The 2012 A to Z Challenge Reflections Post

This week is the time when all A to Z blogging participants get to reflect on how they thought their challenge month went. 

 For anyone still unsure on what this challenge was, it was a challenge, set by Lee at Tossing It Out, where we post every day but on a Sunday during the month of April, and the posts have to be topic related alphabetical. A great challenge to meet new bloggers as this particular challenge had well over 1,000 participants. 

The key to what this involves is in the word - challenge. And for me this year, it was just that. I managed only 15 posts. I'm not sure whether that entitles me to reflect or not. I had some health issues halfway through and had to take care of myself and stop. I wasn't happy about it as I really quite enjoy the experience of meeting new bloggers and finding new and interesting blogs to follow. 

 One thing I did take out of the experience is that I need to start planning for this well in advance. The main idea is to visit new blogs and boost fellow bloggers followers numbers. If you're busy writing posts during the month, then you lose the interaction time. I would fully suggest if you intend to take part next year, that you write all 26 posts before the month starts. I know that sounds like a feat in itself, but I think it would be well worth it. You would/I will, get more out of the month. 

 The other thing I would say on the challenge, is in relation to a comment I read on Laura Marcella's blog, Wavy Lines, about having categories in the list of participants. I think this is a great idea. I want to connect with fellow writers, readers and generally chatty people. I'd be less interested in a knitting blog, car blog or snake blog for instance and with this challenge, you get many and all joining as it's such a great thing to engage in. Having categories would make it easier to get through, comment and follow more blogs. You can also check out new area's of blogs if you want to. 

 All in all I do love the month of April and the A to Z and I hope I haven't broken any rules by reflecting on only half a month!

Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome

I'm sorry to say that this is my last post as part of the April A to Z Challenge. I really wanted to complete it all this year without missing any days but it's proved more difficult than I anticipated. I love the challenge and I love meeting new bloggers and finding new blogs to read, but circumstances have taken control.

Last year I was diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome or POTS as it's known for short. POTS is an autonomic disorder which means that everything my body is supposed to do automatically, it doesn't always do. It's a secondary disorder to the Ehlers Danlos hypermobility, which means it's not likely to get any better. My body isn't particularly good at pumping the blood back up my body when I'm standing. Though it was only diagnosed last year, I have been living and dealing with the symptoms for the majority of my life. The main issue for me at the minute though is the lack of sleep. My body doesn't appear to be able to switch off. I'm literally living on two to four hours sleep a night.

I saw the cardiac clinic nurse today and we're changing some of my tablets to see if they help, but first I have to be weaned off the ones I'm on. This means that my sleep won't improve for at least another two weeks while I come off the tablets that aren't working.

I am being affected by this disorder quite badly at the minute, but in comparison to some sufferers, I live a full and "normal" life. Working full time in a busy job and having a life with my family. I won't give in to this, I will take what I need to so that I can keep functioning. I have dreams and aspirations and I won't let this disability define who I am, but I will discuss it occasionally because it's real and there's no harm in raising awareness for invisible disabilities. This isn't a soap box I'm standing on, but a bit of honesty for how things are right now.

So due to this lack of sleep and an unforeseen hectic work schedule, blogging every day is an impossibility. I have loved taking part for the first part of the month I managed and next year I will attempt to plan better and have the majority of posts written, but for now, I have to bow out. For those still going, have a great last week or so!

I will still keep blogging, just not to an every day schedule.

Online File Storage

I was wondering recently about online storage and if it has a place in my work with writing. I wondered how many people use it, and if they do, what their thoughts were on it.

In an age when we often possess more than one computer in the home and have the ability to take one with us t on, online storage seems a perfect solution.

One such storage company I have heard about is Dropbox. It says what it does on the tin. You drag and drop your documents/photographs into the box/file and can open it anywhere you so choose, through dropbox.

The good points? You can save your work where-ever you are and when-ever you want. A certain amount of space is free. If your computer goes bang, the file is safe.

The downside? I've read amongst their terms and conditions, that everything placed within drop box is the property of dropbox. Now I'm not sure how that works for writers, or anyone else for that matter. I have a feeling that it is just a legal phrase that isn't enforced or actioned in anyway. It does make me a little nervous though.

I have only used dropbox as an example because it's the one I've heard people say good things about. There are many similar facilities out there. Do you use such a facility and what are your thoughts, good or bad on it? The way forward or a fragile piece of nothingness?

If - Rudyard Kipling

I heard this poem being read out a short time ago and loved it and loved what it represented so I thought I'd share it here.

If

Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same:
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss:
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much:
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

Is there a poem that you love, that just strikes that chord with you and if so, what is it?

Books - Organising The Bookcase

Today I thought I'd share a great little clip of a couple who recorded a movement of books around their bookcase. I love it. It's not very long and worth a look.

A to Z Blogging Starts!

Today I start on the A to Z blogging challenge. The brainchild of Arlee Bird over at Tossing it Out. To complete the challenge you have to post a blog post every day other than Sundays (But include today as it's the first of April) and all posts have to be alphebetised. You can find all details and extra info, over at Lee's blog or by clicking on the above image which will take you to the A to Z blog. 

A has to be the easiest subject post decision to make. I'm sure many of us are using this as our starting post.

I'm looking forward to blogging this month and to meeting new bloggers. I hope to be able to get around to as many bloggers as I can, though I couldn't possibly catch the entire number of people who have signed up to this brilliant blogging challenge.

If you are new to Life in Clarity, through the challenge, I warmly welcome you and I would love to see you again when all this madness has died down.

If you're a regular follower, I'm glad you're still stopping by as I attempt this challenge. I will of course, try and keep all posts relevant to the tone the blog usually runs at and I apologise if the posts get a little off key as my mind melts down at the shear size of this feat I'm attempting to complete. I do hope to continue to see you at the other end of this month.

So... it's the A to Z challenge... Lets get blogging!

April A to Z Blogging Challenge

On Monday, Lee over at Tossing It Out opened the April A to Z blogging challenge sign up linky.

Many of you will be aware what this challenge consists of as I know I raised my follower count last April doing this challenge. For those who haven't yet heard of this, it's concept is simple. You post a blog post every day (other than Sundays) with title of posts/themes going from A to Z. It's hard work as I found out last year. I failed with 2 or 3 letters, but other than that, it was a good go for the first year I'd participated.

It's a great tool for finding other bloggers out there and making new connections. Last year I think over a thousand bloggers signed up. The idea is to visit your fellow A to Z bloggers, but with numbers like that signing up, I  don't think it's possible to do that. My thoughts on it, is to visit as many as I can and particularly any bloggers who leave me comments. One piece of advice I read last year, just before commencing the challenge was to write some posts in advance. It's recognised that this is a time consuming challenge. I didn't manage to write any before it started, but with two months notice, I am definitely going to try and get a few written up and stored under my belt for April coming around. That way I have more time for visiting fellow bloggers rather than pulling my hair out wondering what I'm going to blog about on any given day.

If you fancy joining a massive blogging effort, then pop over to Lee's opening post and sign up. Also there are links to the A to Z blog and posts of advice.

So, who's joining me in this? Come on, don't let me sweat through this alone!

Google Blog +1

I've recently noticed a new feature that has appeared at the bottom of blog posts and that is a new colourful button with the phrase +1 at the side of it. It confused me at first and I didn't dare click on it to see what it would do for fear of making my blog implode or something.

I wasn't the only one who had been wondering about this new colourful addition to the blog and as someone posed the question on a writing group I use on Facebook. The question was then very kindly answered and the mystery has been solved. So for anyone still wondering, you can find a full explanation here on the google blog, but basically it's like a Facebook "like" button and will bring posts up the google ladder in search terms.

I hope this helps *thinks I may have confused more than helped*

X Y Z and Reflections

Today is the first of May and a post of reflection on the April A to Z blog challenge hosted by Arlee at Tossing it Out. You can find the blog award over at Elizabeth Muellers blog, so go get yourself one!

The challenge was supposed to be a post for every letter of the alphabet during the month of April. As you can see, I very very nearly completed it, posting right up to the end of the month in an effort to complete the challenge, but failing by just three letters X,Y and Z.

The reason for the failure was life. It comes at the most inopportune moments. Family members hospitalised and my own general feelings of ill health on some of the days. Taking these things into consideration I don't think I did badly.

I usually post about 14 posts a month  which equates to approximately 3 and a bit a week. I found the challenge...challenging. Surprisingly. Advice given prior to the start was to make some posts in advance and while I did this, I still didn't have the time to participate daily. The challenge isn't just about making posts. I mean, why write them if no-one is going to read them? To get the most out of the challenge you needed to visit fellow A to Z-ers and comment on blogs, find new blogs that interest you and interact with them. This in itself was time consuming. So, even if you managed to write up some posts in advance, it's not the end of the story.

Did I enjoy the challenge? Absolutely yes. I found some great new blogs to follow. I raised my own follower count and I found that I do have a blogging voice within me. I have something to say and people are actually interested in that. I may not have visited all 1200 blogs listed as participating but I did visit and follow new blogs. I may not have made all 26 posts, but I made 23. I am happy with that.

Will I do it again? Absolutely yes. I loved it. I have found a new passion for blogging and fully intend to continue following old and new blogs. It's given me a new feel for blogging and I now have to assess my blog and look at what I need to be doing to keep it active. Blogging is all about the interaction, not just about getting your own thoughts out and what better way than to interact than with a whole group of people who want exactly the same thing. To communicate with fellow bloggers.

What were your thoughts on the challenge, either as a participant or a reader?

To add your A-Z reflection post, please visit Arlee's blog where you will find the linky.

Dreams

Dreams and aspirations

I work hard at my day job. I really enjoy what I do but I have dreams of other things. 

I'm currently working on my first crime novel and this first one is, I hope, the first of many. It's to be a series. My protagonist is a female detective. A dedicated determined woman, but a woman with flaws and one who will go on to live with the repercussions of what she will live through in this first novel. 

I've written pages of information on her and the other characters. I know them. I know the characters are strong enough to go forward into other novels. 

The first draft is hard work and its not a quick process. I have to find the time between working and family, to write. I'm not in a race, I have no deadlines given to me other than my own personal goals but my dream is to complete this first novel, have an agent and publisher like it enough to publish it and to write more. Let the characters grow and evolve and have readers who love them, faults and all. 

This is my dream. What do you dream of?

Blog Challenge Commences!

*trumpet roll* or whatever that trumpeting noise is called...

Today is Friday 1st April, which is day one of the A-Z blog challenge, with today's post being A related.

A - attribution. I happily attribute this blog challenge to Arlene at Tossing it Out.

It's not too late to join in. Pop over, sign up and meet new bloggers. You don't even need to be concerned about lengthy world changing posts. Just look at the length of this one. I do however, intend to make some interesting and interactive blog posts so be sure to pop back. Happy blog challenge month!!