Theme Reveal #AtoZChallenge 2020 - Lock-down Blues

This year I had almost given this challenge a pass. I have been working long hours last few months. Things had generally looked gloomy even before the Covid19 Corona Virus outbreak. I have been inactive on the blog as well for months now. 

And then last week, a complete lock-down was announced in India. Everyone who can stay home is staying home. Today is the 7th day of this strange and surreal lock-down. It is historical. It is scary.  It could be life-changing for some individuals. But I trust human depravity more than anything. When this thing dies down, I think we will be back to our usual ways soon. And I hope I am proven wrong. 

Yes, it will impact different people differently. But so far I have felt its repercussions in a more physical way. I am "Working from Home" for last eight days. And I am feeling more tired because technology takes away human touch and most of us are working longer hours than those good old office-going days. Also because in my company we are in crisis management mode and it is important for us that we reach out to our stakeholders and solve their problems, we are constantly logged in. At the same time, many of my friends and family members are using this lock-down differently. They are finding time to learn new skills, introspect, forge new connections and do much more. So I thought to myself that the least I can do in these times, is to participate in this challenge this year too. It will take extra efforts for sure, but it is worth it.  

This will be my fourth consecutive year of participation. And I am really excited to complete it this time too. Looking forward to your comments, feedback and most importantly encouragement to make this happen. 

For the uninitiated, this challenge is about writing a blog-post daily through the month of April, except on Sundays. And to raise the bar higher, one has to post with topics arranged thematically from A to Z. 26 letters of the alphabet! 26 posts!

In 2017 my theme was 'Anecdotes and Stories from my Life'. You can read all the posts from that challenge here. In 2018 my theme was 'Listicles - Stories, anecdotes and observations from our daily lives in form of easy-to-read lists'. You can read all the posts from that challenge here. In 2019 my theme was 'Hindi Film Industry / Bollywood cliches'. You can read all the posts from that challenge here. If you haven't read them before, do have a look. I am sure you will find few posts that resonate with you.  

The lock-down is expected to last till 14th April 2020 as of now. It could be longer than that. Its impact will be felt long after it is over. So I decided to have a theme this year which reflects what is happening around us. I would talk about how I am dealing with this lock-down. I would reflect on different aspects of this invisible enemy, this virus, that has shut us down. If I read a book or watch something along the way I would write about it. I am keeping it fluid. So here is my theme for this year's challenge : Lock-down Blues

You are welcome to share your thoughts on how are you dealing with it. See you tomorrow with my first post. Ready! Get Set! Go!

Theme Reveal #AtoZChallenge 2019

It is that time of the year again. April  A to Z blogging challenge is knocking on the door. This will be my third consecutive year of participation. And I am really excited to complete it this time too. Looking forward to your comments, feedback and most importantly encouragement to make this happen. As they say third year is always the toughest one. So fingers crossed!

For the uninitiated, this challenge is about writing a blog-post daily through the month of April, except on Sundays. And to raise the bar higher, one has to post with topics arranged thematically from A to Z. 26 letters of the alphabet! 26 posts!

In 2017 my theme was 'Anecdotes and Stories from my Life'. You can read all the posts from that challenge here. In 2018 my theme was 'Listicles - Stories, anecdotes and observations from our daily lives in form of easy-to-read lists'. You can read all the posts from that challenge here. If you haven't read them before, do have a look. I am sure you will find at least one post that resonates with you. 

The theme I have chosen this year is related to a subject very close to my heart - Films. I love watching films, discussing them and sometimes writing about them. So here is my theme for this year's challenge : Hindi Film Industry / Bollywood Cliches

In fact the name Bollywood used to describe Bombay Cinema or Hindi Language Film Industry itself is a cliche. While Hollywood is a place, Bollywood isn't. Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" and "Hollywood". Let the movies begin! 

2018 A to Z Challenge Theme Reveal

Last year I participated in A - Z April Blogging Challenge, and it was a great experience. I believe, I wrote some of my best posts during the challenge. Also, it helped me rejuvenate my blog. I started writing more frequently, even after the challenge finished. So I have decided to participate this year as well.

For those who are not familiar with the challenge, here is the deal. Bloggers all across the world will write 26 posts through the month of April, from A to Z.  Last year my theme was 'Anecdotes and Stories from my Life' . J: Joy and G : Grandfather were among my favorite posts, because my family members really liked them. But there were several other funny anecdotes from my life, which you may like to read about before the new challenge begins. 

Last year, while I was able to write a post daily, the biggest problem I faced was, to find a topic for the day as per alphabet. More than writing the post, the effort in finding the topic, drained my energy. So this year, I have listed 26 tentative topics before hand. That should help me remain on track. 

My theme for this year's challenge is : Listicles - I will be writing stories, anecdotes and observations from our daily lives in form of easy-to-read lists.

Do I have your attention? Please come back on April 1st to find A : Amazing things that...

Theme and Scheme - The April Challenge

I have been following Sayesha's blog for about a decade now. For last few years she has been doing this A - Z Blogging challenge.

In this challenge one has to write a blog post everyday in the month of April except on Sundays. The post on Day 1 has to be something about that starts with the letter A and on Day 2 about something that starts from letter B and so on...

This year I felt like doing it myself. This will help me refresh my blog and may be help me get into the habit of writing more regularly. I just hope I am able to live up to this challenge.

The scheme to complete this challenge : Write something whenever one gets time in the day. If one doesn't get the time, then skip dinner and do it.

The theme for the challenge is: Anecdotes & Stories from my Life. Not necessarily autobiographical. 😉

The countdown begins...