Skip to content Skip to footer

Challenges

You have to know this about me: I will never resist a challenge. And there are a lot of challenges floating around the blogosphere, and when one ends up on my desk, I’m very unlikely not to take it up.

Here is what a few fellow bloggers threw at me.

 

AtoZ Challenge

The AtoZ Blogging Chellenge happens in April every year. Bloggers are challenge to post everyday, following the letters of the alphabet. It it possible – not mandatory – to choose a theme that will lace together all of the posts of the month. Adding challenge to challenge, the best of fun!

ROARING TWENTIES AtoZ by Sarah Zama - The Roaring Twenties is a fascinating time where so many things we now take for granted first came into existence. It was both a time of change for so many people (women, but also minorities, especially African Americans) and of ideas still stubbornly clinging to the past (the Scope Trial, for example, and to some extent, Prohibition itself). These contradictions are the heart of this era.

The Roaring Twenties

Aprile 2015

2015 was the first year I took part in the challenge and of course my first choose what the 1920s in their entirety. I enjoyed it a lot. It was exiting to see people read my articles and commenting it, and I discovered I really loved talking about the 1920s and sharing my discoveries.

Jazz Age Jazz - Born in shady places in the South of the US, inside the African American community, jazz finds its roots in blues and the hardship it expresses, but also looks with hope to the future. In the 1920s, it spoke of the freedom a prosperous society can offer and the change working on the minds of people even when that freedom isn’t achieved

Jazz Age Jazz – Jazz as a Social Phenomenon

April 2016

Jazz is a big part of my research for my american stories and it’s a fascinating subject in and of itself. So it’s no surprise that for my second year in the AtoZ Chalelnge I chose this stopic.
It was very intersting because having a stronger focus made the challenge mor erewarding and I realy learned from my partecipating to it.

1940s Film Noir - The Femme Fatale and the Damage Hero fight on the ring of postwar America

1940s Film Noir

April 2016

For 2016 AtoZ Challenge I wandered away from my usula 1920s subjects to delve into another era just as fascinating, post WWII America and one of its more charing expressions: film noir. 
While I was already quite informed abotu the 1920s when I took up the challenge in past years, I had to learn basically everything for this year. It was scaring, challenging and extremely satisfying.

WEIMAR GERMANY (AtoZ Challenge 2018) In the 1920s, Germany - especially Berlin - was one of the most exciting, eventful place in the world. The credle of shocking new liberties and of fearful attacs to democracy.

Weimar Germany

Aprile 2018

In the 1920s, Germany – especially Berlin – was one of the most exciting, eventful places in the world. The credle of shocking new liberties and of fearful attacs to democracy.

Berliner Cabaret (AtoZ Challenge 2019) Theme Reveal - In 1920s Germany, cabaret had a chance to express people’s feelings in that excessive, shockingly honest way that was so particular to Berlin, the town that was becoming a Weltstaadt. A cosmopolis.

Berliner Cabaret

Aprile 2019

In 1920s Germany, cabaret had a chance to express people’s feelings in that excessive, shockingly honest way that was so particular to Berlin, the town that was becoming a Weltstaadt. A cosmopolis.

NaNoWriMo

National Novel Writing Month is a challenge happening every year in November. Authors are challenged to write a novel of at least 50k words during the 30 days of November. 

I’ve been taking part in NaNoWriMo since 2005 and I’ve always enjoyed it a lot. Ghost Trilogy was born during NaNoWriMo 2010, and I worked to the trilogy for most of the subsequent years, expect the last view, where I worked on many differenet projects. It’s always lots of fun, and so motivanting.  

30 Days NaNoWriMo Meme

November 2014

A few days before I started NaNo this year, I discovered a challenge: blogging about my NaNo as it happened. Couldn’t resist. I had a gret time with it.

As for the challenge itself, I’ve been revising Ghostly Smell Around, the first novel in my Ghost Trilogy. I managed to revised about half of the novel, which was a great achievement.

NaNo 2015 Participant Badge

NaNoWriMo 2015

November 2015

I wasn’t even going to partecipate this year, because I didn’t have a project that would produce 50k words. But I did have many shorter projects that can have me reach that amount of words.
So I revised Give in o the Feeling completely, and wrote many blog posts, including the conclusion of the New Woman’s New Look Series and the launch of my book, together with the Characters’ Speak series.
It was a good challenge.

NaNoWriMo 2016 - badge

NaNoWriMo 2016

November 2016

For the first time since I’ve taken part in NaNoWriMo I’ve decided to quit the challenge halfway through. It was a hard decision, I knew from the beginning my historical preparation wasn’t good enough for taking up the challenge, I just hoped the plot would carry me. 

Unfortunately, it didn’t and a conversation with an historian made merealise what I still need to take up this historical project. Here are my reflections on how it went.

NaNoWriMo 2017

November 2017

After many years of working to revisions, I came back to a first draft for a new project. It was both scary and exciting, and surprisingly (or maybe not so much so) I had to relearn how to write a first draft. Learn to just write without looking to sound refined. It was so liberating.
The novel isn’t anywhere near readability, but here is how it went.

NaNoWriMo 2018

November 2018

In my personal tradition of revising the same story in multiple NaNos, I revised last year story during this November, The Frozen Maze. Though it wasn’t a mere matter of revising what I had written last year, it was more a rebuilding structure and characters too. In the end, I didn’t manage to finish the new draft, but I did manage to win the challenge.

Coffee Book Tag Dieselpunk StyleThe Coffee Book Tag – Dieselpunk Style

11 December 2016

Recently, I came across a book tag on Book Amino, the Coffee Book Tag, and since I’m a reader and a coffee drinker, I couldn’t resist!

So, here’s my take at it. Welcome to the Coffee Book Tag – Dieselpunk Style


Try It You'll Like It Blogathon 2015Underworld (Try It, You’ll Like It! Blogathon)

6 December 2015

This post is part of the “Try It, You’ll Like It!” Blogathon, hosted by Sister Celluloid and Movies Silently, where we write about “gateway films” that might bring non-classic-film lovers into the fold! For all the entries, click here!

 

777 Challenge banner777 Challenge – A small smile on her small mouth

17 November 2015

Last summer Lucy Flinch passed me on the 777 Challenge. I know I’ve already done one, but I really enjoyed it, and anyway, I’m working on a new story now and can sure post seven different sentences.

Tagathlon 2015Tagathlon

8 August 2015

It’s all about how you feel about book and reading.

I was tagged by Ali Isaac.


Love/Hate Challenge
Love-Hate

14 July 2015

Celine of the Down the Rabbit Hole blog was the one who got me. You can read her hilarious post here. As you can see, the challenge is actually about what you love/hate in general, but since this is an author’s blog, I’ve decided going with what I love/hate as a author/reader.


777777 Challenge – Ice crept into her voice

27 June 2015

Good for you that a couple of weeks ago, Melissa tagged me for the 777 Challenge. I declined her invitation on account that I already post snippets of eight sentences every other Sunday for the 8 Sentence Sunday on Dieselpunks, but then Sue also tagged me for the same challenge, so gals… grand, you’ve talked me into it!

10 Favourite Screen Characters

18 May 2015

Back in March, Crispian Thurlborn tagged me for this challenge to list my 10 favourite screen characters. Because I was already very busy with the AtoZ Challenge, I couldn’t do it right away, but now here I am ready to oblige. Thanks Crispian for being this patient.

Awards

0