Beginning Transformative Blogging: For Women Writers Contemplating Blogging

This January, I had the opportunity to teach a course I designed, Transformative Blogging, for Story Circle Network. We did inventories, read up on the net, wrote up sample posts, actual posts, guest  posts, and shopped around the blogosphere to see how and where and why we should network with other bloggers of like mind, which made for a fabulous month-long brainstorm with a talented, bright group of writers, many of them working actively on their blogs, preparing to launch, and actually launching new blogs in some cases by the course's end. The Transformative part of the Transformative Blogging title derives from my teaching philosophy regarding the transformation we undergo as writers when we sustain a focus on our writing dreams and translate those dreams into action.

Taking to heart feedback from my students who took that course (we covered a lot of ground in four weeks!) I decided to teach a beginner's version and slow the material down over eight weeks, shifting the focus from active bloggers to beginning bloggers (slated to start this coming Monday, March 12). Hence, Beginning Transformative Blogging welcomes women writers curious about blogging, as well as women writers on the brink of blogging, or any woman writer with a desire to work towards a future blog in a supportive writing group setting without the pressure of online posting yet.

Partial course description:

If you have been curious about blogging and have the urge to join the blogosphere but would like a little more grounding before you begin, join us to explore the ins and outs of blogging. Coursework will include the keeping of a weekly journal around blog related inquiries and the completion of a number of inventories and free-writing exercises designed to help you further explore the concept of blogging without the pressure of posting on-line yet. In addition, some of our time will be spent scoping out other blogs to get a feel for the pulse of the blogosphere.

At the end of the class, students will come away from the course with an understanding of the blog genre and a basic understanding of what the blogosphere offers writers. Students will complete the course with a working notebook full of journal entries and draft blog posts meant to be mined at a later date towards the creation of a future blog.

To sign up or read full course description, visit Beginning Transformative Blogging.

Comments from former students (Transformative Blogging in January, 2012):

Tania Pryputniewicz is a wonderful teacher! She creates a warm, stimulating, supportive environment for learning and sharing and offers thoughtful, detailed feedback on participants’ work. Her assignments are top-notch. Tania’s blogging class is the first online class I’ve ever taken, and it’s been 100% positive! I got a lot of great ideas for my blog and am motivated to launch it soon. I’ll study with Tania again and will recommend her classes to my friends.—Barbara

When I met Tania at A Room of Her Own Foundation's summer writing retreat, she encouraged me to start my own blog. So when I found out she was teaching an online blogging class through Story Circle Network, I jumped at the chance. I'm so glad I did. Tania's assignments were well designed and encouraged me to branch out as a writer. She also responded in depth to all assignments from the class participants. Even though everything was conducted online, I felt like I getting personal attention from my instructor. I also appreciated that Tania was open to students adjusting the assignments and timelines to our own very busy lives. It was a great experience, and I wouldn't hesitate to take another class taught by Tania. .—Lisa