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Do You Blog? Joined the #atozchallenge yet?

By 25/01/2016writing

Last year I took a break from the A to Z Challenge, but this year I’m back to co-hosting it, and the list is now open! (Signups HERE)

To those new to this: The Blogging from A to Z April Challenge is basically about blogging 26 days in April, based on the 26 letters of the alphabet. To know why this challenge can transform your blog for the better, read this!

Welcome to the seventh annual A to Z Blogging Challenge!

Please read and follow the sign-up instructions outlined below so you sign onto the list correctly!

The brainchild of Arlee Bird, at Tossing it Out the A to Z Challenge is posting every day in April except Sundays (we get those off for good behavior.) And since there are 26 days, that matches the 26 letters of the alphabet. On April 1, blog about something that begins with the letter “A.” April 2 is “B,” April 4 is “C,” and so on. You can use a theme for the month or go random – just as long as it matches the letter of the alphabet for the day.

1. The A to Z Challenge is a great way to get into the blogging habit and make new friends. We recommend short posts, turn off Word Verification, and visit five blogs (or more) a day beginning with the one after yours on the list.

2. Blogs must be on an open platform – no Tumblr, Facebook, Pinterest, etc. – and comments enabled. Please make it easy for visitors to comment on your blog.

3. To streamline legitimate blogs from advertisement blogs, the Co-Hosts will be visiting each blog on this list throughout the Challenge. Once the Challenge begins, blogs showing no activity or those that miss five days in a row will be removed.

4. Please note your Blog Name and Number in all correspondences. Remember that as blogs are removed, your number WILL change.

5. There are categories for those looking for like-minded blogs. Select ONE category code and enter it after your blog’s title/name. The code applies to your blog, not your theme for the Challenge and is purely optional. See the first few blogs on the list for examples. However, if your blog has adult content, you MUST mark it (AC) or it will be removed from the list. Codes are as follows:

ANIMALS: (AN)
BOOKS/REVIEWS: (BO)
CRAFTS/ART: (CT)
CULINARY: (CU)
EDUCATION/SCIENCE: (ES)
ENTERTAINMENT: (ET)
GAMING: (GA)
HISTORY/MYTHOLOGY: (HM)
HUMOR: (HU)
LIFESTYLE/SOCIAL: (LS )
PERSONAL: (PR)
PHOTOGRAPHY: (PH)
POETRY: (PO)
TRAVEL: (TR)
WRITING/STORYTELLING/MEMOIR: (WR)
ADULT CONTENT: (AC)

6. Be sure to grab the badge and display it in your sidebar so we know you are participating and link to the A to Z Challenge Blog.

7. For more information we recommend you follow the A to Z Challenge Blog and the hosts:
Arlee Bird @ Tossing it Out
Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh
Heather M. Gardner
Jeremy @ Hollywood Nuts
AJ @ A J Lauer
Pam Margolis @ An Unconventional Librarian
Damyanti Biswas @ Daily Write
Zalka Csenge Virág @ The Multicolored Diary
Joy Campbell @ The Character Depot
John Holton @The Sound of One Hand Typing

7. For contact:   Follow us on our Facebook Page!
Email address is [email protected]
Twitter hashtag is #AtoZChallenge and Twitter id is @AprilA2Z.

We’ll hold Twitter chats on Thursdays at the tag #azchat starting Feb 18, 2016, 9.00 PM EST. Please follow the Twitter and Facebook handles, and the hashtags in order to keep up with the conversation.

So, blog friends old and new, A to Z Challenge veterans and non, what are you waiting for? Sign up NOW at this link!! This challenge transformed my blog;  it could transform yours. Questions, doubts, comments? Scroll below to toss ’em at me!

Please join Daily (w)rite on its Facebook Page in case you would like to be heard by this community. If you liked this post, you can have biweekly posts delivered to your inbox: click the Subscription button in the sidebar.

Damyanti Biswas

Damyanti Biswas is the author of You Beneath Your Skin and numerous short stories that have been published in magazines and anthologies in the US, the UK, and Asia. She has been shortlisted for Best Small Fictions and Bath Novel Awards and is co-editor of the Forge Literary Magazine. Her literary crime thriller series, the Blue Mumbai, is represented by Lucienne Diver from The Knight Agency. Both The Blue Bar and The Blue Monsoon were published in 2023.

I appreciate comments, and I always visit back. If you're having trouble commenting, let me know via the contact form, or tweet me up @damyantig !

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120 Comments

  • Marquessa says:

    I’m #363 and need to change my code from AC to WR. How do I do that?

    • Marquessa, we don’t change codes once they’re put in. Please refer to the FAQ on why. If this is very important for you, you could try email Heather or Alex at the email address in the above post. I’m not sure it will be possible for them, though.

      • Marquessa says:

        Ok. I will…I had chosen indicated (AC)(WR) but the (WR) didn’t to take. My AC was to denote that there is sometimes profanity. Thanks.

  • does it matter what your blog focuses on? maybe i should make a new, more general blog…..the focus of my blog is really narrow, but i’d like to do this.

  • miladyronel says:

    Thanks for the info. I just signed up! I’m looking forward to this challenge.

  • clanton1934 says:

    Thank you for reading my post on Edith Wilson. May I sign up for the 2016 A-Z challenge?
    Charles

  • Miss Megan says:

    Hi there. I am very interested in participating in the A to Z Challenge. However, I will be traveling April 12 – 30 and will have limited access to a computer or iPad. So, my question is: would it be okay to pre-write all my entries for the last half of the month and then schedule them to post on certain days? I also typically put my blog link on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn as well… I think I can get those scheduled too. Open to your thoughts. If it doesn’t make sense, I will wait until 2017. Thanks for your consideration. — Miss Megan

  • I tried to join in for this….not sure if I did it right. Thanks

  • Every year I want to. This year, I’m finishing up a year-long update on my tech curriculum. I will miss this event yet again. Maybe next year!

  • I’m not playing this year, at least I don’t think I am. I might be in conjunction with a group, but life is just too crazy to fit in the hop, which makes me super sad because I LOVE the A to Z Challenge.

    • Aw, don’t be sad. If you choose not to do it, like me last year, you can still read the posts and have fun.

      It’s better to do what you can: I’m perpetually picking up more stuff than I can handle!

  • So excited! I’ve already challenged myself to write everyday but much like exercise I think I’ll be more successful at this if I have to be accountable to someone else. It will be harder for me to give into my excuses if 500+ other bloggers (as of the last time I checked) have signed up and 4 will be checking in to make sure I do it. Plus the more I write, the more I want to write so I’m excited to see what topics and ideas I post and to see what others have come up with. Best of luck, I hope all of your creative juices are flowing now in anticipation of the challenge 🙂

    • Thanks for joining and welcome to the challenge!

      • Thank you! I’m so glad that you liked one of my comments, I always check out blogs that check me out and I was able to find the challenge that way. I’m still new to this so part of the challenge is finding blogs. I’m already starting lists of words that begin with each letter so I can start zeroing in on what to do for April!

        • Welcome to the challenge, and I’m so glad it will prove to be a new step for you. All the best with it and let me know if you face any issues!

  • Marquessa says:

    I’m in!!! Though I now have to think about content…anecdotes or daily flashfiction based on my MC’s. Decisions, decisions, decisions.?

  • Rian Durant says:

    Took a deep breath and signed up. I want to make some positive changes this year and getting more disciplined is one of them. To be on the safe side, I signed up with AC because with the snippets and the cover reveals I can never know when the things can get a bit too sexy.

    • Go for it! And it’s wise that you added the AC label, just in case! In my experience, people with AC labels get more hits, not less.

  • This will be my first year doing the A-Z. I’m looking forward to it:)

  • Just signed up! 🙂 how can I get the a to z badge tho that you mentioned in the post?

  • I am nervous and excited! How can I sign up? Is this the sign up list

  • This blog is amazing!! Hey guys if any of you wouldn’t mind do you think you could check out my blog and tell me what you think?? thanks xx

  • vintrovert says:

    in love with your writings!! A great read..
    if you don’t mind, please checkout my blog

  • Mary Lou says:

    Reblogged this on Me In the Middle and commented:
    I’ve decided to give this a try! 26 Days of blogging during the A to Z Blogging Challenge in April 2016! Anyone else planning to participate?? …. Or have you participated in the past? Hope to see you there!

  • This will be my 4th year. I got up at 5:30am to place relatively high on the list (at slot 118 right now). Pre-prepared and scheduled posts are the key to success with this Challenge.

    • That’s some serious dedication! Next year you should try bribing some of us in the Eastern hemisphere to get your entry in even earlier 😀 . Kidding!

  • Rian Durant says:

    By the way, one question. What is considered adult content? Is it just too explicit pictures and topics (as in porn-style-explicit) or even milder stuff is considered as such. For example, my blog’s primarily MM romance stuff. Should I place AC f I decide to participate?

    • Stealing from an earlier AZ post: Adult Content – The A to Z Challenge Co-Host Dictionary Reference:
      We define Adult Content as anything that might be something a teenager shouldn’t be viewing. By “Adult,” this means nudity, frequent use of harsh language, gore, sexual content, and overtly violent content. By “Content,” this includes blog posts, images, graphics and any other related material that is on display at your blog.
      Adult Content Checklist – Does your blog contain any of the following material? If the answer is YES, then it should be marked as such with the (AC) category code:

      Nudity
      Frequent use of harsh language
      Gore
      Sexually oriented language
      Explicit Violence

      Again, does your Blog contain any of the above material? If the answer is YES, then it should be marked as such with the (AC) category code!

  • jebjork says:

    Looks like a great challenge, I have just signed up for it. Now I just need to think of 26 topics. I usually do one a week….this could be tricky.

  • Archana Kapoor says:

    Am seriously contemplating this time!!! ??

  • Wow. This is really cool. Maybe someday, but right now, I am already overwhelmed with everything books and I don’t think I could successfully pull off another 26 posts per month. Thanks for all the information, though.

  • macjam47 says:

    I had so much fun two years ago when I did the A to Z, but it was very time consuming. If I can manage my time to allow for it, I will do it again.

  • That looks like a fun thing. I’ll sit it out as there’s no way I would be able to post 26 blog posts in one month. But I would love to read some bloggers that do.

  • emaginette says:

    I’m afraid I’m only ever going to be a fan, but I promise to cheer everyone on as they make their way through April. 🙂

  • Rian Durant says:

    This sounds like an amazing idea but I’m still debating with myself because I somehow suspect there’s now way in hell I’ll have enough time to do it 🙁

    • You could possibly schedule your posts in advance, and choose a theme that would be easy for your to handle– one year, I did pictures and quotes, and that worked fine!

    • I really understand your feelings, but I realized this challenge is for April. You have at least (not doing math at 10:26 pm) 3 months to complete 26 posts. I have 2 blogs that I have already come up with words for each letter. For me the theme was easy, it follows my blogs’ purposes. I am not sure how I will approach it in 2017, but I am not going to worry about that which I might not see. Try to write at least 12 posts and then sign up.

      • Crud, meant to post this to Harry the man. So much for knowing what I am doing.

        • No worries. Maybe you can post it under his comment again, and I can help you delete these?

        • Rian Durant says:

          This is quite a sound advice for me, too, so it is a good thing you posted in under my comment 🙂 I’m sure this is the main concern of everybody who get excited by the prospect of the challenge and then they are like “Errrr, I have a demanding real life job and a family and I have to actually write stories in the same time…” . I’m still on the border.

          • I don’t know that it has to be a story. Maybe just a poignant thought for the day… Could be, X… I want to put a big x over… and list your frustrations. I’m glad you appreciated my response!

  • Are there any stats on how many blogs were in each category previously?

    • I’m not sure of that, would have to get back to you. But the list has been averaging about 2000 blogs and above for the last four years or so.

  • simonfalk28 says:

    I won’t be up to this challenge, Damyanti. Sorry. But I do look forward to seeing some of the posts that are generated by it. So.. I guess I need to put the hashtag #atozchallenge into my reader to follow the posts? Thanks for all you do! 🙂

    • No worries, Simon. We do need an appreciative audience! Yes, #atozchallenge on Twitter will get you all the posts you want to read and more 🙂

  • Rob Powell says:

    I too have joined the A-Z Challenge and wanted to ask if someone can provide a link of examples of blogs from last years challenge.Thank you!

  • Rosina Motta says:

    Im all signed up & ready to go. Im considering a jump start & scheduling posts. What a great motivator & networking technique!

  • Birgit says:

    It will be good to see you this year and can’t wait to know your theme. I am looking forward to it

    • Thanks, Birgit. I shall reveal my theme during the Theme reveal blogfest– but I already know what it is, and am very excited about it!

  • Vidya Sury says:

    So excited to have you back again, Damyanti! Looking forward to the A to Z fun! This will be my fourth year and yes, this is my favorite blogging challenge!

  • I just entered but am clueless…what to write! The fingers are itching to type, but the brain is is not in creative mode. Muse is lazy.

  • Hi Damyanti,

    As you might recall, I personally wish the A to Z Challenge would just go away. Of course, I have rather ironically promoted the darned thing via my anti-A to Z satire posts.
    Which means, even though I find the whole thing tedious and basically hijacks the blogging world, I still wish you and all involved, well.

    Even though I’ve done the ironic promotion of the A to Z, I wonder if the A to Z crew make mention of my alternative.

    Yes, I don’t do groups and I’m very much a lone wolf rebel.

    Take care, my lovely friend.

    Gary 🙂

    • In your dislike for the challenge you’ve promoted it more than some AZ lovers! So good to have you here–I try and keep up with your posts on FB, and chuckle every now and then 😀

  • wgr56 says:

    I DO have a question though. How do I turn off Word Verification if I don’t even know what Word Verification is? Somebody please enlighten me!

    • Mary Lou says:

      Thanks wgr56! I was wondering that too.

      • wgr56 says:

        Thanks Mary Lou. Looking forward to being enlightened together. I expect once we find out, we’ll wonder how we ever got by without it!

        • If you have WordPress blogs, you don’t need to worry about it.

          For blogs on Blogspot, Google insists on either showing some pictures or gibberish which you need to enter before you can comment–that’s word verification, intended to prevent spam, but only useful in creating annoyance 🙂

          • wgr56 says:

            Thanks for the rapid response, especially the part that says I “don’t need to worry about it!”

  • I am excited to be participating this year. At first I was surprised that I would be signing up for the challenge so many days before April, but now I realize that it will help me to get a lot of the work done before April so I am not under so much pressure. I look forward to reading other blogs.

  • I just need to come up with a good theme, and then I’m good to go. 🙂

  • jazzfeathers says:

    Signed up just this morning, this is how I found your blog 🙂

    This will be my second year. I feel like I’m so behind, but there are still two months to get ready.
    I’m working on it 😉

  • wgr56 says:

    OK, I’m in. Never shy about writing, but always shy about commitments, this could be interesting!

  • I participated the last two years, but I’m on the fence about it this year. So much to do, so little time. We’ll see!

  • Arlee Bird says:

    Glad you’re back with us, Damyanti. You add so much! Off to a great start for 2016!

    Arlee Bird

  • cleemckenzie says:

    I had to step back from helping out behind the A to Z scenes this year, but I am signed up to post. Great to see you back.

  • Reblogged this on ugiridharaprasad.

  • Reblogged this on ladyleemanila and commented:
    yay – it’s back!!!! #atozchallenge

  • I’m in! Seems like a great way to direct my daily posts, which I do anyway in my 366 days of Writing Challenge!

  • Bushka says:

    Hi Damyanti…..already following your blog….Really tempted to join in with the ‘A’ to ‘Z’. If I do, can I blog a poem for each of the days…..following the letters? Await your response…. Thanks. Hugs!

  • sppeac1987 says:

    Hmm, I’ve been looking for motivation to post more on my blog (and fuel for ideas of things to write about), so may consider this!

  • Stein says:

    I gathered all the courage I can muster and signed in!!!! scared, but excited to be part of the challenge! thanks for organizing and encouraging people to participate

  • gibsonauthor says:

    Reblogged this on s a gibson.

  • rebeccauhl says:

    Sounds like fun! I’m in.

  • cynthiamvoss says:

    I signed up! I enjoyed the challenge last year and look forward to it again. I just hope I can find new ideas and not repeat what I did last year for some of the tougher letters 🙂 Guess I’ll have to force myself to be more creative.

  • Sukanya Ramanujan says:

    I completely forgot- and I signed up just now- last year I was number 50 and this year I was 92 and for the third year in a row I forgot to mention a category (sigh!)

  • hilarymb says:

    Hi Damyanti – I’m in .. and looking forward to it …

    Somehow if we can – can we sort / advise .. re the WP and Blogger hassles re commenting ..
    I also saw something re Chrome and not being able to comment. As I have both WP and Blogger blogs I can comment easily …

    but it’s always a hassle … for others and then to see the whining as they can’t work out what to do ..

    Cheers Hilary

  • Almost Iowa says:

    Blogging every day? That seems a bit scary. Let’s see if I can work up the courage.

  • Hi, Damyanti. I have signed up for 2 blogs. This would be too ambitious except that I have my posts planned already. It will be my 4th time. Without the encouragement of the A to Z team, I might not have continued blogging. Sue

  • And we are so glad you are back on the team!

  • Mary Lou says:

    This sounds good for April! It will motivate me to get something written and then get out and enjoy the Spring weather. Looking forward to meeting everyone there! 🙂

    • Damyanti Biswas says:

      I saw your question about categories. No, having it in the title is not necessary and might confuse people.

  • I signed up. Hopefully I’ll figure it out along the way.

  • Just joined this! Looking forward to seeing how it goes!

    • congratulations, Abigail! You just made a fab decision about your blog! Read all the stuff on the Challenge page, and you’ll know the dos and don’ts!

  • Dan Antion says:

    OK Damyanti, I did it. I signed-up! I’m a little bit scared, but I’ll do my best. Thank you so much for the encouragement!