Since my last blog post included a missive about how great it is to read and link to a new to me author, it's only fitting that this post feature one of my favorite writers, Joe Posnanski.
Additionally, this post started as being a chance to link to some solid writing from the guy, but writing it got me thinking more about the concept of writers blogging.
Earlier this week, Posnanski posted on his blog a piece on the life and recent passing of Kansas City sports announcer Bill Grigsby. The story title of "Beautiful" is referenced as being a nod to Grigsby's "favorite word, the word that doesn't just describe his life but how he felt about life."
It's writing like this on a region-centric figure that struck me (perhaps incorrectly) as why Posnanski writes a blog in addition to his writing for Sports Illustrated. The great thing about the blog is the national audience requirement falls by the wayside, leaving just a forum to write something of interest for the author. The fact that there's readers out there like myself seeking out and enjoying the work is simply bonus.
In addition to this idea of a writer's blog being a place to publish something of personal interest, said writer's blog can also elaborate and provide background to a published piece. The latest issue of Sports Illustrated featured a short piece by Posnanski on boxing commentator Nick Charles. While I subscribe to SI, I haven't even gotten this issue yet, but heard about the story from Posnanski's blog through his post "Behind the Back Page". The SI story about Charles and his life (including his terminal cancer) was poignant reading, but made all the better by the additional story details in the blog post.
So... a writer blogging can both provide them place to write freely and be a way to add details to a work published elsewhere. Both good reasons to write a blog... with the additional benefit of blogging quite possibly being that one will improve their writing by simply doing more of it.
I've written before (and about Posnanski) of how it's impressive when a writer publishes frequently in a variety of different mediums, but perhaps they're doing it for good reason.
