Introducing Get Up Offa That Slump: A Blogging Extravaganza

This is going to sound like a damn late-night infomercial that's horribly cheesy, but have you had trouble blogging lately? Do you feel like you're in a slump? Lacking inspiration? Well, then, ladies and gentlemen, do I have a special offer you. May I introduce:

What is it?

Get Up Offa That Slump: A Blogging Extravaganza is a blogging "challenge" of sorts. There's really only one goal: to just post something. And the idea isn't for this to be some outline and pattern of memes and reviews and that's it. It's to show you all the things (just a few of the things) you can post on your blog and still keep it bookish. (Because we're all here for books, right?) And, in short, the focus is on having fun, because if we're not having fun blogging feels like a job or homework and, well, that's no fun, right?

This explosion of blogging will last three weeks (more on the actual scheduling is below). Each day (aside from two) will two posting options, and I'll also be posting each day, along with a Linky so we can all share and roll around in the fun. Feel free to use the banner, but please also link back to this post so people can see what this is all about and join in if they want to. Also: #bloggerextravaganza, if you fancy hashtags.

Who does it?

YOU. ANYONE. It's doesn't matter where you blog or how often you blog or how long you've been blogging. This is for everyone. This is for you.

Where is it?

On your blog! It can be a Blogger blog or a WordPress blog, Instagram, Tumblr, or YouTube. It's all blogging.

When is it?

Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday beginning Wednesday, March 9 and ending Wednesday, March 30. I'm going to try my best to have my posts up by 12:00 EST every day, but sometimes school and stuff gets in the way and, weeeeeeee, finals are just around the corner! (Full schedule below.)

Why?

I don't know about everyone else, but sometimes I think I get stuck with blogging. I never stick to my schedule: review on Monday, Top Ten Tuesday on Tuesday, Waiting on Wednesday on Wednesday, a review on Thursday, then whatever else there is, which is never much. The thing is that it gets monotonous and repetitive. But blogging doesn't have to be uniform and it does't have to be just reviews and memes. I've always wanted my blog to be more original with its content and I feel like it's just kind of blah and does little to standout.

I don't always really feel like a blogger; I feel like it's work, and that sucks the fun out of everything. I struggle a bit to get posts up, but I don't want to quit blogging. I've talked a little with some friends and I've seen things around Twitter, and I think a lot of us are in a blogging slump right now. Then this idea popped into my head--this Blogging Extravaganza--and a lot of people said they wanted to do it! It got me really excited, and, well, the rest isn't history, but there is this post.

Get Up Offa That Slump: A Blogging Extravaganza isn't just to help bloggers get back into posting. It's to help inspire and rejuvenate imagination, drink some of that creative juice, and make book blogging more. It's about making blogging less like a job or schoolwork and making it fun again and reminding us why we started doing this in the first place. And we're doing this together because we're a community and I think it's much more fun if we do this shindig together. (*Cue High School Musical song and dance here.*)

The Schedule

As I mentioned above, posts will be up by midnight PST at the latest, and each will include a Linky for sharing. This is three weeks long and three posts a week for a reason. The first is that Twitter voted for a month long over two weeks, but I ran out of ideas (don't worry, I can guarantee you I'll think of more tomorrow) and thought three weeks--and ending at the end of the month--was a good compromise.

I'm doing three posts a week because I don't want to bombard you with posts and make you feel like you have to post something every damn day. That's not easing you back into blogging; that's throwing you into a marathon without any training or stretching first. Also, maybe you like to post memes and reviews and all that fun stuff. Maybe you can't choose between the two options for the day and you want to do both so bad but how? Posting three days a week with this gives you four other days to post whatever the hell you want (but you can totally double post), so voila! And lastly, I'm starting this on Wednesday because I thought Monday was a little too soon to spread the word and get posts ready.

Wednesday, March 9

An Interview With Yourself

I know what you're thinking: Umm, Rachel...what the hell? But trust me on this. I did this a couple years ago (you can see my post here) and it's actually really, really fun. And I think it's a fantastic way to kick this giant blogging party off. People will get to know the person behind the blog, and you'll have an entertaining new post.

Friday, March 11

Bookish Things You'd Give a Kidney For
March 10 is World Kidney Day, and people always talk about giving a kidney for something. SO. What bookish things would you give a kidney for? It doesn't have to be physical objects--get creative! It could be a new book from a favorite author or a ship setting sail or getting an epilogue--the possibilities are endless.

Inspirational, Badass, and Strong Women in Fiction
International Women's Day is March 8, so this post is all about women in fiction.

Monday, March 14

Do a Book Tag
There are these things going around the blogosphere called book tags. It's basically some idea or subject, and then you put books into their categories, matching them up. Here are just a few tags I found that you can do, or you can make your own!

Dim Sum Book Tag | Pixar Book Tag | The Bachelor Book Tag | Hamilton Book Tag | 

Halsey Book Tag | Taylor Swift Book Tag | Throne of Glass Book Tag | Unpopular Opinions Book Tag | 

Disney Princess Book Tag | The Lunar Chronicles Book Tag | Book Bloggers and Books Tag

Note: Some of these are YouTube videos, which you don't have to do, and the questions should be under the video's info.

If You Were a Fictional Character
March 14 is, in fact, Pi Day, but I couldn't think of how to mix books with math (except for how much money we spend on them). But then I got to thinking of smart characters, and our favorite geeky and nerdy characters (not a bad thing to be), and then I went back to this idea: being an actual fictional character. Perhaps it's you being one of your favorite fictional characters; what would life be like? Or maybe create a persona or alter ego of yourself based off fictional characters, or making yourself a fictional character to be with or defeat other fictional characters. Let your imagination run wild.

Wednesday, March 16

Don't Post That Venting Review/Bash That Book
Have you ever heard of it being therapeutic to write a nasty, venting email to someone who's bothering you, but without actually sending the email? Then this post is for you. Maybe you hated a book, or you loved a book or series but one thing in it just pissed you off. Write a "review"--or unfiltered letter or whatever--to that book--but remember, you're not supposed to send it--but you're going to post it. Your challenge: to write your book bash without naming the book or any parts of the book that would obviously give away what that book is.

Review Your Favorite Book Ever
I know I said this extravaganza wasn't about reviews, but this is a little different. This is your favorite book in the history of ever. This entire review would be incoherent spewing coming from your heart because you love this book. You're not even really reviewing it. You are writing a love poem, a sonnet for this book, and possibly buying it an engagement ring and lots of chocolate (but keep it away from the pages!).

Friday, March 18

Mad Libs
Mad Libs are probably going to be the next big thing after coloring books, let's be real. And you can make your own. Pick a scene or passage or whatever from a book, take out names and nouns and adjectives and verbs and all that fun stuff, and create a Mad Lib. Then fill it out and please don't die laughing. (And be sure to leave a blank version for others to fill out, too!)

Character Dating Profiles
That poor character you adore really needs to be in a good relationship, so you're going to make an online dating profile for them. Tell us what they like and dislike, how old they are (or say they are), what they look like, some of their best quotes, and all that jazz. The more the merrier.

Monday, March 21

Book Spine Poetry
It's World Poetry Day! I don't know about you, but poetry really isn't my forte and I'm not its biggest fan. But book spine poetry? I can dig that. All you have to do is take titles of books--books spines!--and make them into a poem (or, oh my gosh, go even further and dissect a book and make sentences into a poem, you super creative overachiever, you).

Reenact/Read a Scene
Picture this: You, in front of a video camera, reading aloud from a book. But it's so much more than that, because you will literally be acting it out, or at least giving a very dramatic dramatization and oh my gosh, everyone please do this because I think it will be the funnest thing ever. Bonus points if you read a steamy scene. (Also, whatever you read, please try to make it free of spoilers, and if there are spoilers of any kind or magnitude, please post a warning.)

Wednesday, March 23

Puppies + Books
March 23 is NATIONAL PUPPY DAY. People are constantly pairing books with things, like outfits and celebrities. But now we're going to pair books/book covers with their matching puppies because PUPPIES.

Pitch a Book
You really, really liked or loved a book but like no one's reading it and that makes you a sad panda. So pitch the hell out of that book to us. Use whatever mediums and supplies and bribes you want, cover all the best points of the book, and get people to desperately want--no, need--to read it. In a sense, this is like a review. But it's not your typical format and it's a chance to refresh something that seems to be in such a set outline across the board.

Friday, March 25

Plan a Fictional Trip
I don't know about you, but there a lot of fictional places I would love to visit (some for years and some for literally just a second). So plan a trip! You'll get an unlimited budget (just use cheat code THISISFICTIONAL at your bank) and then plan the whole thing. Where you're going, who you'll see, what you'll do--paint the picture! And then every time it's 11:11 make a wish to go on that damn trip.

Make an Idea Board
At this point, the Blogging Extravaganza is almost to an end, and I'm hoping you've gotten some new ideas or sparks for future posts on your blog. This is where an idea board of sorts could be super helpful, because it puts all those ideas together as one. And then you can share your idea board with others and help inspire more creativity and blogging. (I have a page like this in my bullet journal. It's just a picture of a light bulb, but it's a spot where I can jot down ideas I have for blogging, Instagram, reading, whatever.)

Monday, March 28

Tell Us Your Ways
As we all know, blogging isn't easy. Sometimes it's hard to write a post, other times it's hard to stay organized and keep up with everything that goes into blogging--it's almost like you need a system to help keep the flow going. If you have any methods to help make blogging work and keep it the most enjoyable and actually do stuff, please share your ways and cheat sheet!

Your Dream Easter Basket
March 27 is Easter, and Easter, among other things, means a bunny delivers you a basket filled with goodies. What would be in your basket? And please, feel free to make our wallets weep because we will want All The Things and need them Immediately.

Wednesday, March 30

The Positives of Blogging
It's THE LAST DAY. I hope you've enjoyed the Blogging Extravaganza and that it's helped to give you a gentle shove back into blogging, and that it's given you some blogging inspiration. For the last post we're getting just a wee bit serious. Even if you're struggling with blogging, you're still here and you're still doing this; there's a reason why you don't want to quit blogging, and you know there's a light at the end of the tunnel. So tell us: Why are you still here? What makes blogging worth it? Why is it so fun and fantastic and you don't want to let it go? Why do you love it? (And the goods outweigh the few hardships, don't they?)

I hope you're as excited about this as I am! I know it's some thing that's ending with a big giveaway or whatever, but I absotively, posilutely promise you that there is something in this for you: you're blogging. You blogged. You posted at least three times a week for three weeks. That, my friends, is an accomplishment. And it's better than nothing.

Will you be joining in on the festivities? (If so, please leave a link to your blog! No introduction post necessary!)