Every week, I write and publish an article to this website. These posts usually cover topics related to writing, but I’ve written several about other interests of mine. Sometimes, if I’m especially proud of the piece I’ve written, I’ll promote the article on Facebook. This always boosts the number of clicks I get on my site, but I don’t always do it.
Clicks are not the reason I write here. If they were, I might start ask my audience to sign up for a monthly newsletter. I might have a place for readers to make an account and read comments. I might choose the subjects of my writing with more regard to maximizing Search Engine Optimization (SEO). There are plenty of non-superficial reasons to want more traffic on your blog. For example, if you have hundreds subscribed to your newsletter, you can more easily promote your projects. This is especially beneficial to those self-publishing or writing non-fiction. However, I do not intend on pursuing either of these avenues, at the moment.
I keep a blog for the benefit of my own craft, first and foremost. Even when I’m not working on the first draft of a manuscript, I’m writing blog posts here. This keeps me producing new content, keeps me writing new words, keeps me expressing my ideas. I can experiment with different kinds of writing in a low-pressure environment. I’m training in the same way that a dancer goes to the bar every day, in the same way that a pianist practices their scales. I’m keeping warm. When looked at from this perspective, one article a week seems almost too little. In tandem with my other writing projects, it’s an effective barrier against stagnation, or at least against regression.
To that same end, my craft benefits from the subject of my writing. Because I’m writing about just that–my craft. My perspectives on writing are strengthened by my articulating them. As Joan Didion said, “I don’t know what I think until I write it down.” The lessons I share, the reminders I expound, though often written in the second person, are as much for me as anyone else. This habit forces me to reflect on my work at least once a week, for I usually write about a lesson relevant to that week’s work.
The secondary reason that I keep a blog, which is far less important, but still relevant as to warrant mentioning, is to distinguish myself. When I’m querying agents, I’d like to demonstrate that I’m not just “a bored person with a typewriter,” as I’ve heard it phrased. I do this in a number of ways, such as by mentioning the short plays I’ve had produced by an off-Broadway theatre, but I do mention the blog. And of course, I link agents to my website. I hope that, if any agents do make it here (hi!), they will see one more example of my dedication to the craft. If no one stops by, that’s no problem! Most of my writing has been seen by less eyes than this blog gets.
These are the reasons I keep a blog. If any of these seem to apply to you, or you’re a writer whose success depends largely on building your own audience, perhaps consider starting a blog of your own! And if you made it to the end of this meta-article, thank you for reading.
– AJG
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