The darkness method is up in the air, some ppl do it and others don't. Some folks will take the top half of the plant and then leave the bottom for another week or 2. Because sometimes the top will be ready but the lower buds still need some time. If you have a microscope, this is how to do it.

When I harvest, I usually cut the top cola at the point where the branches started growing out, then cut the branches off.

When drying, have a fan circulating air, but not directly on the buds, (blowing toward a corner or something. One tip that I just tried last round was when you hang your buds to dry take a razor and lightly shaved off the first layer of the stem, this will help cut drying time down. Dry until the branches "snap" when you bend them.

They may seem to be too dry when you are hanging them but when you put them into jars they will get moist again. So make sure them stems snap nice and good before you put them into jars. If they aren't fullly dry when you put them in then you have mold issues and curing will take longer also.

Hope this helps, I kind of half-assed it.