Course Outline: Fall 2015

Week 1 What’s a Blog, and Why a Blog? :  The history of blogging; the evolving nature of blogging; the multiplicity of blogs; exaggerated rumours of the death of blogging; blogging as a tool; blogging as an end in itself.

Week 2 Anatomy of a blog: Find your focus, and choose your angle; How to name your blog; options for platforms; choose your URL; pick a template; tips for design; writing your About page; creating a blog roll; moderating comments Assigned Text: "The Future of Blogging Starts Now", by Navneet Alang

Week 3 Anatomy of a Blog Post: The importance of titles; great first sentences; length and structure; rules for good writing; links and images. Assigned Text: "Why I'm Breaking Up With My Blog," by Tracey Chappell

Week 4 Blogging Like Nobody’s Reading: On finding your readership; the community nature of blogging; the importance of web stats; the unimportance of web stats; making your blog work for you; overcoming writers’ block; how to keep going Assigned Text: "Woolf's Darkness," by Rebecca Solnit

Week 5 Making Your Blog a Portal to the World: How to avoid blogging pitfalls; how to keep your material fresh and dynamic; getting beyond the navel; don’t take the clickbait; how to be inspired (and inspire your readers too) Assigned Text: "Mary Pratt: On Blogging, and Preserving Light and Time," by Kerry Clare

Week 6 The Quest for Blog Fodder: Blogging is a state of mind. How to find that state and how to stay there, and how your blog can improve the way you live your life. Assigned Text: "Keeping an Eye on the World," by Shawna Lemay

Week 7 The Business of Blogging: Using your blog as a business tool; ideas for revenue; dealing with corporate interests; blogging and ethics Assigned Text: "Yes, Virginia, There is an Agenda," by Bonnie Stewart (and also http://www.thestayathomefeminist.com/2014/10/23/ethicsshmethics/)

Week 8 Taking Your Blog into the Future: Where do you go from here? Assigned text: "Between the Gutter and the Stars: Success in Writing," by Kyran Pittman