BEDA

Since so many of you have been wondering, I've decided to tell you what BEDA stands for. No, I am not joining the Bureau of European Design Association.

BEDA stands for Blog Every Day April. (Or VEDA if you're a vlogger.)

So every day of April I will post a blog. Maureen Johnson started about a week ago and it has spread like wildfire! She has posted the official rules for BEDA on her blog which I will copy and paste onto this post (which counts as my post for April 1st). I will also tweak it in some parts so that it makes sense, like, instead of saying "me" it'll say "Maureen."

Here it is!

THE RULES OF BLOG EVERY DAY APRIL (BEDA)

1. Blog every day in April.

THE BLOG EVERY DAY IN APRIL MANIFESTO

I commit to this idea and am determined to create something EVERY DAY in April, including weekends. Every day, I will find something to say. I embrace the reality that there is always something to talk about, if you are willing to take the time to look for it.

I ___________________ promise to blog every day in April.


SOME QUESTIONS MAUREEN HAVE SEEN, SOME SHE MADE UP, WITH ANSWERS FROM HER

Q. What’s the point of blogging every day in April?

There’s always value to signing on to a project and seeing it through. But I think blogging every day in April has many potential benefits. If you want to be a writer, for example, this is a great idea . . . because you have to get used to the practice of writing every day, whether you think you can or not.

And I think April’s a good month for it. April is often a busy, crazy, transitional month. It’s when taxes are due (in America). It’s when school is just reaching its peak and people are just seeing the summer ahead. It’s when rain comes and flowers grow, and there’s candy, and it’s also only 30 days long! BONUS!

Q. Are there punishments if you mess up and don’t blog for a day?

I am not one for setting up punishments, because I believe that the punishments will administer themselves. At least in my case. If I mess up a day, LOTS OF PEOPLE WILL LET ME KNOW, and I will feel the tweak of failure. You can set up any punishment you like, if punishments help you! But I am a great believer in getting up again and trying the next day.

May I also suggest setting up ENCOURAGEMENTS? Here are a few ideas.

- Why not blog with a friend, or make a NEW FRIEND and read each other’s blogs every day?

- Why not promise yourself a small prize of some kind? A book, for example? (I could suggest a Suite Scarlett paperback, because the timing is excellent . . . but you see the idea here. Some small token of accomplishment.)

Q. I don’t have a blog! And if I set one up, no one would read it.

I HAVE ANSWERS FOR THIS! And an EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT!

Yes, I saved a surprise for the end of this post!

I have opened a NEW BLOG SITE! On Ning! Which is just another type of blogging site, like this one, but with MANY COOL FEATURES!

For at least a few weeks or months, I’m going to post all my blogs on BOTH sites, just until enough people know it’s there, and I get all the kinks worked out, and get it hooked into my main wesbite . . . blah, blah, blah, technical stuff. So you can read BEDA here OR there. It will be the same blog!

But the difference is . . . on the other site, YOU CAN PARTICIPATE if you want! On the mj Ning blog, you can become a member (which takes about ten seconds and is free, easy, not an invasion of privacy, etc.) Here are just a few of the cool things:

- When you sign up, you can start your own blog there. You can also upload photos and videos!

- Members can friend other members . . . so you can easily find a blog buddy!

- There are forums to chat on. And there is a live chat at the bottom of the page going on at all times! I will occasionally pop on this chat—sometimes announced, sometimes unannounced!

Here is my manifesto:

I commit to this idea and am determined to create something EVERY DAY in April, including weekends. Every day, I will find something to say. I embrace the reality that there is always something to talk about, if you are willing to take the time to look for it.

I, Nadia L Murti, promise to blog every day in April.

Come on everybody! Join!

Your BEDA Blogger,
Nadia

P.S. Feel free to change your answer for that poll over there. :D