How do I get started?

Alright... so you've decided to take the plunge and start your own blog. How exciting!

Here's the best part: it will take about 5 minutes. Seriously.

There are a number of free public options, but I'll suggest using Blogger (formerly known as BlogSpot). Why? Because it's Google-powered (meaning it's reliable), it's free, and it's easy!

To get started, simply go to the Blogger homepage and click on the big orange "CREATE A BLOG" button (it's on the right).

Next, Blogger will ask you to create an account if you don't already have one. Naturally, you're thinking "Of course I don't have one... I'm just signing up!" But in actuality, you may already have an account. You see, Blogger is owned by Google... so if you have a Gmail account, a Google Reader account, a Google Documents account or any other Google login, you already HAVE an account!

Once the account is sorted out, you'll be asked to name your blog. This is your chance to come up with a catchier title than "Stevenage: Twilight Inset (Blogs)"!

Next up, you'll select a web address for your blog... this blog's address is: http://stevenagetwilightblog.blogspot.com/

So you get to choose the part between the "http://" and the ".blogspot.com/" part!

Finally, you'll be asked to choose a template for your site. This is your site's layout. As you can see, this blog has gone with a green/grey/white template. Don't worry too much about this choice. You can change it at any time in your settings!

With that done, you've got a blog! Simply login to your Blogger account and start making new posts!

Oh wait... maybe you're wondering how? Once you've logged into your account, you'll see your blog sitting right in the middle of the page. There will be a nice big blue button that reads "New Post". Click it, type your post into the box, and Bob's your uncle.

Still feeling confused? Try Blogger/Google's own help pages.

Let us know how it went by posting in the comments!