Reflections on the A - Z Challenge 2019

Part of the A-Z Challenge involves doing a reflection post on your thoughts on the challenge once it's over.

As usual The Team have been helpful and given us questions to  give us some pointers on what to think about so here goes:

1. What did you love about the challenge this year?
What really pleased me was that this year (my fifth time of taking part)  I felt I did more creative writing.  

The idea for the posts came to me last year.  I wanted to do something that felt more like writing as opposed to writing about topics.  I didn’t want it to be a story that had to be followed from start to finish so I ended up with: “Conversations in my Head” with a muse called Alice who was loosely based on Alice from Alice in Wonderland.   I tried to include references to the story when I could but Alice had a habit of taking on a life of her own!

I wasn't as prepared as I'd hoped to be but I definitely felt less pressured this year as I had prepared at least half of my posts in advance.  The rest were all ready before they were due.  In previous years I have been known to "wing it" and that's hard.


2. What would you change about it?
I don't think I'd change anything.
 
3. What was the best moment for you during this year's challenge?
That was when I'd written my last post and scheduled it to post!
 
4. What is the best comment your blog got during the challenge, and who left the comment?
I has some lovely comments and I'm not going to pick just one and upset all the others! 

I still didn't have enough time to visit other blogs although I did try and get around to everyone who left me comments.  I did feel that I probably wasn't the only one finding it hard to do visits and I didn't have many new visitors to my blog.

I'm aware though that I didn't always leave comments on the A-Z post of the day and I don't have a great social media presence.

5. Will you do the challenge again?
Yes
 
6. Was it well organized and were the hosts helpful? (Did you fill out the after survey?)
Yes, Yes and Yes!

7. How did you and your blog grow, change, or improve as a result of this challenge? Did you find new blogs out there to enjoy?

As I stated abote, the posts for the challenge were different from what I usually post and were well received, even from regular followers.  Researching the posts took time but now Alice has been unleashed I'm sure more posts in the future will feature her.

I did find a few new blogs but I need to spend more time on working through the Master List.
 
8. Were you on the Master List? (If you did the challenge last year, was it better this time without the daily lists?)
I was on the Master List and Yes I prefer not having to worry about daily lists.

9. Any suggestions for our future?
Keep up the good work!
 
10. Any notes to the co-host team? A word of thanks to Jeremy for all his hard work on the graphics? A picture with your A to Z shirt, if you ordered one?
Well done to the team, including Jeremy.  Haven't got a T-shirt.  (Not sure if you ship overseas.)


Umm Wendy, don't I get a say in this?
No Alice.  I'm reflecting, which means I'm not listening to you!