As some of you may remember, I took part in last year’s A to Z Challenge in an unofficial manner. My blog was very 
new and I had only just joined Twitter. Mid-April I noticed a lot of talk about blogging from A-Z and as someone so new, I decided this was a perfect way to get myself blogging daily as it gave me a bit of direction.
My traffic shot up and I think I owe a lot of that to the challenge and the lovely people taking part. For all I wasn’t signed up on the official page, I used the # and people found me and I found them. I still read some of those blogs today and I hope some of them still read mine.
I didn’t have a theme, I just posted whatever I fancied on the day which started with the right letter. This year I am doing it properly.
I am all signed up, I have a theme and I’ve even starting pre-writing my posts. I have a planner, so I have an idea of what goes out when, but I never have posts pre-written, so being this organised feels kind of weird.
A to Z Challenge: Theme Reveal
I noticed last year that my shorter posts did much better than the longer ones. So with that in mind, the theme I have chosen is 100 word flash fiction on the topic of the darker side of human nature. I hope you all enjoy the posts.
After reading back some of the pre-written stories, some of them are pretty dark. I just want to re-iterate that these are fiction – they in no way represent my state of mind.
For my regular readers, I will still be doing my usual weekly posts – quotes, book reviews, rants and of course 
#AnythingGoes.
April is looking like it’s going to be a busy month for me. Double posting most days and visiting the other A-Z Challenge bloggers. It’s a good job I’m used to sitting up half the night blogging.
Are you taking part in this year’s A to Z Challenge? Do you have a theme? Let me know in the comments 🙂
You can find me here: Twitter Facebook Bloglovin Pinterest and Instagram Please do stop by and say hi!
I think my theme is the opposite to yours 🙂 I chose Positive Personality Traits (we’ll be each other’s yin and yang) This is the first time for me but it sounded fun and I’m not posting anything else through April because one post a day is my limit! Looking forward to reading lots and if it boost my views that will be an added unexpected bonus 🙂
Lol, I thought the same when I saw your theme! I would be amazed if it doesn’t boost your views, it’s a really good group of people, most return year after year and they do visit each other. The best way to get views is to visit as many other blogs as you can who are taking part because a lot will return the favour!
Love the idea of flash fiction. Good luck being organised. 😉
Thank you 🙂 It’s very weird being so organised, but I’m hoping by having a lot pre-written I will have more time to visit others 🙂
Hi Debbie,
I’m a newbie to A to Z this year and doing a bit of late night browsing. Love your idea of shorter flash fiction. Just discovered flash this past year. My theme is discovery, both fiction and nonfiction wise. I’ll be hanging around this month. Looking forward to seeing what you come up with.
Good luck with your first challenge, it’s a lot of fun 🙂 Your theme sounds great and I will be visiting you throughout April 🙂
Your theme sounds perfect. Short and dark, can’t get any better than that. I don’t think I had the pleasure of reading any of your stories last year, but I’m eager to check them out this year. I read and write thrillers and suspense. I love dark stories. I wish you the best with the challenge this year. I’ve bookmarked your blog so I will be back to read your stories.
If you visit my theme reveal I hope you won’t give up on me. I’m on the tail end of a blog makeover and my blog is loading really slow, but the design company assured me it will be working properly in time for the challenge, and probably by midday today. Thanks. I’m looking forward to reading your posts.
Melissa Sugar
Thank you so much 🙂 I promise I won’t give up on you, it’s frustrating when techy things slow you down! Looking forward to connecting with you through April
I love the idea of this, off to check it out now! I am on day 17 of my 30 day challenge so they may overlap slightly, but this sounds like a lot of fun! xx
It really is a lot of fun, I hope you enjoy it 🙂 x
Drabbles are always a challenge and that’s a very interesting choice to delve into in just 100 words. I wish you luck for the fest.
Tasha
It’s going to be tough I think, but I’m loving it so far! Thank you, hope to see you around during April 🙂
Ooh I think you picked a fascinating theme. The dark side of humanity makes for some interesting writing and reading.
All the best! 🙂
Thank you 🙂 I’ve really enjoyed writing it so far! Looking forward to seeing you through April.
Hi! I’ve just signed up, think I might go random with my posts as I’m struggling for a theme at the minute!
Welcome, I hope you enjoy it 🙂 I really enjoyed doing random posts last year, it keeps your options open a lot more.
How lovely to see you participatng offcially this year! Flash fiction is cool. I need to learn about writing shorter posts myself too.
I think it will be much better doing it officially. It was towards the end of the month when I started finding other bloggers who were participating so I missed out on a lot of the social aspect. I still write long posts quite a lot, that’s why I set a word limit in my theme!
Interesting! “they in no way represent my state of mind!” I love this! I promise I won’t have you committed.❤
Lol, that’s good! Looking forward to visiting you throughout April 🙂
Oooo. I love this theme. I did 100 flash fiction last year and it’s a lot of fun. Adding in the darker side of human nature is a nice twist.
~Patricia Lynne aka Patricia Josephine~
Thank you 🙂 I’ve had a lot of fun writing the ones I’ve got done so far (it’s probably wrong having fun with a dark theme but hey ho lol). Looking forward to seeing you throughout April 🙂
I agree. Short is good during the challenge! Good luck. See you in April.
Yes, I definitely found short worked best for me last year. Thank you, looking forward to seeing you in April!
Flash fiction is always good to have. Can’t get too much of fiction/stories. Good luck with the challenge!
Best wishes.
Nilanjana.
Thank you 🙂 Looking forward to visiting you throughout April!
Oooh, intriguing. I am all for some dark flash fiction 🙂 Cool theme!
@TarkabarkaHolgy
Thank you 🙂 Looking forward to visiting you through the challenge. Two blogs is ambitious, good luck!
Welcome to the Challenge. Flash Fiction sounds like fun.
Thank you 🙂 Looking forward to connecting with you throughout the challenge!
Haha, the very first thing I thought when I saw this on twitter early was – how many posts can I pre-plan! There’s no way I could fit off the cuff fun food in with work/life/child etc etc! Looking forward to this 🙂
I think food related posts will definitely need forward planning! Good luck with it 🙂
Looking forward to April and visiting your blog once again. Good luck with new readers this year. Your theme should attract them.
I’m so excited to get started! Thanks for stopping by, see you through April 🙂
This sounds like it will be a lot of fun, both for you to write and for us to read!
I’m really enjoying writing the posts and hopefully people will enjoy reading them too!
Welcome back to the challenge. I look forward to reading your flash fiction!
Thank you 🙂 I hope you enjoy them!
I love writing and reading flash fiction so I can’t wait to read your posts about the dark side… 🙂 Good luck with A to Z!
Thank you, I hope you enjoy them 🙂 I love writing and reading them too. Good luck 🙂
I concur that being organized can feel weird, almost non-creative at times. And short 100-word posts are the best. Good luck with the Challenge!
Stephen Tremp
It’s going to feel so weird in April when I only have to write maybe 3 or 4 posts per week instead of 10-14! Thank you and good luck 🙂 See you in April!
Sounds like a good theme and I agree with shorter posts. I will see you around and read those dark flash fiction posts 😉
All the best!
Thank you 🙂 I’m hoping the shorter posts will work well for the challenge. See you in April!
Interesting theme! I’ll make sure to follow 🙂 All the best!
Thank you 🙂
Hey, this is an intriguing theme. And I’m so in owe with people being able to create 100 stories. I woulnd’t be able to do that.
I too have a lot to thank the AtoZ for. Last year was my first too and I learned so much abotu blogging. I met so many awesome people. I can’t wait for it to start again.
Have a fantastic April 🙂
Thank you 🙂 It’s hard sometimes to edit them down enough without losing anything, but it’s fun too! I’m really excited for it starting! Good luck 🙂
Nice to see you again, Debbie. 🙂 Your theme should be popular; short yet dramatic. Looking forward to your posts! I can totally relate to this: “It’s a good job I’m used to sitting up half the night blogging!” Good luck with the challenge. 🙂
Thank you, nice to see you again too! I think it’s a blogger thing lol 🙂 Good luck!
I have both short and long posts for my theme this year – but some people only like short, while others like to get somewhere to sit down and have a cuppa with.
Your flash fiction theme looks great – whatever you do, enjoy it!
I enjoy reading both long and short posts and I generally write both but I’m hoping the shorter ones will do well through the challenge. Thank you, I’m really excited to get started, you enjoy it too!
Dark stories in 100 words… that’s so interesting and intriguing. Looking forward to read your flash fiction this April. Cheers, Debbie 🙂
Thank you, I hope you enjoy them 🙂
Flash fiction – good idea! I’m sure you’ll have no problems finding darkness to fit all the letters.
Thank you 🙂 I’m finding topics so far, although I have to admit I’m dreading X lol!
Glad to hear the A to Z was such a success for you. All my posts except three are ready to go. Hopefully, I’ll get those done tonight. I don’t know if I could do something as creative as you are doing.
That’s brilliant going, you’ll be free to just relax and read 🙂 It’s going to be challenging but I guess that’s the point lol!
I love it! I’ll be reading your dark fiction. Great idea!
Thank you 🙂 I hope you enjoy it!
Ooh I love flash fiction. And of course the “darker side of human nature” piqued my interest. Can’t wait! Sounds like you’re going to be busy next month, too 🙂
Thank you, I hope you enjoy them 🙂 Hopefully will be a good month for us all!
Flash fiction is fun! Keeping the posts short is a good idea. I wonder if I’ll be able to.
Thanks for stopping by my blog. 🙂
I’m quite wordy so it’ll be difficult for me, but I do find short posts work best for the challenge so I’m determined to make it work! Thanks for dropping in 🙂
Twenty-six pieces of flash fiction. Wow, my hat’s off to you. I’m looking forward to your offerings. Good luck!
Thank you, I hope you enjoy them! Good luck to you too 🙂
I like that you’re challenging yourself with this for April, because it’s a challenging, interesting topic. I look forward to dropping by the dark side here.
Cheers, and enjoy the A-Z.
Thanks for visiting!
It is challenging but I’m really enjoying writing the posts 🙂 Thank you, I hope you enjoy them!
Excellent theme and plan. I’m looking forward to reading your posts.
Thank you, I hope you enjoy them!
I love flash-fiction! I’m such a wordy writer; anything under 5000 words is so tough for me! But, of course, my Challenge posts will be a lot shorter than what I normally write. Still, I struggle and I so admire those who can write short! Enjoy the Challenge! I can wait to read your posts 🙂
~Jen
I’m pretty wordy too so this is definitely a challenge for me! Thank you, I hope you enjoy them 🙂
I love your theme! I enjoy flash fiction and I’m always on the look out for more!
Thank you, I hope you enjoy it 🙂
Looks like a neat theme. I may want to do this at some point. Short, flash fiction. This will also be my second year, though I did find out about the challenge about a month or two before it began last year.
Glad to see there is another person that likes to rant. It’s one of my special features on my blog.
Enjoy the month of April and I wish you the best!
Thank you 🙂 I think keeping it short will help build up some readership from the challenge. Oh I love a good rant, I hope to come across some of your throughout April!
Should be an interesting time! See you next month!
John Holton
Thank you, I’m really looking forward to it 🙂
Welcome back to the A to Z Challenge! I look forward to reading your flash fiction this April. 🙂
Thank you, I’m so excited waiting for it to start 🙂 I hope you like them!
Double posting? Yikes! I like the idea of the 100 word flash fiction. Some of my prewritten posts are probably already too long but once I get going…my theme is Days of Our Lives (as the sand runs through the hourglass), consisting of personal stories and other miscellaneous topics.
I double post fairly often but without the commitment of visiting 1500 blogs so it’s going to be hard! I love the sound of your theme, I visited you today and it certainly piqued my interest 🙂
Microfiction on the darker side of humanity… I LOVE IT! My fiction, especially my shorter pieces, tend to be dark, and I’ve always enjoyed reading darker stuff (light and aw-so-pretty stuff leaves me cold, haha… there must be something wrong with me 😀 ), so I’ll be a frequent visitor during April—and beyond 🙂
Thanks so much for stopping over at Life In Dogs — I’ll be looking forward to much back-and-forth next month 🙂
I’m exactly the same – I always think there’s something wrong with me as well lol! Looking forward to seeing you through April, good to connect!
Oooh. Sounds like a good theme . . .and a heck of a full and busy month!
Thank you 🙂 Yeah, it’s going to be busy that’s for sure!
Hi Debbie, flash fiction is right up my street. I am looking forward to reading yours. Good luck on the challenge. 🙂
Thank you, I hope you enjoy it 🙂 Good luck!
Thanks for visiting my theme reveal! Your theme sounds interesting, I may have to check it out. This is my second year participating and I feel slightly more prepared this year 🙂
Thank you, I hope you do 🙂 It’s nice feeling a bit more prepared and it’ll give extra time to visit the other blogs
Flash fiction. Seems to be a popular theme this year. Of course, that means it can go anywhere…
Yeah I’ve noticed quite a lot are doing it, I hope people don’t get too sick of it!
Great theme! Before I started blogging, I had never heard of flash fiction. Now I’m super jealous of all you talented writers out there who can tell a great story in less than 100 words!!
Good luck and hope you have lots of fun!! 😀
Thank you! This is my first attempt at such short fiction so I’m hoping people like it 🙂
I’m having fun reading everyone’s themes Debbie and I’m looking forward to yours. Good luck with the challenge!
Me too, I’ve found some fab ones! Thank you, good luck to you too 🙂
yeah! short is always good! I’ll try to keep it short too!
Shubhangi
I think short definitely works best through the challenge when people have so many blogs to visit 🙂
What a fab theme! And thanks for the reminder that shorter pieces work better in the challenge. Look forward to your flash fiction.
Thank you, I hope you enjoy them 🙂 I definitely found shorter things work the best in last year’s challenge!
Very creative!
Thank you 🙂
You will be busy in April! Here’s to you and a successful and fun A to Z. Your theme is awesome – I can’t wait to see what you come up with for each letter.
It’s definitely going to be a busy one! Thank you, I hope you like the posts 🙂
Excellent! I’m striving for shorter posts this year, too.
Definitely the way to go – more people will read them (I hope) and it certainly makes writing them quicker!
Flash fiction is always a good choice, I look forward to reading them.
Peace,
Morgan Dragonwillow
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Thank you, I hope you enjoy them 🙂
Hi Debbie. Thanks for stopping by my blog. Intriguing theme – looking forward to seeing what you do with it.
Ros
Thank you, I hope you like the posts 🙂
Dark side of human nature? Sounds like a theme I’ll love.
I’ll definitely keep up with you during the Challenge. 🙂 Good luck!
Thank you 🙂 I hope you enjoy them! See you in April, good luck
Intriguing theme. I like it and I promise I will be back soon in the month of April to read your blog 🙂
Thank you, I hope you enjoy the posts 🙂 See you through April!
April is always so busy! It can be hard keeping up. I’m impressed that you are doing double posting though I must admit your idea for doing shorter posts for A-Z because they “do better” is right on. I guess with A-Z’ers writing their own posts and having to comment on so many blogs, it can be hard to stick with and finish reading longer posts. Best of luck on completing the challenge and staying caught up this month!
I often double post so I’m used to the writing, but reading so many extra blogs is hard to keep up with, but I’m determined to visit everyone at least once! Thank you 🙂