BlogWritingCourse

Get Ready to Blog and Blogging101

About Black Belt Mama

About Black Belt Mama (Blog Writing Course Instructor)

“Most karate moms just do the commute; this one is working towards her black belt.”

I am a 30-something forever 29 year old work at home Mom. I graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in English Writing, Creative Nonfiction. I worked for a small literary journal as an Assistant Editor, at Clinique cosmetics (because the pay was better), at a graphic design firm, and as a high school English teacher before having my first daughter and deciding to stay at home. A few years later, I started my first blog “Black Belt Mama.”

One day I got an email asking me, “Why is your blog so engaging? Why is mine so much the opposite.” I took a look at his blog, emailed him a response, and was then cajoled into teaching this course. It’s been exciting to watch students take the course and create amazing blogs.

The First Student

I was looking around the internet, wondering why my blog wasn’t attracting traffic. I had blogged faithfully for months. While I had plenty of “surfers,” I had not earned a group of repeat visitors, a community. I started wondering why my blog was a dud while other blogs fared so much better. At one point, I emailed “BBM,” whose blog I had been following, and asked her point blank: “Why does your blog succeed in attracting loyal readers and mine doesn’t?”
Her answer was direct, analytical and rang true. I was thrilled and crestfallen all at the same time. I tried to hire her as my editor. Then, when it was clear that I needed more help than just some editing, I asked her if she would teach a course on the topic. She agreed. It’s a great course. We are now offering it to you. It’s a lot more fun blogging when you have readers reacting to your writing.