I am now a three-time survivor of the A to Z Blogging Challenge. It was a little more intense for me this year since I waited until late March to make my final decision on whether or not to participate leaving my window to research, write and prep everything to only a few weeks since I like to keep April focused on all the social aspects of the challenge. April is when I spend my time visiting and commenting on other blogs not actually writing posts. Interacting with other bloggers is my favorite part of the challenge.
Click on any picture to jump to a slide show with hyperlinks to my A to Z Challenge Post associated with that image.
My goals for participating in the challenge have stayed consistent over the past three years:
- Expand My Content. The challenge allows me a chance to focus on a particular topic and drill down a little deeper to expand my content in that area which is always fun. With this year’s theme, I was able to expand my content in an area that I don’t write about as frequently.
- Write Consistently. My posting schedule tends to ebb and flow and the challenge is a great opportunity to re-energize and find inspiration as I work towards a more consistent writing schedule.
- Improve My Writing. The intense posting schedule of the challenge is great writing practice. While I’m not sure that every post during the challenge is my best work, the opportunity to write and refine my challenge posts ultimately leads to stronger writing overall.
- Highlight Maine. Winters in Maine get a bad rap. They are cold and long but there is so much beauty too. It was fun to focus on this particular aspect of Maine.
- Connect with Other Bloggers. This is my absolute favorite thing about the blogging challenge. Getting to meet, engage with and learn from other bloggers. Blogging can be isolating and interacting with other bloggers during the challenge makes it a little less lonely.
With my last point above in mind, I wanted to again thank all my fellow bloggers for the support and encouragement they provided during the A to Z Blogging Challenge. It always motivates me and helps me stay on track.
After the challenge, I always need a bit of a break so after a few days off, it will be time to figure out what comes next as I continue to work on expanding and growing my blog.
Did you participate in the challenge this year? Did you enjoy it?
Weekends in Maine 
I enjoyed your posts, brought back memories of growing up in New England. Thanks for a job well done!
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Thank you for visiting during the challenge. It’s always so much fun to connect with other bloggers.
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What a great idea to have all the letters in your wrap up post. I really enjoyed reading your posts and learning more about beautiful Maine. I also loved connecting with you and look forward to reading your blog regularly. Well done completing 3 years in a row – you deserve a medal!
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I enjoyed reading your posts too and am looking forward to seeing what comes next. I always need a little breather after the a to z finishes but then it’s fun to jump back in again.
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Your posts were wonderful. Great slide show-what a great idea! Thank you for your encouragement as well. I look forward to following you and Weekends in Maine.
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Thank you. It’s fun to recap all the individual posts visually. By the time we get to Z, I’ve often forgotten what I did earlier in the challenge so it’s nice to revisit them.
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Congrats on completing the challenge!
Dena
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Thank you and same to you!
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Three time survivor! I love that wording. I also love the format of your post with the picture links. So fancy! I have truly enjoyed reading your blog and connecting with another Mainer on this challenge. You have a great thing going here, and I appreciate being able to be a part of it. Good luck! I’ll be back. Melanie’s Stories
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Thank you. I too am excited to have connected with another Maine blogger during the challenge and look forward to your future posts.
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I can connect with your takings; I too explored writing about something I was very hesitant initially to do so. But I did it to expand my writing forte and am glad I did that. I also love AtoZ for the writing discipline it enforces- my stamina builds up after every such challenge and I try to do atleast 2-3 in a year.
I loved reading about Maine – a region totally unknown to me and also connecting with you was great Karen – fist bump to the connect as you rightly said blogging can get lonely and its the readers who make all the difference
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It really is a wonderful way to enforce a writing discipline as you say. Sometimes it can be hard to stay on track but the challenge helps keep you motivated.
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And you succeeded in every one of them! Well done!
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I do love a good goal to word towards.
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Congratulation on completing the challenge, and I love that pics recap!!! Getting to the challenge in March is brave, so double congrats to you.
Not being able to keep up with networking seems to be a refrain of this year’s challege. I suppose we all will take advantage of the Road Trip. I sure will 😉
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Yes, the road trip sounds intriguing. It’s so hard to get to everyone during the challenge.
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You did a wonderful job stretching out your theme over 26 posts, and I like the design you made for this recap!
So next year you made write about “Spring in Maine”? 😉 You live in a beautiful area and I’d love to learn more and see some pictures of the pretty red brick buildings!
Happy recovering!
https://thethreegerbers.blogspot.ch/2018/05/a-z-reflection-post-2018.html
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Yes, I think it’s time to be done with winter for awhile.
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I did enjoy it. This was my third time and I think my best as far as writing, scheduling posts ahead of time, and making an interesting theme.
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Yes, even though I decided at the last minute, having done the challenge before I still felt prepared overall.
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The one reason I would do A to Z again after this break is the other bloggers – some of my favorite blogs were discovered through A to Z!
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Yes, it’s a great way to meet other bloggers!
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I never thought of a pic per link idea! That’s really cool! Your last minute idea was very inspiring in my opinion! Not sure I read each of your posts so will be catching up this coming month. Congrats on the finish!!
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I used the picture format in year one so now I have a template that makes it easy to update each year plus it’s a fun way for me to remember each post. Sometimes by the time I get to Z, the earlier letters have become a bit of a blur.
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I can relate to the blur lol
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Well done, great job. I enjoyed your posts and only sorry I didn’t get to read them all but I hope to catch up with you again real soon. Bernie xxx
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Thank you! I really enjoyed reading your posts too.
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Thanks 😉
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Yes, I did the challenge, too! Thanks for visiting, btw! One year I tried to plan out the posts ahead of time so that I could spend April visiting others’ blogs, and that was the year I almost failed the challenge. There’s just something fun for me about thinking up each post the day of or the day before. So I spend April writing the posts and then spend May visiting at my leisure. Either way, it sure is a fun Challenge!
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That’s great that you’ve found a method that works well for you.
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