In order to kick start my new site and find my genealogy groove again after a few months of focusing on a single ancestor in my free time, I’ve decided to challenge myself by participating in the 2025 A to Z Challenge.
This will be my first time participating in such a challenge and I am equally excited and square in my Learning Zone at the mere idea of blogging six days a week while also balancing everything else in life…
But hey, it is a challenge so it should push me, right?
The rules?
- Post six days a week beginning on April 1st, no posts on Sundays
- Posts should be at least 100 words long but each post do not have to be extensive
- Have fun and keep up with the challenge.
My theme?
Kin! Direct lineage kin, to be more specific.
The Plan?
I’ve mapped it all out and will spend the majority of the month focusing on the first names of many of my direct lineage kin. I’ll include their full names, any vital information I’ve found in my research, their relation to me, any fun tidbits/characteristics/experiences, and any commonalities I may have gleaned between myself and them.
In a couple of cases, where I have not identified an ancestor whose first name starts with a particular letter, I will choose a unique middle name, a direct line surname, and/or ancestral lands/places of significance.
I intend to visit as many other A to Z Challenge participants as possible. Depending on the final number of participants though (50? 500?), I may hop around a bit, trying to visit everyone at least once.
So, if you are participating in the A to Z Challenge, please let me know in the comments (and feel free to leave a link to your reveal post) so I can pop over and cheer you on!
Onward!
Melissa
It’s a fun challenge! Hope you make it from A to Z. Keep it simple and you’ll make it!
I’m doing A to Z of Dog Breeds on Postage Stamps. https://lisasgardenadventureinoregon.blogspot.com/2025/03/blogging-from-to-z-april-challenge.html
Thank you, Lisa 🙂 I’m excited to give it a solid go! Can’t wait to read your posts!
Happy first challenge! I’m glad you’re joining and look forward to your posts.
https://deborah-weber.com/a-to-z-blogging-challenge-2025-theme-reveal/
Thank you, Deborah! I’m quite excited to challenge myself in this way and see how everyone else does, too! Good luck!
G’day Melissa,
This is also my first time doing this challenge on my family history blog. I will be writing about places where my ancestors have lived or maybe supposed to have lived.
I know how tough this challenge can be writing every day so I do a bit of preparation during March.
I did take part back in 2022 but with a historical society where members wrote posts relating to someone in their family and then I added it to my one place study blog. There is a link to it on my theme post for this year.
Hi Sue! Thank you for finding your way to me! I’m excited to see what you write about and am hopeful for us both that the month is wildly successful!
Good luck with the A-z challenge. IT sounds a lot of work!
Hi Carole! A lot of work, indeed! I tend to overthink things, too…so my goal is to complete the challenge while keeping it simple *and having fun! Fingers crossed 😉
Good luck with the challenge. I do as many posts as I can before April. Takes a lot of stress out of it.
Is there really a rule that says at least 100 words or is that your rule for your challenge.
I’m also doing family history, finding something an ancestor or even me, did for each day of April, and making the title fit the letter of the day.
Hi Kristin! I definitely think I’ll work on some post prep in the next couple of weeks to ease the stress of it all in the moment 🙂
I do remember reading something about 100 words so participants are putting in effort, but it also said that certain posts can obviously convey their purpose in less than 100 words. I think it’s all about the intention.
I really like your theme and look forward to reading what you come up with!
You have chosen a great theme. I look forward to following along. Enjoy the challenge
https://trackingdownthefamily.substack.com/
Hi Jennifer! Thank you! I’m quite excited to see what we all come up with! 🙂 Thanks for being here!
Good luck on your first challenge. Looking forward to seeing what you post.
https://jannghi.blogspot.com/2025/03/2025-blogging-to-z-theme-reveal.html
Hi Jamie! Thank you! Best of luck to you as well!
I look forward to following along. Enjoy your first challenge – I have found researching posts for various challenges in past years has added enormously to my family history. This year I am also posting about family with my theme being first names – wonder if any of our kin share first names.
Hi Anne! The challenge has been so enlightening already, I’m so excited to see how it all unfolds! I’d wager a guess we have at least one overlap 🙂