A Blog Challenge Inside A Blog Challenge and Some Things I've Learned

Suzan St Maur recently posted a challenge to write a blog post of 26 sentences, in order, from A to Z. Take a look at her post here. I got busy writing mine and then realized I'd written entire paragraphs for each letter. Oopsie. Here's the edited version:

As the Ultimate Blog Challenge draws toward its end, I’m thinking of things I learned, and here they are, in alphabetical order.

Be active in the group, and you’ll meet great people.

Create good content. 

Don’t participate in the comment chain and then leave comments that say something vague, like “Good post.” 

Even if you really read it and thought it good, lazy comments sound like you couldn't be bothered with reading.

Find your voice and use it.

Give credit where credit is due - if someone’s post gave you a great idea for your own blog, thank them. 

Have some fun and then write about it!

It is easier to write a post per day than to try and catch up after missing one. 

Just do it.

Kill your darlings. 

Learn from others. 

Make a list of ideas for upcoming posts, and keep adding to it.

Never be a Negative Nelly.

Overlooking errors?

Put it away for a while, and when you get back to it, proofread. 

Quit making excuses.

Research.

Stop comparing yourself to others. 

Try.

Use your friends and family for blog material, with permission, of course.

Visit the blogs of those who leave comments for you. 

Whining is for children and dogs, so no whining online.

Xanax is an option if you find yourself checking your blog stats every 10 minutes and/or begging others to leave comments for you. 

You really shouldn’t get so worked up. 

Zebras are cool. 

I really haven't learned a thing about zebras, but if you write a blog post about them, I'll read it.

So tell me - what have you learned? Be sure to visit Suzan's blog, because she's posted an update on the A to Z, and there's a prize involved. 

Ten Reasons Blogging is Better than Online Dating

Me pretending to be out of breath after pretending to run on the beach. Photos like this may be the reason that online dating didn't work out very well for me.

• You don’t have to get dressed and dolled up to blog. It’s come as you are, and people like you just the same.

• When you realize that stuff you wrote last night that seemed very clever while drinking is really the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever said, you can delete the blog post.

• If you decide to call it quits with your blog, you don’t wonder if you should change your name and number and maybe move out of state.

• Nobody who is visiting your blog for the first time tells you all about every one of their exes and everything that was wrong with them.

• If a blogger embellishes their accomplishments or qualities on their About Me page, you can usually figure it out, and you didn't have to sit through dinner with them to do so. 

• Blog readers never read your profile and then comment “What kind of underpants do you wear? C’mon, tell me.” Unless, of course, you blog about underwear, but then they probably wouldn't have to ask.

• Nobody finds your blog by scrolling through hundreds of photos of bloggers until they find an attractive one, who also likes long walks on the beach.

• Bloggers can’t “wink” at you.

• If a blogger lets his dog poop in the house, you’ll never find out by stepping in it.

• Your blog followers will never drunk dial you at 3:00 a.m.