On February 9th, 2020, Matthew Richard Burgess, a Freshman from Seneca, South Carolina, started his second and third game of his collegiate career against Emmanuel College. The Lander Bearcats had a double header that started at 1 p.m. against a 1-4 Emmanuel team heading in to the day. Burgess got the start at shortstop on a day that the Bearcats saw their starting shortstop and second baseman go down with an injury and the flu. The Bearcats were struggling offensively before Burgess stepped up for his team in a big way by producing seven RBI’s while going 4-9 with a double and a bases loaded triple to put the Bearcats ahead in the second game of the double header. They would go on to win both games of the double header.

 The freshman had a record setting day at the plate and showed great ability in the field as well. When asked about the game, Burgess admitted he had nerves, but after he got his first hit he was “relieved” and able to settle in and play the game he had been playing since he was a kid. Burgess and the Bearcats looks to continue his hot streak as the team takes on the rest of the season. The Bearcats are currently 7-3, and are beginning conference play in February.

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Why do this?

• Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
• Because it will help you focus you own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

• Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
• What topics do you think you’ll write about?
• Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
• If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.