Six weeks ago I started this blog. I was asked to write a bio, make a case for why I should be writing about the NFL, and post a resume of my credentials. Everything was rough. I was relearning how to write. I was trying to discover my voice. I was hoping to develop an audience. I was too passive. Six weeks has gone by and I know progress has been made. I'm writing with less fluff. I'm proof reading better. I'm writing and then re-writing sentences. I'm trying not to waste the readers time.
I now have a foundation. I'm confident that I can build on what I have learned. So here is my relaunch, my proposal, my guarantee for the next six weeks. Let me reintroduce myself. I'm Paul James and this is "The Kick Is Good Blog".
My voice is opinionated. I'm not afraid to criticize the league I love. I'm not afraid to admit I root for a particular team or player. I'm not afraid of the audience not liking what I have to say.
My voice is insightful. I'm a passionate fan of this league for almost two decades. The game has brought me happiness in victory and sorrow in defeat. I've seen moments that will stick with me forever. I've cried over losses and jumped for joy over victories. I have a relationship with the sport that is incredibly personal. When things are going well I feel great. When things are going bad (like last weeks events) I feel anger.
My voice is thought provoking. When you read my work I want you to internalize it. I want you to think before commenting. I welcome arguments to my theories. I love discussion about my topics. I would not be writing about this if I wasn't interested in debate. That is what makes sport fun after all isn't it?
My voice is knowledgeable. Anyone can memorize stats, but I am interested in how those stats fit in a context. I can make a case for why a team's defensive stats are misleading because of the division they are playing in, why a quarterbacks completion percentage is less important than being able to make the big throw in a big spot, and why a specific division is going to have 3 playoff teams based off their strength of schedule.
These are all traits of my writing that you have been getting to know over the past six weeks. Hopefully you have enjoyed to this point. But as an author I owe you more. Here is my promise to you over the next six weeks. Since we are a fan of lists, let's format my proposal in such a way.
- I propose creating a more consistent voice. A voice that stays opinionated, insightful, knowledgeable and thought provoking. A voice that communicates with its readers more than once a week. Look for more than one league related post from here forward.
- One reason why I have not written more than one post a week is because I put so much effort into one long post for my readers. That is going to change. Look for shorter posts but at a greater quantity. I will try my best not to sacrifice quantity over quality.
- I will make a better presence know on twitter. I admit, I am not a big fan of the "twitter sphere". Maybe it is because I have not given it a chance and don't realize its power. Look for more posts from"@pj_thekickisgood" in the next 6 weeks.
-I have always loved video. I've debated doing a video blog post. Yes, this is a writing medium, but I'm naive' to think the future of online communication is through just written text. Video supports the written and vice versa. Look for at least one video blog in the next 6 weeks.
- Look for posts with thought provoking questions. Part of this job is to be a fire starter. I love creating a dialogue, especially about this league that I care so deeply for. I want to engage my audience and to evoke emotion (both good or bad).
- I want to continue to write for the informed audience. I owe it to the educated fan to continue writing passionately. But, I am also going to make an effort to write for the un-informed audience. I feel this will be my biggest challenge. How can I write for someone un-informed and keep it concise enough that they won't leave the page? That is a major goal.
My work is cut out for me. I know I am better prepared then when I started. Progress is important. Advances each week will help me get this blog to where it needs to be. I'm going to use a simile and say that this blog is like the NFL season. The first 6 weeks were similar to the offseason. Now we have approached training camp (which is beginning at the end of July). By the end of this course I will be ready for the start of the season.
Hopefully by the end of this course the kick will indeed be good...
I like your proposal. You have a purpose and you're going to work towards it. I especially liked your second and last bullet points. I personally find that I prefer blogs with shorter, more frequent posts. It's easier to read a blog when the posts are short because you know you have time for them. If a blog is only posting one really long post a week, sometimes it can be hard to follow because you may not have the time to sit down and read the whole thing.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that you need to make sure your writing works for both people who know football as well as new fans who may not know entirely what is going on. It will be a challenge, but I have faith you can do it!
Keep up the good work!