It’s five days and my celebratory jig hasn’t stopped. Yeah I survived.
Oh it has been exhausting (the jig as well as the Challenge) but what a journey it’s been.
How I got caught
Blogging has, for years, been my happiness thing. I had always believed any kind of mandatory writing would take away that pleasure. However this year I discovered it needn’t. Carried along on the wave of enthusiasm of some dear friends I put up my name for the April A to Z Challenge and it’s been a blast.
..and I planned
On advice from veterans I wrote up almost 21 posts in March. Wasn’t an easy thing to do since I’m such a last minute person. Besides, I’m rarely happy when I read what I’ve written, so I end up reworking and rewriting and editing and sometimes deleting it all and starting from scratch. However I had to be satisfied with simply tweaking the finished posts before publishing them this time. Okay I redid four or five and that was it. Those that I’d left for the last minute almost endangered my challenge but did get done before noon everytime.
Oh the thrill!
Each day I woke up with such a feeling of anticipation, my head buzzing with author facts. The comments would start coming in .. Warm and encouraging and I’d flit crazily between reading, answering, visiting and posting for the next day. It’s truly the best feeling in the world. A bit like having month-long exams in your favourite subject, one you know you can handle. Oh I messed up too, scheduling a post for a Sunday then withdrawing it, like a typical amateur. Hee hee.
A bit of a regret
My only regret is I didn’t visit enough blogs. This year I was more concerned with getting my posts out in time. Maybe next year I’ll manage things better. Yes, I think I’m in for the next year. Whatever little I read I enjoyed thoroughly. What a reading feast it has been. Fellow bloggers – Aditi, Shailaja, Shilpa, Vidya, Oven-goodies… all amazing reads.. most I’ll continue to follow faithfully.
The Acknowledgements
Before I end I do need to thank some family members.
First my SIL, S, an avid reader, who was even more excited than me at the choice of Amazing Authors as my theme. She made me mail her my list of authors, added suggestions and mailed it right back. Then lobbied pretty fiercely for her favourites and is still a trifle miffed because I didn’t do justice to her favourite Ha Jin.
My sister, who also lobbied, though more subtly, for her favourite Shashi Tharoor and when I couldn’t find a place for him in the S or the T suggested I go in for an Amazing Authors Dvitiya, (Amazing Authors II).
My friend J, who put up with my endless chatter about the Challenge – during our late night walks, in the gym or even during our coffee outings.
Thank you guys – you’re the bestest girl-friends I could ever ask for.
Finally a huge thank you to my co-participants. You’re the only ones who can truly understand how I’m feeling. Thanks for reading and commenting so faithfully. Suzy, Sreeja, Nabanita, Sulekha, Beloo .. it was good to have you guys around. Thank you all for making it so much fun. I’ll see you around in blogsphere.
Those then, are my Reflections on the April A to Z Challenge.
Hello there.
Thanks for sharing. Just stopping by to congratulate you on completing the A-Z Challenge! I'm making a short pit stop from the A-Z Road Trip!
Entrepreneurial Goddess
Way to go girl !!!!!
And J is certainly waiting for the rounds of chatting abt anything/everything under the sun 🙂
a nice summation of this huge undertaking – great job finishing! i think we all wish we had time to visit more!
Right Tara. Thanks for visiting.
You took on a pretty challenging theme (not much, if any, scope for 'fixing'!), and did very well! Congratulations!
Hey thanks. You don't know how much I regretted it midway through the challenge. But it ended up fun.
You know all I can now think about is Amazing Authors II!! I loved your theme …I can't stress enough! And I have a stock pile of books to buy immediately after I am home …and you are already bookmarked for reference and not goodreads or amazon!
Reflections on A2Z Challenge-Random Thoughts Naba
Thank you Nabanita. You're too generous with your praise. Will certainly try to make it a regular feature.
Wah ! That was a very refreshing way to put your experience to words, Tulika. I loved your theme, and I loved ‘guessing the author’ game, because I was happy to find myself being able to guess correctly 😀
As I mentioned earlier, so many new books have been added to my list, and Gerald Durrell has already found his way to my bookshelf 🙂 Nice to be connected over AtoZ, and let’s stay connected too !
I know you enjoyed that.. :-).. You were ALWAYS right. Such fun. Sure we must keep in touch.
So so so very happy that you jumped in with both feet and all fingers for this challenge! And what justice you did to the theme! You have an e-book of Amazing Authors waiting to be compiled 🙂 Thanks for the mention, Tulika 🙂
You know I'd never have done it without your push. So thanks right back Shailaja.
Grats on making it! I share your regret about not visiting enough blogs. On a few days, I'd tell myself, "I'm going to visit everyone on this list," but then work expected me to work while I was on the clock, and the children expected me to be a mother once I was home. *sigh* Glad you survived!
Thanks Loni. This is one regret I hope to do away with next year. It's just so hard to read all you want.
Congratulations and thank you for introducing and reintroducing some old and some new authors to us via your posts during the month of April.I have bookmarked your blog and am going to read at leisure, and get the books you recommended 🙂 Keep in touch… Thanks for the mention 🙂
Thank you Sulekha. Loved your 55er story too. Such fun the Challenge was.
congratulationssssss 🙂 you know I could have never managed to do it .. so hats off to you and others who successfully did it all ..
been reading the last few articles from you 🙂 sorry missed a lot as I was not active on blogs , as i used to be 2 years back .. you know.
Congrats once again
Bikram
I just so glad you're back. You'll do enough reading I know.
Thank you for the confidence .. he he he .. How have you been ..
Bikram
Congratulations Tulika! You had one of the most fabulous themes that I came across in this challenge. Way to go! And thanks for the kind mention, appreciate it 🙂 Yes, I will definitely be seeing you around in blogging world 🙂
Thank you Beloo. I know you'll hang out at Write Tribe. I'll see you there.
Congrats Tulika and thanks for the mention. Enjoyed reading your posts and loved your theme.
Thanks Suzy and same to you. Was so good to see your comment everyday.
Many congratulations 🙂
Thank you.
Oh, what a fun filled and exciting journey it has been. I really enjoyed reading your posts this April, Tulika. All your posts were enlightening and interesting, some brought back some memories, and a lot many got books got added in my TBR list too. A great choice for the theme and a fantastic execution too! Thanks for the mention. ♥
Thanks Shilpa. Enjoyed your posts too. Didn't know how you could come up with such smart 55ers each day! Oh and by the way… Bridget Jones and Mockingbird are super great choices!