Jane Ann McLachlan
  • Home
  • Book Accessories: Hand Crafted Bookmarks
  • HISTORICAL FICTION
  • Young Adult SF& F and Children's Books
  • CONNECTIONS: Parables for Today
  • Join The Conversation: My Blog, Your Response
  • Receive Free Stories
  • Check my Events Schedule and Contact Me

Why Join the October Blog Challenge?

9/16/2012

40 Comments

 
What’s more fun than blogging? Blogging together with a common theme, then blog hopping to see each others' posts. Writers often seek writing prompts to stimulate their creativity, and anyone who’s participated in NaNoWriMo knows how productive writing in community can be. So here’s an October challenge that will get your creative juices flowing, increase traffic to your blog, and get you warmed up for NaNoWriMo – or any other creative project you’re engaged in.

Can you produce 25 blog posts in one month? Sure, if you have a theme to inspire you. So here’s the theme: write a memory or reflection for each of the first 25 years of life. It can be a personal memoir from your life, a reflection on turning a certain age, a recollection of someone else at that age, a poem or a photo, on the ages 1 to 25.

For example, on October 1st, you could write about something that happened the year you were born, or about the birth of your child. You could do a photo collage of your first year of life, or of babies. On October 2nd, write about something that happened at age two to you or someone else. If you write a poetry blog, compose a poem for each year of life up to 25. If you write a cooking blog, you could include recipes for healthy baby food, snacks for toddlers, etc. A gardener could reminisce about learning to love gardens at each age, or introducing the hobby to her children as they grow, or suggest gardening ideas for the various ages. Photographers can capture each year in photos. This will work with any type of blog, and you can experiment with different media or genres in your own posts. Br inventive - surprise us, delight us, inspire us, make us laugh, make us cry. Try something different every day or stick to one format and focus on content – anything goes as long as you blog about ages 1-25.

For those who write fiction, this is a good way to troll your past experiences for great story ideas. Or write your blog from the point of view of one of your characters (or a character from your favourite novel) recalling an experience from his or her past – great for fan fiction, character development or experimenting with backstory. If you’re participating in NaNoWriMo, this will be a good warm-up as you hear your characters reminisce in their own voices.

Skip a day if you have to, but try not to skip an age – and please blog the ages in order – that way we can see what others did with the same age we’ve just posted about. If you don’t finish it’ll still be fun as far as you get, and if you have to skip a day or two now and then, that’s okay. There are 31 days to complete 25 posts.

If you can’t do this challenge this year, can you support us? Follow our challenge, tweet it, mention it on your blog and link back to this post. Any support is appreciated! The October Memoir and Backstory Blog Challenge sign up will open on Monday, September 24. Spread the word and start planning your blog posts!
40 Comments
T.J. link
9/17/2012 08:49:04 am

Sign me up :)

Reply
Gerry Wilson link
9/17/2012 11:19:49 am

Jane Ann, I would love to do this! I'm trying to screw my courage to the sticking point. Will let you know what I decide.

Reply
Lara Britt link
9/19/2012 04:15:18 pm

Gerry, you know how I love MacBeth references! Jane Ann, count me in. Between you, Khara and Gail, I'll have three books fleshed out by the end of October ...if I live through it!

Reply
Susan Hawthorne link
9/17/2012 01:10:31 pm

Sounds like fun, how do we sign up? I tweeted and liked your page

Reply
Sarah J Schmitt link
9/18/2012 05:32:52 pm

I would love to take part, but I will be in the middle of a deadline... however, please keep me in mind for a future blog challenge!!!

Reply
Talynn Lynn link
9/18/2012 05:49:02 pm

This will be my first ever participation for something like this and it sounds like a great, inspiring idea. Not to mention, it sounds super fun. I'll be joining next Monday!

Reply
Trisha link
9/18/2012 05:56:31 pm

This sounds like a great idea. I don't think I will have the energy to manage it this October, but if I do I will definitely sign up :)

Reply
Dr Margaret Aranda link
9/18/2012 08:05:32 pm

I think I can... yes, I think I can....yes, I think I will! Thank you for the inspiration and I look forward to the Blog Hop, too!

Reply
Katharina Gerlach link
9/18/2012 09:23:37 pm

I love the idea but haven't got the time this year. I'll use it some time next year if you don't mind. And I'll tell people about it.

Reply
Yolanda Renee link
9/18/2012 10:36:10 pm

It's a wonderful idea, and I'll certainly try.

Reply
Kristina Perez link
9/19/2012 01:14:20 am

Sign me up! Holler!

Reply
trish link
9/19/2012 03:04:57 am

Thanks for the info. I've already committed myself to another writing challenge through the end of the year. Good luck!

Reply
Stephanie Ingram link
9/19/2012 03:13:35 am

Count me in! Ironically, I had just been considering using reflections of my past to inspire blog posts just for the heck of it. This will be more fun ... and I'm always up for a challenge! ;-)

Reply
Alexandra Campbell link
9/19/2012 03:22:33 am

What a neat idea! I turn 25 next month, so it's almost too perfect :)

Reply
Susan Hawthorne link
9/19/2012 04:32:10 am

Wow, that should come out interesting, lol

Reply
prerna pickett link
9/19/2012 03:49:27 am

sounds awesome! count me in.

Reply
Richard P Hughes link
9/19/2012 04:00:12 am

I like the sound of this one. I think I'll give it a try.

Reply
Carrie-Anne link
9/19/2012 04:15:12 am

It sounds like an interesting challenge, but I'm worried if I did it, I'd get the same kind of low traffic and comments I've gotten when I've tried month-long blogging challenges before.

Reply
Susan Hawthorne link
9/19/2012 04:31:08 am

that might happen, Carrie-Anne, but at least the challenge will be fun and offers some nice writing challenge. :)

Reply
Tony Dutson link
9/19/2012 04:21:44 am

Great idea! That sounds like a lot of fun.

Reply
Paula link
9/19/2012 11:45:10 am

I would love to do this, I need to make regular post on my blog, would really like to have more members. I need content to keep them busy when they stop by, so this will help out. Please include me in!

Reply
Peggy Urry
9/19/2012 12:41:09 pm

Thanks so much for the invite. I have too much on my plate right now to commit to anything, but it sounds fun.

Reply
Jane Ann McLachlan link
9/19/2012 05:27:09 pm

I'm pleased to see so many people interested, and thanks to those who tweeted/FB'd this challenge, for helping to get the word out. Carrie-Anne, I hope the opposite will be true - that your traffic will increase, because we'll be checking out each others blogs to see how others handle this challenge. I've usually found my blog traffic increases when I do something like this. And there's no need to blog every day - 25 blogs over 31 days - and any creative effort works. Try varying with a humorous (or serious) photo-blog for one or more of the ages, or a video of a memory. A character's backstory memoir can read like flash-fiction, as can your reflection on a past experience - or it can be reflective. Creativity is the name of the game!

Reply
Meghan link
9/20/2012 01:54:06 am

This sounds so cool! This is such a great way to build a backstory for my MC. I will definitely be signing up on Monday!!

Reply
Joy Weese Moll link
9/20/2012 06:24:22 am

I'm in. This jives nicely with some other things that I've got going on. Thanks! Terrific idea.

Reply
Rhiann Wynn-Nolet link
9/21/2012 04:11:58 pm

I would love to do this but I have too much going on at the moment - please keep me in mind for another challenge/hop. Thank you!

Reply
K.F. Johnson link
9/22/2012 06:03:22 pm

Sounds pretty interesting and it would definitely be a challenge. I might have to try this on my kfjohnson.wordpress.com blog and join the challenge!

Reply
Yamile link
9/24/2012 09:36:47 am

I'd love to do it too!

Reply
Neil link
9/24/2012 10:02:11 am

Sounds awesome!! Sign me up! Just reading the intro to it has got plenty of ideas flowing...and this is the day AFTER I finished writing my first ever novel!!

I'm in!!

Reply
Kay link
9/24/2012 10:49:38 am

This sounds like a lot of fun. Count me in! :)

Reply
Morgan Katz link
9/26/2012 12:48:21 pm

Sign me up :D

Reply
Veronica Roth link
10/1/2012 01:46:49 pm

Read the rules thru Jane Ann. Remembering my childhood on is a dangerous thing for me (War/communism/escape/deaths/loss...etc) I'm a pretty depresive person really. If I can skew this challenge to a more present time, say this past month plus this month coming, and reflections on, then I can def. do that. What do you say? I'm ok for you to say, "No, this isn't the spirit of the challenge. " and will completely understand and still love you all. :)

Reply
Susan Hawthorne link
10/2/2012 07:14:33 am

I can't speak for Jane Ann, but I say write from your heart. Last month is fine with me :) Or write about a fictional child, that would be fun too.

Reply
Susan Hawthorne
10/3/2012 09:16:19 am

I have moved my Memoir and Backstory Blog to http://timefloats.wordpress.com/
It wasn't working as a page, I needed it to flow as a blog.
Can you change the link on my name in the list of participants?
Thanks :D

Reply
Susan Hawthorne
10/3/2012 09:16:28 am

I have moved my Memoir and Backstory Blog to http://timefloats.wordpress.com/
It wasn't working as a page, I needed it to flow as a blog.
Can you change the link on my name in the list of participants?
Thanks :D

Reply
Susan Hawthorne link
10/3/2012 09:16:46 am

I have moved my Memoir and Backstory Blog to http://timefloats.wordpress.com/
It wasn't working as a page, I needed it to flow as a blog.
Can you change the link on my name in the list of participants?
Thanks :D

Reply
Jennifer link
10/5/2012 02:12:24 am

What a wonderful idea :)

Reply
fat loss factor plan reviews link
4/8/2013 02:08:56 pm


Very good post. I definitely appreciate this site. Stick with it!

Reply
see here link
7/23/2013 07:36:18 pm

Thanks for sharing the October blog challenge with us. I have great interest in writing and I used to write as a guest blogger. I will consider this for sure and keep posting more updates regarding this in your blog.

Reply
Charli Armstrong link
10/1/2013 05:49:37 am

Sorry I am so late! I would love to join!

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    RSS Feed

    Picture
    Join my readers' community and receive two complete short stories  & a free copy of  Walls of Wind: Part I.

    Get YOUR free stories
    30 DAYS TO PREPARE  YOUR NOVEL!
    Read my posts on preparing to write your next novel each day during October 2015

    30 DAYS OF MARKETING TIPS!

    Read my  posts on Marketing your books or e-books - 1 post  every day of September 2014, beginning HERE.

    Archives

    June 2019
    October 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    March 2016
    October 2015
    September 2015
    May 2015
    January 2015
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    December 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012

    Categories

    All
    October Breakout Novel Challenge
    October Memoir & Backstory Blog Challenge 2012
    Publishing Experiment
    September Book & EBook Marketing Challenge
    Weekly Memoir Promp

    Memoir & Backstory Blog Challenge 2013
    Participants:
    (Read about the 2013 Challenge  - click here)

    Jane Ann McLachlan
    Joy Weese Moll @joyweesemoll
    Amanda M Darling
    Katie Argyle
    PK Hrezo
    Claudette Young
    Kay Kauffman
    Leslie
    Deb Stone    Twitter: @iwritedeb
    Gerry Wilson
    Susan Hawthorne
    Satia Renee
    Bonnie
    Angie
    Pearl Ketover Prilik
    Terri Rowe
    Pamela Mason
    Rebecca Barray
    Lara Britt 
    Linda G Hatton
    Stephanie Ingram
    Anastacia, Stacey Rene, Talynn
    Memoir & Backstory Blog Challenge 2012
    Participants:

    Learn about the October Blog Challenge 2012 here.

    Jane Ann McLachlan
    Swagger Writers
    Charli Armstrong
    Alexandra Campbell
    Susan Tilghman Hawthorn
    T.J.
    Lara Britt
    Dr. Margaret Aranda
    Kristina Perez
    Stephanie Ingram
    Richard P. Hughes 
    Meghan
    Joy Weese Moll
    Neil
    Kay
    Gerry Wilson
    Veronica Roth
    Mrs. Darcy
    Morgan Katz 
    Anthony Dutson
    Jessica Becker
    Anna Priemaza
    Todd R. Moody
    Jessica Lerma
    Satia Renee
    Benita Bowen