‘Tis the season for suspense-building lists.
By Everybody loves (or at least loves to hate) a list. This is especially true around the end of the year, when our inclination to rank things and to build coherent narratives out of the chaos of loosely-related events goes into overdrive.
For this week’s challenge, I invite you to breathe new life into the established genre of the end-of-year countdown list. Sure, you’re welcome to share your top-20 books, songs, or obscure craft beers of the year. But you could also try something a bit different. For example:
- Use the countdown format to tell a story, using dates, places, or names of people for each bullet point.
- Create a list-based photo essay on any topic you feel passionate about.
- Put together a roundup of your blog’s top posts of the year (you can use your own criteria, of course), and use excerpts from each one to showcase your strongest writing. (If you feel even more adventurous, structure the list in a way that suggests a narrative, or some other sort of continuity.)
- Write a glossary of all the new buzzwords/terms you learned this year, ranking them from least to most annoying (this can work for other cultural artifacts, obviously).
- Share a list of your favorite bloggers from the past year — including, ideally, a link to a powerful post from each one.
These are just a few ideas to get you going — you’re encouraged to come up with your own twist on the countdown theme.
I look forward to reading your posts in 10, 9, 8, 7…
The Daily Post 
Lovely ideas!
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I do love a list! I even have a category “lists” on my menu 🙂 Things I like or don’t.
I do like your ideas for lists!!
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hey hi..
I am new to blogging 🙂
you have a wonderful space..
when you have your time, I would appreciate you stopping by my blog..!!! and your feed back too..!! 🙂
Thanks in advance 🙂
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I love the idea of ‘building a coherent narrative out of the chaos of loosely related events’…this could even be a summation of life and how to live it. :o) Thanks for some great ideas. I might try some of these–I am already making a list of books To Be Read for 2015.
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Awesome ideas! I’m going to have to try some of these. I needed a little inspiration to light up my end of the year posts.
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Fresh off the press. List fiction, not totally coherent! http://ambitiousdrifter.com/2014/12/02/the-list-my-wonderful-wonderful-past-lives/
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Hard to choose just 10
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i’ve traveled a lot by air this year in spite of the fact that like john madden of football fame I’m scared to fly. i made trips in april, may, july, august, and september earning significant miles credit.
i guess it was during one of those trips that i realized how good life is. it was when i was looking at the clouds through the window that it hit me.
“wow,” i marveled to myself. “it’s kind of a miracle that i’m up here and i’m not even dead yet.”
a century ago, only a few souls would have thought that air travel was possible. in our time, it has become routine like going to the dentist..
to keep myself from being bored during that long trip, i closed my eyes and thought of things that make our lives wonderful. i was surprised that it didn’t take me a long time to make up the list.
http://wp.me/p6FwZ-T9
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What about “‘TOP 20 EMBARRASSING THINGS THAT HAPPENED TO ME THIS YEAR”? No, I’m serious. Anybody willing?
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Here is my response:
https://charuatmyniche.wordpress.com/2014/12/03/the-a-to-z-countdown/
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hi every one!!!!! 😉
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3 things on dialogue:
http://untiltheinkwelldries.com/2014/12/03/3-ways-to-instantly-improve-writing-dialogues/
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I like this and I”m going to try and push myself to take up your challenge!
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Countdown to a short film series counts, right? The story will unfold every five days based on what my advent calendar gives me (a new decoration a day). I’m pretty excited, but I’m relatively worried I won’t make my own deadlines…
All that being said, I’d never thought to do a post round-up. You guys and your ideas… 🙂
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Ok, I took your challenge 🙂 We’re a ‘serial expat’ family and every time we moved around we had to leave things behind. So here’s “A list of things I left behind”, my take on how leaving things can be another of life’s experiences.
http://tinyexpats.com/2014/12/03/a-list-of-things-i-left-behind/
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Lucky Seven- A list of Seven Treats at Trader Joe’s to inspire romance on a first date…
http://suddenlysingleminded.wordpress.com/2014/12/03/trader-joes-top-7-successful-treats-for-first-date/
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Nice little exercise to keep everything in check!
Love some feedback on my ‘list’😊
http://annettemariebee.com/2014/12/04/my-new-life-of-storytelling/
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@benhuberman
I don’t think my ping back works😔
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How a jar of ginger in my fridge got me thinking about the ticking clock countdown we all face in lots of ways……. http://joearlam.wordpress.com/2014/12/04/tempus-fugit/
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Here is my entry for this week’s challenge. I hope you enjoy.
http://ceenphotography.com/2014/12/05/wp-weekly-writing-challenge-countdown-my-year-in-photos/
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Let the christmas lists, resolution list, healthy eating lists, things to do list, and finals-studying lists commence! (inward groan)
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The ping is not working with my post. My response is not appearing in the grid for the writing challenge. I have attached the post below that I submitted:
https://harrispeaks.wordpress.com/2014/12/05/the-travel-lifestyle-bloggerweekly-writing-challenge-httpdailypost-wordpress-comdp_writing_challengecountdown/
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A new item to add to my list of thought (or worries).
http://wp.me/p5nlwm-f
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I spent last week traveling around Hawaii’s Big Island. Almost 900(!) miles later, I thought this list challenge would be a good way to outline my adventure. Have a look at the locations I visited and a map of the island, and see if you can chart my routes!
http://polymathically.wordpress.com/2014/12/08/900-miles-a-week-on-hawaiis-big-island/
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In Washington, DC, so many remembrances of those no longer with us: http://visualventuring.com/2014/12/08/martin-luther-king-jr-memorial/
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Apologies – posted in the wrong challenge. Meant to put it in WPC…
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And what’s the topic for this week? It’s Wednesday already.
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The next writing challenge will be published next Tuesday (and the one after that two weeks later as well).
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A slightly different take on the countdown theme. In lieu of a pingback, here is my link.
http://jdhager.wordpress.com/2014/12/10/the-countdown-2/
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Take a look see at my Christmas movie entry here:
http://flicksandpieces.com/2014/12/11/must-watch-christmas-movies/
Merry Christmas folks 🙂
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Hmmm…very conceptual idea – cool!
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hey hi..
I am new to blogging 🙂
you have a wonderful space..
when you have your time, I would appreciate you stopping by my blog..!!! and your feed back too..!! 🙂
Thanks in advance 🙂
LikeLike
A story as a list … check it out… http://myworldmypoints.wordpress.com/2014/12/12/hustle-of-a-year/
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I have written a whole story as a list check this out…http://myworldmypoints.wordpress.com/2014/12/12/hustle-of-a-year-2/
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