Looking back at a month of madness! #AtoZChallenge #Reflections
Writing is a very lonely exercise as it it just you, your thoughts and your words. Which is why an annual writing challenge like the A to Z is looked forward to by Bloggers from all over the world.
The excitement of writing daily, barring Sundays, and that too alphabetically is a thrill! Ideas are thought up, then quashed, posts are written and thrashed and written again. Friends egg you on and you return the favor. You make more friends through reading newer blogs and discover different facets of the same thing through reading.
Writing every day, and reading more than you would on a daily basis, widens your horizons and if you’re open to learning and bettering your writing, this month long challenge is a free class, where you have fun as you learn!
This was my 2nd time attempting the A to Z and I can proudly sport this badge now!
April was exhilarating and exhausting but I am chuffed that I did it! My theme was 26 Favorite Foods and A Little Bit of Me and I truly had fun writing it. You could read my posts here
After scheduling the 1st 6 posts the other 20 were written on the go, and it was complete chaos! Though it was a relief to see that some of my fellow bloggers were going through the same! We vented, we cursed, we thought of backing out, but more importantly we persisted. Through bad internet, through traveling, through ill health, through time and idea famine, we overcame every barrier and completed the challenge. 10 Thousand + words written through April, my blog grabbing 23 thousand + eyeballs , you bet I am chuffed!
Take a bow my fellow A to Z folks, we did it!
My personal favorite themes and Writers were;Shilpa Garg, whose 55 word Crime Fiction had me hooked! Like a druggie I kept waiting for my next fix even as I was high on the current one. Shilpa, you totally rocked the challenge, and how!
Geetika Gupta, whose theme held up the mirror, showing us The Other Side of everyday situations. Mature and unbiased views and posts. What a pleasure it was reading each one!
Sreesha Divakaran, whose minimalist fiction had me, and a whole lot of others enthralled, majorly! Little bits of varied emotions that we needed to piece together into a jigsaw puzzle of love and loss.
Dr Roshan, whose theme of showcasing real life hero’s filled me with hope, and left me teary eyed, every day.
Manisha , who I am so thrilled is writing again. Read her brilliant stories here
A special mention to;
First timers, Amrita and Deepa who just aced their debut challenge brilliantly! Their engaging and enlightening themes and posts, Amrita throwing light on the pros and cons of fruit and Deepa sharing her wisdom on Parenting were truly impressive .
A to Z rockstars, Shalini and Tina who have successfully completed the challenge on not 1 but 2 blogs each!
Shalini wrote a comprehensive Travelogue on Thailand and showcased 26 Indian Foods.
Tina’s themes were Desserts and Tips to Lead A Meaningful Life
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Shailaja Vishwanath
May 8, 2017 at 7:54 amMany congratulations on completing the challenge, Mayuri 🙂
I truly enjoyed the posts I managed to read and your recipes as well as your quirks were fascinating to read 🙂 That’s commendable- the stats counter- for a month of blogging. May you reach newer and greater heights of blogging always. Much love.
Rachna
May 8, 2017 at 7:57 amSo proud of you, Mayuri, for having completed the challenge. Daily blogging is so difficult. For me April was a month of detox. I was traveling and mostly away from writing and reading.
Mayuri
May 8, 2017 at 9:09 amWhat a wonderful journey April.I could feel te energy in the air.Encouraging and inspiring blog stats Mayuri.Thank you for the kind mention.
Swathi Shenoy
May 8, 2017 at 9:25 amCongratulations on finishing the challenge 🙂 I loved reading your posts though most of them made me crave for food I couldn’t possibly find here at odd hours. I liked the posts where you left the link to recipes 🙂 atleast I can try some of them 😉
Geets
May 8, 2017 at 3:45 pmCongratulations for completing the challenge, M! It was absolutely fun to read the quirky posts all April.. and I learned about so many dishes I’d never heard before. Thanks for the mention, M! I am thrilled and feel happy! It was just so motivating to read your comments every day on my blog and it was your appreciation that kept me going! Lots of love!
Cheers
Parul Thakur
May 8, 2017 at 8:17 pmCongrats for completing the challenging. I totally loved your food stories. The pictures made me drool 🙂
23 thousand? wow! so cool.
Ishieta @ Isheeria's
May 9, 2017 at 2:35 pmCongratulations M on your awesome AtoZ! Loved reading you 🙂
Sreesha
May 9, 2017 at 3:39 pmCongrats, Mayuri! Loved the food posts, loved reading about your quirks even more 😀
Thank you so much for the mention. *blushes* 🙂
Deepa
May 9, 2017 at 4:35 pmWe all did it and now we can proudly look back and smile. Thanks for all the support and encouragement throughout this challenge. Also thanks for the mention in your post. I also enjoyed reading all the bloggers posts you mentioned. Congrats on finishing the #AtoZchallenge 🙂
Dr Roshan Radhakrishnan
May 9, 2017 at 5:23 pmCongrats on successfully completing… I really enjoyed myself your series.
And like you I really wanted to add a fav list of all those bloggers I loved… Which is why I kept wishing so many would have a dedicated index page for all the posts of the month. That way linking to that page makes more sense since it gives the new readers a chance to go through the series specifically
upasna
May 10, 2017 at 12:29 amHey Mayuri, you did a commendable job there. Your multi-cultural recipes were great. Most of them were new to me. You are right- this challenge is earning with fun. Daily blogging is not easy but possible if planned properly. I confess I too had scheduled only 7 posts and rest were edited on the go.
Kala Ravi
May 19, 2017 at 11:19 amMany congrats to you Mayuri for successfully completing the marathon AToZChallenge. No mean feat this! I went on an extended brain-drain post this challenge last year. But that said, I had the best time ever! I loved your theme this year. Each morning saw my timeline filled with tantalizing treats from you, some wholesome, some sinful! I liked the way you narrated the stories behind these favorite foods, giving your readers and insight into your world. Here’s to many more blogging adventures, cheers!