Blogging Beginnings Like a Pro

For many, new year resolutions come in January. For others, Spring often marks a time of renewal. However, for me, it has always been the Fall. After so many years as a teacher, September, not January, has been redefined in my mind as the beginning of the year, so when I found out that the SITSGirls were getting together to work on Darren Rowse's First Week of Blogging book starting next week, I knew it was a match made in heaven!

The group class will be running from August 29th through September 9th, 

[UPDATE: The class start date has been changed to September 6th instead of August 29th!] 

giving us a little more than a week to appropriately share, discuss and reflect upon what's going on in each task. The program/book is one I am really excited to be working through, even though this isn't my first week with my blog. I jumped in feet first into blogging, my first week had little to no structure, I can't find any reason why I shouldn't begin again in my Fall time of renewal! Darren Rowse, or ProBlogger, as he is known on the Internet, has the amazing ability to break down the big ideas of blogging into manageable tasks to work through. I found this to be the case while working through his 31 Days to Build a Better Blog program, and can see, just with a quick perusal of this new book that the format seems to be similar.

Each of the seven "days" of this new book has a number of tasks/exercises to work through. To give you an idea of the major topics the seven "days" are as follows:

1. Set solid foundations
2. Publish and build presence
3. Concentrate on content
4. Understand the blog as a product
5. Put yourself out there
6. Define and demonstrate quality
7. Strategize for success

"Blah, blah, blah," you're thinking. These may be obvious goals to have in blogging. However, it is not in the labeling of each of these days that gains this program my support, it is in the design of the tasks I am asked to do on each of these days. I am confident that the tasks and exercises structured within the program will ensure that each of these goals will be met, not just understood as important.

I hope to share them all with you as I work through the class with the SITSGirls, but I wonder, why not work alongside you? IT will be loads of fun!

Here are some links that may be helpful in convincing you:

• The sign-up at the SITGirls site for next week's program
• How Darren Rowse Forever Changed My Life in 10 Days
• Where Do I Get My Degree In Blogging?

Follow the group's conversations on twitter by following the hashtag #SITSClass. My twitter handle is @riverand, feel free to follow me there, or to follow the Rivera Runs Through It FB fan page!