Jan 4, 2017 / Beginner

Keep the Momentum Up!

New year, new blog resolution? Yay! Keep your excitement high with resources and tools that’ll keep you publishing through 2017.

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/bitter-jeweler/3709212529/">Gravitron</a> by David (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/">CC BY-NC 2.0</a>).

blurry photo of a carnival ride

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been talking to WordPress bloggers about their blog resolutions for 2017; as the new year begins, lots of us are either starting new blogs or re-committing to existing ones. If that’s you, check out the courses, tutorials, and resources we’ve got to help you realize your website dreams.

Blogging U.

Blogging U. courses — on blogging, writing, photography, and more — collect the best advice and expertise of WordPress.com staffers, breaking it down into bite-size assignments delivered straight to your email inbox.

There are also a variety of courses to stoke your creative fires and help you hone your writing and photography skills:

  • Grab your camera and learn about composition, light, photo editing, and more in Developing Your Eye I and II.
  • Use Finding Everyday Inspiration to build a writing habit with 20 days of daily writing themes inspired by the places closest to you.
  • Revise your existing writing and learn to approach it with an editor’s eye in Shaping Your Story.
  • Get in touch with your inner Emily Dickinson or Langston Hughes with Intro to Poetry.
blogdog

Anyone can blog! (Photo by Michelle W.)

Each course also has a specific tag that you’ll use on your posts to help you find other participants, so you can make friends while you support one another. Don’t worry — your course will tell you what the tag is and how to use it!

Click on a course name that interests you to see all its details. You’ll see a “Start” button at the top of the page; click that, and you’ll get a welcome email immediately and your first assignment ten minutes later.

Banish the Blank Screen

Some of us don’t want to commit to a course, but could still use a boost. A new website means a world of possibility, but an empty page can be daunting.

  • Not sure what to write about? We’ve got daily prompts, along with lots and lots of post ideas — even if you don’t use our ideas, they’re sure to spark some thoughts that will lead you to a new post.
  • Playing with the design and layout of a new site can be as much fun as publishing. Designer Kjell Reigstad’s posts cover fonts, colors, page layout, and more, so you can tweak and re-tweak ’til you find your perfect look.
  • If you’re building a website (e.g., a site for an organization, small business, your wedding, your band, etc.), a little planning will ensure it includes all the info you need to communicate. Read “Measure Twice Cut Once,” to help with brainstorming and organizing, then follow the instructions in “Where Is My Website?” to set your site up.

For more, take a few minutes to explore the Inspiration and Layout & Design categories here. If you can do it with WordPress.com, we’ve probably written about it! And for an all-in-one tutorial, take a peek at learn.wordpress.com.

Help At Hand

Instructions for every piece of WordPress.com are available 24/7 in our support documents, along with help for any specific questions — browse resources and contact us via wordpress.com/help, or get help with technical questions from the staff and helpful volunteers in our support forums. To get and give feedback on your posts, join your fellow bloggers in our weekly Community Pool thread.

We’re here for you, whatever style of help you prefer. Here’s to a great 2017 of blogging!

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  5. Some great tips, daily prompts really helped me get started on my blog 🙂 I find inspiration from just sitting in my room honestly, reminiscing about things isn’t so difficult because I surround my room in memorabilia from my past. I’ve been writing a bit about how to become a professional creative writer, I’d love your feedback

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Blogging has changed my life! And I really enjoy it trying to make my blog better! Enjoy friendship, death, excitement?
    Like em? Follow me! I’m sure u won’t regret it and happy new year!😊✌️

    Liked by 1 person

  8. I created my blog in November & even though I have a small amount of followers I’ve reached over 50,000 which is important for me to spread my story and hopefully help anybody in the same situation. I’ve just signed up for blogging fundamentals can’t wait to improve my blog this year. Thank you!

    Liked by 2 people

      1. I wish it were that many followers, sorry maybe I didn’t write it clear 🙈 I meant it’s reached that through the statistics. Luckily I have a Facebook page and it’s been shared a lot over the past few months. Hopefully one day I have that many followers

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  9. I was reading this and one post said just write about your day. So I did write about a small thing that happened in my day. I guess it is possible to just write something for your blog even if you think you have nothing to tell.

    Liked by 1 person

  12. For the New Year I am undertaking a personal challenge to shoot photos five days a week and publish a post for each shoot. I will use the topics suggested by different challenges as my inspiration. I spent a lot of time yesterday setting up to photograph an orchid on my deck for a challenge from the FB page “Self Taught Photographers”. Today, the second day of my challenge, my photo was featured as the banner on that site. I guess it’s paying off! Eagerly awaiting the topic for this week’s Weekly Photo Challenge on The Daily Post!

    Liked by 2 people

  14. I set up my first personal blog with your website in 2015, but it has languished due to multiple factors. Can I delete it and start again? Or should I simply change everything, including its name? THANKS.

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    1. Up to you! Everything can be changed and/or deleted, including the domain name — I’d say, do whatever feels easier. If looking at an old blog full of things to change and delete makes your feel overwhelmed, just start another. If it feels doable, keep it.

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  15. I just set up my first blog yesterday. I had no idea how much I have to learn about blogging! I thought blogging would be a simple way to nurture my need to write, but I have a lot to learn. I signed up for some of the courses. I’m sure they will help.

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  20. This is a great post. Since I’m new to blogging, this would be a big help. I already signed up on one course. 🙂

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