My A to Z Themes in the past have covered a range of topics and for 2025 the theme is a random assemblage of things that are on my mind--or that just pop into my mind. Whatever! Let's just say I'll be "Tossing It Out" for your entertainment or however it is you perceive these things.
Showing posts with label Alex J Cavanaugh. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alex J Cavanaugh. Show all posts
Circus books would be my first go to as a book category, but I never had that many in my library. Specifically, one book about the circus seems to be missing or astray from my shelves. A wonderful book about circus history filled with many illustrations was given to me by my parents when I was about 10. I spent hours reading through this book and it was on my shelves up to my college years. Now it seems to be gone, although it might be packed away in a trunk or box somewhere. I'd love to find that treasure again.
Cook Books
In the top shelf of one of our kitchen cabinets I have a modest collection of cookbooks. I haven't referred to any of these for quite some time as my cooking experimentation has waned these days now that I'm only cooking for my wife and I. She's not a very adventurous eater so I limit my forays into exotic cuisine. If I ever do decide to start cooking more elaborately than I do now, I've got a small library of cooking books to which I can refer.
I'm bringing up this book primarily for the ideal title for the letter 'C'. It certainly sounds interesting to me, but I've not yet tackled this tome. Maybe someday I'll delve into it. In the meantime it looks very nice on our bookshelf.
This book is high on my to-read list. The Hoover Dam is a pretty amazing place to visit. I've been there a few times and also have seen a few documentaries about the building of the dam. The book sounds like a very interesting read. Soon I think.
This is the only Clive Cussler book that I currently see on my bookshelves, although I believe I have a few more somewhere. In 1980, I started listening to an NPR book reading show while they were serializing one of Cussler's books. I became a fan of Cussler's writing. Well, at least for that particular book. I can't say if I've read any of his other works. I think I have, but it's been a while. At least I have this book. I must have bought it when our local Borders was shutting down in 2010 or so. I bought a lot of books at that time.
Most bloggers in our blogging world know Ninja Captain Alex Cavanaugh and many have read one or more of the books in Alex's Cassa series. Alex Cavanaugh was among the first A to Z bloggers even though he only was a part of the Challenge for a few years. But we thank Alex for the support he still gives to the A to Z Challenge. If you haven't read any of his books so far, you should check them out.
What did I miss for the letter 'C'? Have you read any of my picks? Have you been to Hoover Dam and taken the "Dam Tour"?
Success depends partly on the time we are willing to devote to an endeavor. Talent is important but if no effort is expended and no time invested then that talent will likely lie fallow.
Join us on the first Wednesday of each month in Alex J. Cavanaugh'sInsecure Writer's Support Group--a forum of writers who gather to talk about writing and the writer's life. For a complete list of participants visit Alex's Blog.
Days to Decades
Each day was an adventure and the days seemed to last for weeks. Childhood was like that. I had the time and the world was mine if was willing to take advantage of it. But those days turned into decades as first my college years passed, then living to work and working to live life to the fullest. I had time to write, and often did, but there was no particular aim to it all. Writing was mostly relegated to something of the nature of a hobby.
Eventually life was mostly work and family. I was fortunate to be working jobs that I enjoyed doing and that allowed me to still be very involved with my kids. Sometimes there was writing involved, but mostly that was when some nagging idea insisted that I write it down. So I did. I wrote in spiral composition books at night after the kids were in bed or during a spare moment at work. When the compulsion subsided, my writing books were tucked away for some later use.
Writing has always been in the background of my life--rarely taking center stage. I probably spent more time thinking about what I might write someday than actually writing. But sometimes I did write. And now I need to continue to write. I need to consider devoting more time to writing. Thankfully I have blogging as one outlet and writing blog posts has been a bit of writing salvation to me.
Days fly by quickly as what I had planned on writing today has been postponed until tomorrow. Or someday. Yes, the days are flying by faster than I would have ever imagined when I was that kid with all the time in the world on his hands. Then I could wait. Now I'm not sure waiting is what I should be doing. After all, the days are turning into decades and one day those decades will amount to a lifetime. When I was a kid a lifetime was forever. Now I know the truth. Are you fulfilling your writing dreams? What is your current favorite way to release your inner creative self? Do you devote time to writing as much as you'd like to?
My Battle of the Bands results will be found down the page where you will see the BOTB logo, but first a word pertaining to my recent Battle post in conjunction with this month's Insecure Writer's Support Group posting. For more information about the IWSG and a list of participants please visit Alex J Cavanaugh.
Do You Dare to be Different?
Throughout my life I've tended march to that different drummer which often makes me seem a bit out of step with the rest of life's parade. Not that I'm totally out of the loop concerning what's hot and what's not or even that I'm some outre weirdo from way out there. I do have an inkling of societal trends, but they are not always what interests me all that much. And often what grabs my interest is not what the majority of people around me enjoy. Is it because what I like happens to be crap? Or is it just too far out for most of the crowd?
I'm willing to give just about anything a chance and in most cases willing to go the extra mile if others insist that it's worth my time. In some cases my reasons for not liking something are reaffirmed by those efforts while in other cases I become enlightened by what I may have missed in my initial exposure to something. I may be somewhat rigid in my personal standards of what I think makes something worth my time, but then again I don't always let the rules guide me nor do I just fall into the mainstream flow of what everyone else thinks I should enjoy.
In a recent visit to Alex J. Cavanaugh's blog, author Misha Gerrick discussed the "rules" she breaks in her fantasybooks and how she is not sorry about any of it. I say good for Misha. As long as you feel good about what you're doing and you are able offer up a reasonable defense to show why you think your tactics work, then I say stick with what you believe.
That's probably the direction in which I'll continue to march. Different is okay in my way of seeing things. Maybe everyone won't like what I like, do, say, or create, but I'm sure I'm not the oddball of the universe. I will continue to appreciate different, unique, or what others might chide me for liking. Everyone may not be on my side of the fence, but I do ask that those who disagree with me at least give me a chance and not immediately dismiss me because I see things differently from the way they do.
I dare to be different. How about you?
Battle of the Bands: Results on a Different Sort of Pairing
My most recent pairing of performances of the Lorde hit "Royals" drew some volatile reactions from the voting constituency of my BOTB posts. There's a lot of clown aversion out there and that seems to be the main reason the sad-faced golden-voiced Puddles lost this round. If he had gone sight unseen I wonder if the results would have been far different than they turned out to be?
Initially my vote went in the direction of most of you who voted in this Battle. When I first watched the Walk Off the Earth video my reaction was that this version cinched the contest. The visual presentation is clever and likable. The music is very well done and extremely pleasant to my ears. My vote for WOTE was immediately decided. And then I listened to the two versions again. And again. And repeatedly again.
The more I listened, the more I began to realize that the WOTE version was very commercial sounding almost to a point of triteness. Don't get me wrong about this--I like the band immensely and I still think their version is outstanding, It's well arranged and slickly produced. This version I can easily imagine being played on mainstream radio.
However, Battle of the Bands is about the music.
The multi-talented producer/musician Scott Bradlee of PostModern Jukebox is the genius behind the Puddles the Clown music arrangement in this video and his jazz combo is top notch. This shines through in this particular song. One point in the video where this really hit me was at the 1:40 mark. The punch of the piano and drums accentuating the lyric is pretty cool. In fact throughout the song the instrumentation is so tastily presented with the droll background vocals minimalized to prevent distraction that I hear the professionalism of this entire recording.
The "creepy" clown persona is a gimmick that might distract some and prevent them from realizing the true talent of this performer, but it is a different take on things that has gained this artist attention that he wasn't getting otherwise. Now if you check out his booking schedule you can see that he has an intensive tour that's keeping him busy for months to come. He did something different and it has worked for him. It can pay to be different.
However the clown difference didn't work for this Battle. My vote goes to Puddles the Clown, but I am in the minority. In this voting round Puddles got trounced by Walk Off the Earth.
Final Tally
Walk Off the Earth 24 votes Puddles the Clown 8 votes
If you want to give Puddles another listen to hear what I'm talking about then here is an encore presentation. Let me know if you agree with what I've said above.
Next Battle will be on Saturday August 15th. More about that on Monday the 10th when I'll also be offering a pictorial about my Jersey vacation.
Do you think that resorting to a gimmick is a good way to get talent recognized if you are otherwise not getting anywhere with what you've been doing? Do you think rules in writing or other arts can justifiably be broken? Have you resorted to any types of gimmickry to gain recognition and if so what did you do?
On the first Wednesday of each month Tossing It Outparticipates in Alex J. Cavanaugh's Insecure Writer's Support Group--a forum of writers who convene to discuss the struggles as well as the triumphs of pursuing the literary life. For a complete list of participants visit Alex's Blog. It's an extensive list which will lead you to much worthwhile information. The co-hosts for the March 4 posting of the #IWSG are Chemist Ken, Suzanne Sapseed, and Shannon Lawrence!
A Very Special Battle of the Bands/Insecure Writer's Combined Post
On March 1st Tossing It Out also participated in the bi-monthly Battle of the Bands event which occurs each month on the 1st and 15th. In this event two different music artists face off with the same song for voters to decide which version they like the best. This recent Battle featured rock
interpretations of Beethoven's Für Elise by Orion's Reign from Greece and Sebastian Sidi of Los Angeles. On Monday March 2nd I was joined by Orion's Reign guitarist Michael Batistatos for a special interview. In our current post Sebastian Sidi joins me in my first video Tossing It Out episode with some of his thoughts on dealing with and overcoming insecurity.
Be sure to check out the links following the summarized textual transcription of what is contained in the interview provided for those unable to view the video. My thanks to Sebastian Sidi and to Red Rock Recording Studio in Los Angeles for making this video possible I hope you enjoy the interview. If you do watch this video I hope you might click the like button at YouTube and leave a brief comment there as well as on this blog.
If you were not able to view the video, here is a condensed text version of the interview:
Hi, I'm Arlee Bird from the blog Tossing It Out. We're here for the March 2015 post for Alex J Cavanaugh's "Insecure Writer's Support Group". I'm joined by Sebastian Sidi who is one of the competitors in my most recent Battle of the Bands post. I hope you've taken the time to visit that post and vote on your favorite song version. If not, be sure to visit that post after you've finished here. Arlee: Who are you and what do you do? Sebastian: I am a self-promoted and self-marketed musician, primarily playing piano. I have been in the business of music full time for about 15 years. Arlee: What exactly do you do here at Red Rock Recording Studio? Sebastian: Initially I built the studio to have control over recording my own albums. Now I also produce recordings for other bands and artists Arlee: I've seen you perform a number of times and have watched you interact with fans. You exude a sense of confidence in what you do and don't ever appear to be insecure. In fact from what I've seen, you are one of the most self-confident people I've met and seem to be successful in every dream you strive to achieve. Who has been the greatest force of instilling that self-confidence within you? Sebastian: Hands down that would be my father. He's shown me that you just have to go for it. It doesn't matter if you fail as long as you try. If you don't at least try you'll never no and if one thing doesn't work you can keep trying until you succeed. Just try your best. Arlee: If there are times when you feel insecure how do you deal with those negative feelings in order to keep moving forward? Sebastian: We're all insecure. Anytime I go onstage I'm scared. The moment I step on the stage I realize that I'm responsible for the emotions of the audience. Even if I have to pretend I have to appear confident in order to relax my audience. Once they are at ease then I feel confident and can do my job. Arlee: Over the years you've worked with many young people as well as seasoned musicians. How do you instill more confidence in the artists you work with and mentor? Sebastian: I begin be letting them know I'm going to be honest with them. I'm not going to feed them false hope. I work on developing their talent and what they need to be professional not to be a hit, but to make a career in music. I keep it real in order to arm them to have control over their careers so they will be prepared to manage their own futures. Arlee: You are in the music and entertainment business, but there are many aspects that are similar to what writers deal with in their lives. What advice would you give to insecure writers and anyone else who is presently hindered with feelings of insecurity that might encourage them in their quest to break free of insecurity and start achieving their dreams? Sebastian: First of all you have to practice some social skills and get out to meet the people who can help you with your career. You need to talk to people about what you're doing. Also start doing things pertaining to your dream and don't wait for the approval of others as to whether you should pursue your dreams. Have something to show people to give what you're doing credibility. Arlee: Marketing is a daunting challenge for many writers who often tend to be reclusive and apprehensive about meeting the public and promoting themselves and their work. What marketing advice can you offer to them? Sebastian: Focus on what the public perception of you will be. Do you have a quality product that is packaged well? If you are out in public are you offering a good presentation that makes you come across as authentic, professional, and credible? Don't spare expense in order to cur corners, but in the end make you look bad to the public. Consider all of the little details that will make the public feel secure in buying your product. Your packaging is just as important as your product. Make tiny goals to take little steps toward the big goal. Arlee: What are some of the other services you are now offering? Sebastian: Currently besides my own music I am offering video production, photo shoots, and promotional consultation. I can handle video services such as book trailers, personal profile videos, and any type of promotional video needs. Also we can provide recording services for the spoken word as well as music. I also can create original music if that's something you need for video or any other uses. Arlee: Thanks for meeting with the Insecure Writer's Support Group and anyone else who may have dropped by. This has been the very first video edition of Tossing It Out made possible by my guest Sebastian Sidi. Be sure to check out the links provided below to learn more about Sebastian's work and about Red Rock Recording Studio.
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For more information about Sebastian Sidi, bookings, performance schedule, or products available for purchase visit Sebastian's website: http://www.sebastiansidi.com/ You'll find some wonderful CD's for purchase as well as a DVD documentary and concert video that has been broadcast on many PBS stations.
If you are interested in audio or video production find more information at Red Rock Recording Studio: http://redrockrecordingstudio.com/ Feel free to contact Sebastian about your promotional needs.
And now for Sebastian's most recent recording fromRed Rock Recording Studio:
If you have still not voted on the most recent Battle of the Bands post, please do so by clicking this link. Do you have anything to add to Sebastian's advice ? Have you personally utilized the services of a recording studio or videographer for your author needs or anything else? Would you like to see more video features at Tossing It Out? .
Once again it's time to share and support one another as we examine those writerly insecurities and doubts in which we all have occasion to dwell now and then. Alex J Cavanaughis the captain of this ship. Let us set sail on another cruise of theInsecure Writer's Support Group.
Breaking Out the Shorts for Summer
I have an inclination toward writing in depth. Some may call it wordiness. I prefer to think of it as explaining things thoroughly. But the hot days of summer are ahead. There is fun to be had and traveling to do. Maybe it's a good time to cool down on the longer blog posts and get short.
I need to get hot with my writing and cool off the blogging. Can it be done? Karen Walker does it well at Following the Whispers. I'll try to follow her example.
That doesn't mean I'll be successful. But I can try. Sometimes.
At Tossing It Out the Blogging from A to Z Challenge got off to a crazy start with a Battle of the Bands post. If you missed that one then I hope you'll go to the previous post and vote for your favorite song. But that was yesterday and yesterday's gone. Today we have another double dose of blog craziness.
Since it's the first Wednesday of the month it's also the day for the Insecure Writer's Support Group post. This blog group is the invention of A to Z Co-host Alex J. Cavanaugh. Each month a ton of insecure writers join to talk about what's on their minds and provide support for one another. You can find the rest of the list at Alex's site. After you read the following post of course...
Bringing Home the Bacon
Bacon is probably one of the most popular food substances in the U.S. I can understand why. I love bacon!
These days this idiom "bringing home the bacon" refers to bringing in a paycheck or to be successful at something. Isn't that what we want to achieve from our marketing efforts. Our success usually depends on our willingness to work at selling ourselves and then ultimately selling whatever it is we are trying to sell.
It's a scary proposition for most of us. We might have to meet people and talk about ourselves and our products. We might have to step out of our comfort zones. If you're a writer that might mean you have to stop writing and reading long enough to pound the pavement, make phone calls, or exert some marketing strategy.
Bringing home the bacon ain't always pretty or easy, but it's a darn sight better than making the sausage. And nobody wants to know what's in the sausage.
Even if you've got a powerful PR machine behind you, there are some points in time when you have to get out on the marketing stage and do your act. The elusive writer in seclusion may exist in some rare instances. But most writers are going to be on their own and that probably includes you.
Are you willing to work at promoting your products (your writing)? Do you understand that selling books requires marketing effort exerted by somebody? Do you like bacon?
The Insecure Writer's Support Group has been a blogging institution for the past 100 years. Well, maybe not that long, but it now seems like it's been around forever. #IWSG as it is known in Twitter speak was started by Alex J. Cavanaugh. For more information go to the official #IWSG site and that's also where you'll find a list of participants.
My entry for this month once again features an "Ask Arlee" question:
Al Diaz said...What to do when you want to ask a question but you're too shy to do it? February 25, 2013
I've gotta assume that the delightful Al Diaz from Dragon on a Mission is asking on behalf of shy bloggers and not himself, as this immensely talented and artistic blogger doesn't come across as shy to me. His comments are insightful and outgoing. Of course, since I don't know Al in person, maybe he does consider himself a bit of an introvert. For those of you who are not familiar with my "Ask Arlee" feature, this is where I answer questions that the readers have presented to me. Al's question was in my response to my initial call for questions. He may have been joking, but actually his question opens a serious issue concerning blogging that is especially relevant as we approach the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge. It's not just shyness in regard to asking questions, but more importantly a reticence that some may have in leaving comments. Leave A Comment! The issue of blog comments has been brought up often on my blog, the A to Z Blog, and on many of your own blogs. A certain element of shyness might play into someone visiting a blog and not leaving comments, but I think there are also other factors at play such as not knowing what to say, being in too much of a hurry, not wanting to offend a blogger if there is disagreement, or occasionally just plain rudeness. During April and always for that matter, if you take the time to visit a blog to read it, why not leave some kind of comment while there to let the blogger know that you were there. If you're like me, you probably feel a bit insecure when you don't get any comments. Most of us bloggers want to hear from somebody about what we took time to write. Golden Blogging Rule: Leave comments just as you hope visitors will comment on your own blog posts. I don't think many of us want to be just talking to ourselves or see our words drift without notice into silent cyberspace. When it comes to being online, shyness shouldn't have much to do with anything. No one can see you or get in your face. Commenting is a good way to practice stepping out in order to overcome fear of meeting strangers and expressing yourself in public. If you're afraid of saying something stupid, put some thought into your comment before you enter it and then don't worry. If you're already posting on a blog you risk "saying something stupid" all the time. Sometimes what you think seems stupid may make a lot of sense to someone else and be just what they need to hear. Then again, some people may think you did say something stupid. It's just opinions and we don't all have to agree, but hopefully everyone will be nice in their disagreement. Why Comment? Remember--Blogging is a medium of social interaction. We want to tell something to others. We want others to read what we say. Most of us want to hear what others think about what we say. Good social blogging is a conversation. You probably don't listen to somebody when you meet them face to face and then just walk away without acknowledging what they said. Same with blogging. Read a blog post and try to say something pertaining to what you've read. Also try to go beyond the "nice post" type of compliment. Why was it a nice post? What did the blogger say to which you could relate? And please don't leave a comment that says nothing about what you've read and only invite them to visit your blog to become a follower. To me that is the height of rudeness. It's essentially saying "I don't really care about you, but I'm more important and you should care about me". It's okay to let a blogger that you are visiting for the first time know you've become a follower of their blog and to invite them to visit your blog. I leave a link in my signature because I find it more convenient when commenters on my blog leave a link directly to their site so I don't have to finagle my way through things like Google+ pages. The Positive Outcome of Leaving Comments
There are no guarantees, but usually if you leave a comment on a site you will get a reciprocal visit from that blogger who will in turn leave a comment at your blog. If you give, you will usually receive something in return. Once again--social media. This is an important concept to remember. You want to encourage interaction with well written interesting posts, thought-stimulating topics, and questions that encourage answers.
One goal of blogging is to make one's presence known to the cyberworld. Another is to establish relationships with others in that world. Leaving blog comments is one of the best ways to make new friends and build on those friendships. This is one of the main goals in the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge as well as the Insecure Writer's Support Group.
You want readers for your blog and so do the rest of us. Don't be insecure due to your perceived shyness, fears, or whatever excuse you are using. Leave comments when you visit blogs. It doesn't have to take a lot of time or any big effort. You'll be glad you did it.
Are you ever shy about leaving comments? As long as the ability to leave a comment is easy, why would you not leave a comment? Have you found that commenting on other blogs has caused your own blog to receive more comments and gain more readers? What advice would you offer about leaving comments?
Okay, I said it so I'm standing by it even if I have to sit in my rocking chair to make it there. Like I've said before, I'm going to live to 156 years old. I know it sounds silly now, but if I make it then I guess I'll have the last laugh. If I don't, well, I guess I can say I've made an effort. Maybe not such a good effort, but I kept my positive mindset on the future.
Considering it's already the end of February I'd say that future is coming on pretty fast. Next thing you know it will be April and if you know about me then you know what April means. I won't even mention it here cause I probably say it enough as it is. I'll just ask you: Are you ready for April? And if you really don't know what I'm talking about then you can peruse my sidebar a bit and I'm sure you'll figure it all out somewhere along the way.
And since I've directed your attention to my sidebar, if you are not a "Bird Watcher" yet, please click on the "Join This Site" button and become a member. I'm trying to reach 2000 members before Alex J Cavanaugh does and I'm sure I can easily get there first. After all he needs something like 13 more as of this writing and he's going to have a hard time getting to 2000 before me. Even if he is offering cool prizes and stuff in his Epic Giveaway. I ain't giving away anything and I only need to get 2 or 3 more followers to make it to 2000 if my addition serves me right. Well maybe it's a few more than 2 or 3, but no big deal. Don't follow Alex to get a chance on winning really neat prizes, but follow me instead. Or you can follow both of us I guess. But me first. And, Alex, I deserve 10 points for saying this. Right? And I don't know if this mention is creative or not, but you can decide that.
By the way, since I'm talking about numbers (seems like I talk about numbers a lot), how old do you predict you'll live to be? Battle of the Bands Results: Rockin' Chair
My Battle of the Bands post of last Saturday featured the song "Rockin" Chair" dedicated to all the old coots that didn't appreciate my 80's music showdown at the beginning of the month. This latest contest received more approval than the previous one. And it was a close one! Hoagy Carmichael's version received 7 votes including my own. It was very close for me and I did like Eric Clapton's version quite a bit. However, that jazz violin solo in Hoagie's version cinched it for me. I love that era of music from the 20's and 30's. Eric Clapton edged out a win with 8 votes. Next Battle of the Bands will be another special Saturday edition on March 1st. Be there or be square. Do you enjoy the Battle of the Bands posts? Is there any particular music era that you would prefer to see matched? Do you like "older music"?
Don't feel insecure about your writing or your life. Let the members of the #IWSG help. "What?" you may say. Read my post and leave a comment. Then move on to read what others have offered on another Insecure Writer's Support Group day. For the list visit Alex J Cavanaugh's blog.
Don't Let Me Die Before I Get Old
In the 60's British rock group The Who sang "I hope I die before I get old" in their iconic hit "My Generation". The song's writer Pete Townshend and singer Roger Daltrey must be rethinking those lyrics now that they've gone way past thirty. This sentiment was common in the generation who used to declare "Never trust anyone over 30". Of course now those from that era who are still living are way past 30 and I would imagine most of them are treasuring their lives and hoping for at least a few more years.
At times during my recent illness I would think about death and the things I still haven't accomplished in my life that I have hoped to do. Haven't you sometimes felt so bad that you thought Death was coming to take you away or at least felt so sick that death thoughts began crossing your mind? That's the state I was in for a while. Somehow feeling like total crap can cause you to just want to give up in a way, yet knowing what you have in life and hating to have to give up, you want at least another week, year, or decade.
Morbid you may say, but this was the sort of thinking that was crossing my mind now and then as I lay in my sickbed. I've had a great life and I have no problem with that. I recall when I was forty I mentioned to a friend that if I died then I would have felt like I had led a very full life. That was twenty years ago and my life is even fuller and better now. I'm still not ready to go yet, but sometimes the insecurities about my time on this Earth come to the surface of my thoughts. I'm not ready to go yet. I have too much to do.
I know I need to focus on my writing. I have so many ideas and stories to tell the world. Sickness can be a big setback. Many of you know this from your own experiences. In the throes of illness I was plotting my pathway to completing my goals. Later new goals come and more life roadblocks. Life keeps on coming and we never know what's around that next curve.
Maybe some of you remember the Bible story of King Hezekiah who prayed for more time to live and then he recovered from a severe illness to live another fruitful fifteen years. For me fifteen years would be good. Fifty years would be better if they were years of reasonable health and self-sufficiency.
I used to always tell people that I was going to live to 156 years old. I was much younger when I said that. Youth is often the domain of foolish thinking. Or maybe it's dreaming. Nothing wrong with dreaming I say. I've always been a dreamer. That's something I hope I never lose, but it's also something I hope I always use.
Do you ever contemplate your own death? Have you known anyone who died before they could fulfill their dreams? If you could stay in good health, how long would you like to live?
If you missed the What Works...Online Marketing Symposium you can still visit the posts of the participants by clicking here, or on the badge on the right sidebar, or by just scrolling down to my previous post. Alex J. Cavanaugh has culled the Linky List of non-participants and all of the links should lead directly to the Symposium posts.
Don't be misled by the reference to "Marketing". Many readers may have decided that marketing does not apply to them, but believe me it touches us all in some way. And even if you aren't interested in marketing, there are some excellent posts here. It's a treasure trove of information that may get you thinking.
I'm still making my way through the list and like many who did visit the participating sites, I'm taking notes and bookmarking posts for future reference. If you can't use this information now, you may want it later. It's good information with applications that go beyond writing and publishing.
Check out at least a few of these posts. I think you'll be glad that you did.
Blogging from A to Z April Challenge 2014 sign-ups open on Monday 27th. Yes, that's next Monday! The list will be open until start date April 1, but it's a good idea to sign up as soon as possible so others can start visiting your site before the Challenge begins. A lot of networking will be going on over the next couple months so join early to be a part of the early action and make new blogging friends.
Also on that same day the new A to Z Team will be announced. You'll see some veteran Team members as well as a few new members. Meet the Team and maybe you can sign up to assist those members. We expect another big turnout so we'll need some help just like last year.
Big things are coming as April grows nigh. Be sure to visit the A to Z Blog regularly for updates and helpful Challenge tips.
Was the What Works... symposium helpful to you? Would you like to see us do something like this again in the future? Are you going to be blogging from A to Z with us this year? Why or why not?
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