Get Ready for Blapril 2020
Apparently, I’m not the only one who thinks that all this spare time that many of us now have, can be put to good use. Belghast over at Tales of the Aggronaut, has brought forward his yearly blogging and content creation festival Blaugust and rechristened it Blapril. As the name indicates, this event will now run throughout April. Blapril is primarily a festival of blogging (although it offers much that is relevant to other types of content creation) designed to bring together and encourage new or lapsed bloggers. It is also an ideal opportunity for existing writers to renew their motivation and up their game. The event provides a means to share information and offer valuable advice based upon personal experiences. Blapril is about community, mutual support and sharing content. As I mentioned in a previous post, self isolation is in many ways the perfect time to take up blogging, podcasting, live streaming or generally creating some form of online content. If you’re looking for a gentle nudge to start any of these activities, Blapril 2020 can provide it.
So if you’re interested in taking part in Blapril, there are several ways to do so. The first step is to fill out the Sign-Up Form for Blapril 2020 which can be found here. This is so the event organisers can track progress, “amplify” the promotion of your work and ensure that new bloggers get the support they may need.
There is also a Blapril Discord server which can be found here. This is the third year it has been active and there is quite a substantial community that is continuously active.This is an ideal place to say “hi”, seek answers and most importantly share your content each day in the appropriately named “share-your-content” channel.
When sharing your content on social media please use the hashtag #Blapril2020 for tracking purposes.It makes it easier for those keeping up with the event to find content.
Feel free to chat and interact with those participating in Blapril as it is very much a community event and part of the fun is getting to know the community. Mentors are available to help out with more immediate, hands on advice. There is also a “gaming-together” channel on Discord for those who may want to play socially.
There is also a Media Kit page with official graphics that you can use to promote your work and the event.
“write, Jamf…”
Blapril is not as a few misguided people have suggested in the past, a means of trying to foster some sort of “groupthink” approach to content creation. Quite the opposite is true. It is an event designed to encourage doing things your way. There is no one size fits all approach to blogging, podcasting etc. If you’re happy just writing about Animal Crossing: New Horizon or the bulbs you’ve just planted in your back garden, then that’s fine. Blapril is about helping people find a new hobby and having fun while doing it. And in light of the present circumstances, fun is going to be a much needed commodity. So ignore the self appointed “Fun Stasi” and get ready for Blapril. I’ll be helping out as a mentor and I’m already preparing a list of blog posts and toying with the idea of a podcast (it won’t happen you know but a man can dream). I look forward to reading a lot of new content and chatting with new friends on Discord.
