Winding Up Alphabetaphilia for 2012

Thank you to all who participated in Alphabetaphilia this year.  I apologize for disappearing but my mother passed away and I needed to go to Tennessee very suddenly.  Now, it's time to wind up our alphabet game.

If you want to participate in the CONTEST, open an email and put CONTEST on the subject line, then select the 10 daily contributions you want to use, OK to repair typos, and send them in the email body to lhoopes@pomona.edu.

If you want your contributions to be considered for the PDF of Alphabetaphilia 2012, to be made available on this website free of charge, put PDF in the subject line as well.  Be sure to include the name you want to use.  A pen name is fine, but I need your real name in the email, please.

best, Laura

J words and a sentence for Feb 10 now!

Hi friends of reading and writing,

Here's a jellyfish to symbolize the day for J-words, February 10th.  Make a list of 5 words beginning with J and use them in a sentence.  Both words and sentences should be posted in the comments below.  I moderate so it may take up to a day to appear on the blog.  

best,

Laura

Photo credit: Creative Commons, with thanks.

Feb 6 is for a certain kind of words starting with F...

Hi friends,

We all know I'm not going to post lists with some F words.  Just don't go there.  But there are lots of F words that you can play with!  Here are some flowers from Provincetown to inspire you.  Come up with a list of five and a sentence using them and post in comments.  Reminder: Comments are moderated. 

cheers,
Laura

Feb 3 is for C-words and a sentence; post in comments here!

Hi friends,
Feb 3 is the day for five words beginning with C that you love and enjoy, and then a sentence with those words along with any others you need.   Post in Comments below!  Cliff is one of mine, as seen in this picture from a cliff at Montana de Oro State Park near Morro Bay, California.

cheers,
Laura

Post Your B Lists and Sentences Here for Feb 2

Hi friends,

B is for...blackbird!  Alphabetaphilia day 2, February 2, means it's time to post your list of five words starting with B and your absurd or gorgeous sentence using them all.  Welcome!  I hope you're taking time to enjoy other people's lists and sentences so you can encounter some more amazing words.

cheers,
Laura

A is for Alphabetaphilia, Feb 1 Lists and Sentences go here!

Hi friends of reading and writing,

A is for Apple and a whole lot more! Feb 1 is the kickoff day for the alphabetaphilia game for February, 2012.  You need a list of five wonderful words beginning with A today and a sentence using your words, to be posted in the comments below.  I have to moderate comments, so it can take up to a day for your comments to appear, but I'll put them up asap.  I can't wait to see your words and sentences!

cheers,
Laura

Alphabetaphilia Starts Weds, Feb 1, 2012. Simple Directions.

Hi friends of reading and writing,

Here is the fast version of February Alphabetaphilia:
The letter of the day matches the order in the alphabet.  Feb 1 is A, Feb 2 is B, etc.  The last three days are wild cards, any letter you choose.

Choose five favorite words that begin with the letter of the day (your LIST).

Make up a sentence using those five words (SENTENCE)

Post the LIST and SENTENCE on this blog (www.westcoastwriters.blogspot.com) under the Day and Letter title, as a COMMENT.  It will take up to a day to be approved and posted (sorry, I have a busy life).

If you miss a day or two, no problem, you can make up the days you missed OR just skip them.  No need for guilt.

That's it.  Hope to see you around playing with the glorious alphabet and words that sound delicious all during February!   Laura

Coming in February: Alphabetaphilia, 2012

Do you feel like you need a shock of electricity to wake up your writing this winter?  Yes, I was being mildly shocked many years ago by the van de Graff generator above, but it was stimulating! 

 I was fascinated recently with Captain GrammarPants’ Facebook lists of words originating from different countries/languages.  I was reminded of some word games my family used to play on long car trips.  Is winter like a long car trip?  Don’t we keep asking if we’re done yet?  So let’s play a word game.  It’s open to everyone.  This blog is moderated due to the bad behavior of some foreign posters, so your post will take around a day to appear each time.  But be comfortable; it will not be lost.  And if you'd rather post anonymously, you can (but read on, you may not want to).  I will not post obscene or scary postings, and I have the final decision on any submission.

This year is a leap year so we have 29 days in February.  To play the game, on Days 1-26 choose and give us a list of five favorite words beginning with the letter of the day, A for February 1, B for February 2, etc. Each day, you can challenge yourself to make a sentence (or in a pinch a couple of sentences) using all of your words.  Days 27, 28, and 29 are free choice of repeats of letters, ones where you sensed one group of five favorite words didn’t even scratch the surface. Post each entry under the thread of the day, which I will post so you can “comment” to add your list and sentences.  There will be author interviews and other longer posts, but just scroll around to find the “Febrary 1, A lists and sentences here” posting for February 1, etc.  I will be out of town a couple of times, and will post the threads you need before I go each time so you won’t have to search fruitlessly for a place to post your alphabetaphilic entries.

Is this a contest?  If so, does the winner get a prize?   Yes, and yes.  Everyone who writes at least ten lists and sentences during the first 26 days is automatically entered in the contest.  I will recruit one more judge and we will judge the entries according to our aesthetic taste and announce the winner by March 15.  The entire group of lists and sentences submitted by a contestant will be considered together, and we’ll look for sound, imagery, diversity of meanings, and success of the sentence(s).  There will probably be intangibles involved in the selection of the winner too.

The winner will receive a new copy of either Gruen’s Water For Elephants or my memoir Breaking Through the Spiral Ceiling, his or her choice.

All participants will be asked at the end of the month if they want to choose some of their lists and sentences and have them included in an Alphabetaphilia, 2012 pdf that will be made available free via WestCoastWriters blog, to anyone who wants to receive it.  Your work, if you ask to have it included, will be acknowledged with a byline.  It will NOT be used without your agreement.  This pdf will not be sold, so there will be no financial profit to you for being included in the pdf, only free publicity. 

         Stay tuned!

         Cheers, Laura