christmas and birthdays is knowing what you have bought, made or arranged as gifts, and having to hold on to the information until it is due to be revealed. This reveal party is having a similar effect. Of course, we shan’t be able to see the faces of the recipients of the reveal, but we can still be excited, can’t we?
Keith, you hit my weakness (or strength, depending on how you look at it). I love to have that excited secret. I even wrap presents and put them under the tree without names, remembering who gets what, just so nobody can guess theirs.
But it doesn’t mean I’m not bursting at the seams with anticipation! Thanks for coming by and following. Nice to meet you.
I’ve signed up, although I won’t do mine until the following Monday. (I should’ve noted that when I added my name. Sorry!)
Yeah, I saw that you were on the list. It will be fun to find out what everyone has planned. And hey, you make it to the party when you can make it, right? That’s my philosophy anyway! I’ll look for yours on that Monday.
Hi Mike!
Sorry it’s been so long. I didn’t have pneumonia, but I was in the hospital and am still on bed rest, but recovering. I’m glad someone knows how I feel!
Excited that you’ll be in The A-Z Challenge this year! Here’s to good antibiotics and I’ll knock on anything to keep us both healthy!!!!
Gonna Tweet this now. Anytime someone blogs about the April Challenge, we want to know. Please Tweet anything you find using our hashtag. Thanks for the help!
Tina @ Life is Good
A to Z Team @ Blogging From A to Z April Challenge 2014
@TinaLifeisGood, #atozchallenge
http://www.facebook.com/TinaLifeIsGood
Glad to hear you’re doing a little better. I remember you being in the hospital. My online life has lessened tremendously too, with offline life.
Thanks for letting me know about the tweeting…will do. And thanks for helping make AZ a reality this year!
FEEL BETTER! 😀
I’ve been on the fence about choosing a theme for this year and have been tinkering with the idea of signing up for the reveal, just to force me to have to make a decision. I mean, since April will be around the corner and all. Thanks for signing up for the 2014 A-to-Z Challenge! May your experience this year find you in good health.
Cheers!
Nicole
#atozchallenge Co-Host
http://www.madlabpost.com
Sign up…force that hand! It will be neat to see what everyone is planning.
I’m definitely looking forward to the A-Z Challenge. Last year I had a theme and wrote a few posts to prepare, but never saw April before the pneumonia hit. This year, I scrapped that theme and am starting fresh. I may use the old theme another year.
Thank you for coming by to welcome me. All this blog love is inspiring!
Can’t wait to see what you chose! 🙂
Oh… and you changed your blog!
(Are you trying to confuse me? :P)
Did it work? I even changed color schemes! Gotta keep you on your toes, somehow. I thought the blues to be calm and cool…like me. NOT. But yes, the time for a change included new clothes. There’s a new look happening all around. Wait until you see my redecorated workspace in Nutschell’s Wednesday Writer’s Workspace. Talk about new “clothes!”
Oh…and my theme…love it. I’m bursting at the seams to tell, but like a good kid, am patiently biding my time until the reveal. Biding my time and biting my tongue! Thanks for swinging by, Melissa.
I did the A-to-Z last year and enjoyed it, but plan to sit this one out unless I can come up with a theme that requires little drafting time. I am, however, looking forward to all the A-to-Z posts everyone else conjures from the recesses of imagination.
I’m excited for the A-Z too. This year will be my fourth one and I always enjoy it. This is my favorite time of the year in blogland.
Looking forward to seeing what you have planned for your theme.
Julie—Oooo…a four-timer! Way to go! I look forward to your theme as well.
Yes…I’m in the midst of preparing my posts as we speak…er, write. I don’t think I could do A-Z without writing them leisurely beforehand. I’d hate to write under the gun, so to speak…er, write. 😉
I did A-Z last year and had a great time. But I’m guessing (hoping) I’ll be in the middle of edits, so I may opt out this year.
Glad to see everyone is busy with writerly things! I’m so happy for you, Elizabeth. I couldn’t imagine doing edits and trying to fit in A-Z. Edits are exasperating enough!
WOW!! New looks and new decoration in Mike’s lair! I like it very much but I’ll miss the windmills and the Man of La Mancha line.
No A to Z for me this year. One was more than enough to get the excitement of the experience. It was fun and intense and box-checked in the Things Dragon Must Do before Dying list. If I’d tell you the reasons why I would not sign up again for this, you would probably raise an eyebrow and then roll your eyes. It’s like saying I don’t eat chocolate because it tastes too much to chocolate. DUH! That’s what it’s supposed to taste. Something like that. You’ll get a blast out of it, I know. You do like chocolate. 🙂
I love chock-lit.
A-Z is also on my bucket list…I’m anxious, but a good anxious. I’m plotting my posts now. We’ll see how it goes.
I miss the oranges and reds, too, as well as the Man of La Mancha line…but the windmill is still here, in my WordPress avatar. I felt like cooler blues and “shades of gray.” Maybe the symbolism will bring about a best seller. But you know me; I go whithersoever the winds blow! Thanks for coming by, Al. 😉
I will tune in to see your theme! I’m sure it will be interesting and entertaining. 🙂
Let’s hope so! I try to be interesting and entertaining whenever possible, but…well…sometimes I fall flat. Perhaps the law of averages will apply: maybe 13 of 26 will be worthy. 50% is okay…nah, I want to whole enchilada! Thanks for coming by, Suze.
Yep, I signed up for the A to Z challenge, and then promptly checked my temperature, pulse, and basic cognitive skills to see if I was losing my mind 😉 The theme reveal sounds like a good way to get psyched up for it – thanks, Mike!
Yeah, I’m certainly getting caught up in the hype hoopla! This should be a fun kick-off to the event. Thanks for coming by, Liz.
Sorry about last year but congrats on entering this year and see your theme March 21.
Thanks Sheena-kay. This year already looks promising.
Human friend, Michael,
Oh no, not you as well. I’m sorry you were not well to get involved last year. My human and I wish the whole darned alphabet challenge would just go away. Last year, we satirised the ridiculous thing that hijacks the month of April. And the irony of it was that our satirical postings actually promoted it. Have fun and enjoy.
On behalf of Gary, “the official anti-A to Z spokesman”,
Penny the Jack Russell dog and modest internet superstar! 🙂
Yes, me as well. It’s a good way to get a slew of posts under your belt, and with a common theme, perhaps even make something (a possible e-book) of it.
Hmm…methinks thou doth protest too much in your stance against the alphabet challenge…sign up, join in, and write your heart out! Good to see you, Penny. Tell Gary hi. 😉
I’ve considered doing A to Z, then reconsidered, then considered again. Finally I decided it would be an unnecessary distraction for me at this time, so I’m putting it off til next year. I wish you all the best, and can’t wait to hear what your theme will be since you sound so giddy and elated to reveal it. 🙂
Yeah…I almost—I mean I was thisclose—didn’t do it this year, but it’s all a part of my master plan. I want to get twenty-six things under my belt quickly, so this is hitting at the right time, otherwise, quite doubtful. I do feel a bit of a panic, though…got other writing to do (real important stuff for publication) beforehand. But my plan is to knock it all out before April, then in April, just concentrate on visiting a few different folks each day.
I think the theme is good…maybe not unique (I have no idea what’s been done previously), but the way I do it will be! 😉
Love the new design, Michael!
Thanks, Nina. The blues and grays have a cooler feel to them, and I love historiated letters. Came across these at fromoldbooks.org and had to use them!