Around the Blogathon: the best of the guest post exchange

I’m devoting Saturdays in May to sharing posts from other bloggers in the 2010 WordCount Blogathon, where 110+ of us are posting every day during the month of May.

Each year, a highlight of the WordCount Blogathon is guest post exchange day, where writers pair up to post on each other’s blogs. This year’s guest post exchange took place on Tuesday, May 18, was one of the best ever, with bloggers exchanging posts on everything from food to childhood memories, inspiration to writing niches.

Here are some of the more intriguing match ups:

Going au naturel – Karen Bannan shares memories of her mother’s home cooking on T.A. Barnhart’s blog, Left Coast Foodie, and on Bannan’s blog, Natural as Possible Mom, Barnhart reminisces about his awakening to organic foods 30 years ago.

Emotion – Writing friends Ed Pilolla and Thinking too hard, who chooses to blog anonymously for reasons that become apparent when you read her blog, swapped posts. His is on empowerment, Bent is beautiful: more internal empowerment. Hers is on the last days of a damn good dog, The lights are dim.

Food – Writer and ESL teacher Joanne Mason writes about using food as a writing prompt on Jen Walker’s blog, My Morning Chocolate, and on Mason’s blog, About English Idioms, Walker writes about the origin of the cookie idioms “smart cookie” and “tough cookie.”

Inspiration and recovery – On Jackie Dishner’s Bike with Jackie blog, Virginia writer Kathy Murray writes about the voices that inspire her. On Out and Employed, Murray’s blog for offenders and ex-offenders, Dishner writes about how to stay in recovery for the long haul.

Niches – For Katie Hinderer’s blog, Write Beyond the Cubicle, Portland freelancer Rebecca Robinson writes about the joys of being able to cover a wide variety of topics in Steering clear of the niche. On Robinson’s blog, Rebecca Robinson, Hinderer writes about being aware of the niche you create by the internships and jobs you take.

Travel – Joan Bailey writes about urban hiking in Toyko on Chick with a View, and Dana DuGan writes about a night of exotic dining in that city long ago on Bailey’s blog, PopcornHomestead.

Writing – Brandi-Ann Uyemura writes about writing in 4 ways to bring passion back to your writing on Carson Brackney’s self-titled blog, and Brackney tackles criticism in his post on Uyemura’s blog, McCabe, Mrs. Miller and handling criticism.