Wednesday, May 6, 2015

WRAPPING IT UP

     I don't know about you, but for me April ended just in the nick of time.  In the week that followed, this is almost literally the first opportunity I've had to rub two minutes together.  In other words, it's time for me to attempt an A to Z Challenge Wrap-Up post.
     I'll start by saying that I LOVED doing the Challenge in this, my second year.  I sort of stumbled my way to what proved to be the perfect topic for me: 16th-century people who lived exceptional lives in one way or another, but whose names are, for the most part, unfamiliar to people of the 21st century except for historical scholars.  Not being a historical scholar myself, I had never heard of almost any of the 26 people I ended up posting about, and trying to round up and organize information about their lives was a constant source of delight for me.
     I also discovered a whole bunch of wonderful blogs and bloggers that I would probably never have found otherwise.  I can't mention all the names here, but I will list my absolute top three (in no particular order):

     Kern Windwraith, The Odd Particle Review.  Quirky, hilarious, thought-provoking observations, 
deeply generous in spirit.

     Nilanjana Bose,  Madly-in-Verse.  Gorgeous poetry that had me thinking, almost every                   day: "So why is it exactly that this writer isn't famous yet?"

     Zalka Csenge Virag, The Multicolored Diary.  Fascinating summaries by a professional storyteller of epic tales from around the world, retold with panache, expertise, and irreverent humor.

     I volunteered to be a Minion this year, and then when I found out what that entailed, I thought about backing out.  Did I really want to be a Blog Cop, searching out and reporting to my Overlord bloggers who had dropped out along the way or who were still participating but not following the rules?  YUCK!  It took me a little while, but then I caught on to the purpose behind all this.  A lot of Challenge participants diligently hop around the list, visiting ten or twenty or even more new blogs each day, and it can be a real bummer to put in that kind of time and effort, only to find that you keep hitting on blogs that aren't really part of the Challenge after all.  So the goal is to eliminate the debris and make blog-hopping a more pleasant experience for the people who actually are participating.  Makes sense, right?
     I don't have any brilliant suggestions about ways to improve the Challenge for next year.  I enjoy the democratic flavor of it all - we're all in it together as long as we're willing to put in the work.  Since I'm unlikely to ever run a marathon, this may be the closest I get to that kind of experience!  And I don't even have to be seen in public in running shorts!  I'd call that a win-win.
     Congratulations to all my fellow Challenge survivors!  If we didn't meet this year, I hope we will next April.
   

16 comments:

  1. Congratulations on surviving! As one of the few people that actually enjoy longer posts during A to Z, especially if they are well researched and about history, I was really happy with your theme and your posts :) And thank you for the shout out! I hope you'll enjoy my book!

    @TarkabarkaHolgy from
    Multicolored Diary
    MopDog

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    1. And congrats to you on surviving with not one, but TWO blogs! Awesome achievement. And I already know I'll love your book.

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  2. Congratulations on making it! It was a great time and I hope to keep in touch with some of my new contacts. Out of Africa - Reflections on the Challenge

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    1. Congratulations to you too! I've never been to South Africa, but my globetrotting friend Julie has washed up there (for now) and is loving it. Thank you for visiting!

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  3. Susan, I'm so surprised to learn that you're *not* a historical scholar. What a wonderfully esoteric theme to have chosen! I'm very impressed! It was such a delight stumbling onto your delicious blog and learning about all these 16th-century people and their extraordinary lives.

    I can't tell you how honoured I am that you've included my blog as one of your top three. [insert wild and rambunctious happy dance here] :)

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    1. Nope, not a historical scholar. Just a criminal defense lawyer with a serious writing habit. You? I love your blog too, and I hope I don't disappoint you in this post-Challenge era... sometimes I let weeks go by between posts. Will try to do better, though!

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  4. It was so lovely to get to know you and your blog! I learned about so many incredible people (the pirate queen is still my favorite). Congratulations on surviving, can't wait to do this again next year.

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    1. Congrats to you too, Annalee! And it was so kind of you to stop by again! Have a wonderful year (and a happy Mothers Day, if applicable)!

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  5. Congrats on finishing and on "minioning" too! Start thinking about a theme for next year. :)

    Yvonne

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    1. Right back at you, Yvonne! But ... "thinking?" No, I've sworn off thinking until at least June! Happy Mothers Day!!

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  6. I so appreciated all your help as a Minion, and I'm glad it didn't feel like "policing" the challenge. It's important that everyone is having fun and not feeling like they'll get kicked out if they missed a day. Thanks so much for all your hard work!

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    1. Lauren: once I realized that it wasn't about being a snitch, I was fine with it! And you were a very humane Overlord. It was great working with you!

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  7. Just now getting around to visiting the blogs in the challenge. April was a busy month for me. Congrats on completing the A to Z Challenge! Looking forward to next year! See you on the Road Trip!

    Mary
    www.JingleJangleJungle.net

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    1. Thanks, Mary! You're way ahead of me - I still have hardly visited any A to Z blogs. I'm glad you stopped by!

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  8. Hello there.
    Congratulations on completing the challenge! Thanks for all your hard work behind the scenes too. I didn't get to visit your blog during the crazy month of April so I'm popping over today from the Road Trip/Reflections linky.

    Entrepreneurial Goddess

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    1. Hello to you too, and thanks so much for stopping by! Good on you for doing the road trip. Happy trails!!

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