A to Z Challenge 2024 Reflection

A to Z Challenge 2024 Reflections

Truth or Consequences

This was my ninth year doing the A to Z Challenge. I combined many of the things I had done in previous years. The theme I chose was “Truth or Consequences.” Within my alphabetic writing, I included a multi-letter sequel story to last year’s 26-part writing (Save Me a Story), some poetry, and a story involving my friend, Ronald, as promised in my Theme Reveal. 

I solicited ideas from people in my writing groups for each letter. I received a lot of words and used some of them in my writing. The hardest part was connecting them to the theme I chose. Most of the time, I tried to use characters’ names that matched the day’s letter. I also tried to end each letter or story with something the reader should consider, even if it was fiction. I used Microsoft’s CoPilot to create the illustrations that accompanied my writing. That took time, as I had to figure out how to describe the picture I wanted CoPilot to create. In some instances, I took the picture that CoPilot created and edited it in a graphics program, Pixelmator Pro, to get the picture just right. 

I thought that this year went well. The organizers did a good job reminding us about deadlines, and some of them read and commented on my entries. 

I listed about 23 blogs from the Master List that I wanted to follow. Some of those were ones that I’d followed in the past. Unfortunately, I consistently only followed two since I barely kept up with my own writing. Both blogs I followed had done what I did last year and made 26-part stories. Both were excellent, and I would certainly recommend them to anyone: Donna B. McNicol’s (based on 26 randomly chosen words from the dictionary)  and Linda Curry’s Step and Tear (a children’s story created for her growing up that she continued to create for her children and grandchildren). Hopefully, I will get to the other 21 blogs on a Road Trip during the year.

It was a good feeling when others participating in the A to Z Challenge followed and commented on my stories. I also enjoyed comments from some writers in my writing groups who followed me. I certainly appreciated it when some of them endorsed my efforts in their comments and reflections. 

I enjoyed this year’s challenge as I have the past 8. I re-learned how important it is to get as much writing done before April 1st as possible. Trying to write the day before a piece is due makes scheduling and timing rough, and I don’t get to read many other participants’ blogs. Next year, I thought of following Donna McNicol’s idea and choosing 26 words ahead of time to try to create a story. I’m not sure how random I would make that list. My wife also suggested that I write 26 stories as if I were a child or for a child. If so, I don’t think it would be serialized like Linda Curry did with her ‘Step and Tear’ tale. Though, as a storyteller, that might not be a bad route to take. I guess you all will have to wait and see. Till then, see you on the road. 

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Following is a hyperlinked list of all the pieces I wrote for the 2024 A to Z Blog Challenge. You are also welcome to go to my Blog (www.hdhstory.net/storyblog) and read any of my other pieces of writing that I do throughout the year or that I have written since I retired from teaching in 2006.

A – Ambition; B – Back to Selat; C – Creative Thoughts; D – Darkness; E – Elections; F- Fox; G – The Game or Trust and Consequences; H – Heck in a Handbasket; I – Idiosyncrasy; J – Jack; K – A King’s Trust; L – Lies; M – Message for Truth; N – Narcissistic; O – Origins; P – Predestined or not?; Q – Quiet; R – Rescue and Return; S – Signs of Our Times; T – Truth and Consequences or A Dreamer’s Hope; U- What is wit youse guys?; V – Veracity; W – “A” Word; X – eXcess; Y – whY?; and Z – Zeal (of truth and consequences)

Notable pieces – 

Back to Selat (B, D, F, J, L, O, R) Sequel to last year’s Save Me a Story  A to Z writing

Poetry (M & Y)

A Ronald Story (G)