Step 1: Assemble your material

Step 1: Assemble your materials. You will need a computer with internet access and transfer capabilities (USB ports, firewire ports and/or card readers are the most common). A digital camera with USB or firewire cord and/or card is preferred; however printed photographs can be scanned using a flat-bed scanner. A word-processing program and a photo-editing program can be helpful for rough drafts but are not essential.

Step 2: Click onto the Internet and find your blog space. There are myriad free blog hosts, including the popular "Blogspot" (www.blogger.com) and "Wordpress" (www.wordpress.com). A quick Google search of "free blog" will generate other options, or you can also pay for your blog space, like at "Typepad" (www.typepad.com). You will need to register using your e-mail address and think of a unique name for your blog.

Step 3: Lay out your blog. You can use the provided templates to begin, or you can Google search for more a personal theme (Google search: blog template).

Step 4: Decide on privacy levels. How out-there do you want to be? Do you just want to included invited readers? Do you want people to be able to stumble upon your blog? Will you provide an RSS feed so that others can see when you've updated? Read up on the privacy options at the blog space host.

Step 4: Choose blog elements and place them (see the main article). These are easy to change if you decide you want to.

Step 5: Start blogging! Write up journal entries, muse on life, throw out discussion topics and start uploading your photos. Don't worry if it is slow going at first. You will learn what works and what doesn't, just like with physical scrapbooking, but with a lot less mess!

Step 6: Need more help? If you want added information on how to start your blog, most blog hosts include tutorials on how to get started and likely have the answers to your frequently-asked questions, so just surf around a bit.

Emily Jensen, for the Deseret Morning News

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