It’s hard to believe that it has already been a week since
the last day of the challenge, yet here we are already about to move into the
second week of May.
Signing up for the A to Z Challenge was one of the best
things I’ve done in a while. I’ve always
said I want to be a writer, yet I rarely find the time to write. Because I enjoy writing I’ve often treated it
like a prize or reward; I’ll write when the laundry’s done, after the dishes
are put away, when the house is clean, etc.
But these things are never totally done; they’re a part of life, which
is ongoing.
Quote on a bench at Riverbanks Zoo & Gardens |
I learned during the challenge that writing is like anything
else that’s important to me; if I want to do it, I must make the time to do
it. I won’t suddenly find the time to do
it. Each day has 24 hours; I’m not
suddenly going to notice that Wednesday has snuck me an extra couple of hours
to write. (A girl can dream though, right?)
If I want to write, I must make the time for it, either by organizing
myself a little better, or spending less time on another pursuit. That was probably the most valuable thing I
learned during the challenge. I realize
that probably isn’t very profound, but it has made a big difference for me.
I also learned a little bit about letting go of a topic, or
at least shelving it for a while. There
were days that I had definite posts in mind for, yet I ended up going with
something entirely different. Sometimes
my original idea wasn’t nearly as interesting as I first thought it was. Sometimes I was just too ashamed of what I’d
managed to write on a given subject; I felt that if someone was kind enough to
stop by my blog they deserved (at the least) something I wasn’t embarrassed to
have written. There are some ideas I
will probably re-visit at a later date, but I feel like I now have a much
better handle on knowing when to move on to something else. With limited time to write, I feel like
that’s a pretty valuable lesson to have walked away with.
I also learned a little more about navigating blogger,
though I still have a long, long way to go.
I will admit to being a little less than savvy (if it weren’t for my
husband my blog would be even less ascetically pleasing), and I’m still trying
to figure out to follow some people back, but I feel like I have made some
progress as far as the logistics of posting: I can now re-arrange the pictures
to my liking (most of the time) and I’ve learned how to schedule a post.
The most surprising, and pleasant, aspect of the challenge
for me was how truly kind and supportive people have been. I felt almost like I’d won the lottery when I
got my first follower; each follower after that was a wonderful surprise as
well. In returning comments to other
bloggers there were certainly some people whose lives and interests seem to
have nothing in common with mine, yet they still managed some positive comment
on my blog. Blogger Land
is filled with some really nice people, and it was nice to come into contact
with some of them.
I don’t really think I can pick a favorite post; even
choosing a favorite post on some of the blogs I’m following now (including the
ones I haven’t really figured out how to officially follow yet) would be
somewhat difficult. But here’s a list of
some of the blogs I have found that I really enjoy:
The feathered nest – She has actually come up with another
sort of challenge idea, involving photo prompts that I’m very excited to be
participating in.
As if by magic – I enjoy her style of writing, and her
photos are amazing.
Inane Ramblings – I can never predict what her topic will
be, but it has always been a pleasant read.
Writers Do Laundry, Too – I clicked on this blog because the
name caught my eye; I continue to come back because I really like her style of
writing. She’s a writer and has really
good insight, but never comes across as condescending.
Grits and Groceries – This is another one I clicked on
because the name interested me. Because
I’m something of a procrastinator I haven’t tried any of the recipes yet, but I
will. He’s also great about answering
any questions you may leave.
My Life as Lynn Proctor – Her posts are a mix of many
things; humor, reflections, insights, etc that I look forward to reading.
As I said, these are just a few of the blogs that I have
come to look forward to reading; it’s just impossible to name and list them
all. I am glad that the Challenge List
is expected to stay up for a while, as I am sure there are plenty of other
great blogs that I haven’t even gotten to yet.
For any of the A to Z hosts reading this, I’d just like to
say “thank you, thank you, thank you”. I
am so glad I signed up, and am very much looking forward to next year. Thank you as well to everyone who has read,
commented on, and followed my blog. We
made it through the challenge, and are better for it.
Great reflection! So much talent out there.
ReplyDeleteWell I think the most important thing you took from the challenge is that you know now that you want to make time for writing. That is BIG. Looking forward to having even more bloggy fun with the PhotoPrompt project.
ReplyDeleteoh how excited i was to see you liked my blog and were so gracious to name me--it means so very much ---your blog name drew me in for sure--i love it--and i love your site---thank you so much :)
ReplyDeleteI found you through the A-Z Challenge Reflection page and am glad I did. I can relate - I am a writer...that hasn't written and needs to get serious so I am moving forward. This Challenge was just one way. I plan to join your blog, and keep up to see your success. Your blog and mine are similar. :) Great minds think alike!
ReplyDeletewww.hammockinthehoneysuckle.blogspot.com
Your space here is lovely and I'm happy that you will continue to write. A to Z left me with the same sense of possibilities. Now I have a Wednesday and a Sunday group to write with and because of this challenge I know that I can do it. I glad that you have an exciting new beginning also!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for mentioning my blog. When I saw it, I had a huge surprised smile. I hope you will accept a hug! :0)
I was horrible at visiting all the blogs during the A to Z challenge. Heck, I didn't even get around to posting a reflection post. I am so glad that you found me though--and I apologize for taking THIS long to comment on all the posts I've missed!
ReplyDelete