We once published a whole newsletter in draft form, including
notes like those that brought you here. Since the feedback we
received was along the lines of, "Fun" or "Interesting" we were not
dissuaded.
We've been using that format again, to keep up during a spring
when all our other work wants to run 90 mph.
You may have seen the article when it was a raw photos- only
first draft or further along, even to the point of having just a
few editing notes left. Here's the process, in case you want to
know or wonder if it's worth coming to see the article once it's
finally done.
Idea and objective a verbal contract between the two of us
We start with an objective (explain this, demonstrate that,
compile those) plus a verbal outline with ideas for images we
have/can create for it.
Usually, Steven's in charge of photos, Janet the words
Or we may work on both together. But at any rate sometimes words
or photos are done out of sync so we might post one component and
work the other around it. Then, the article may be full of our
comments and questions to each other.
We really need some pretty images for
this. Not good to show only the trouble we're cutting out!
Are we ever going to get a good shot
of a cut-back rose?!
Departures are the norm
Often the story departs from the plan, especially if the doing
or the shooting turned up side issues. Or failed to depict a point.
We un-publish photos to put arrows into them or add sketches.
Once we've seen words plus images, we edit a bit or a bunch, to
revamp, clarify, cut, find links, etc. We might "finish it" three
or four times, picking it back up when one of us says:
Just thinking kiddo, what if we split that article?
Maybe we could re-do this one to include X when we get a
chance...
We are not complaining about computers
All along the way, we have to woo the publishing/processing
program for control of the layout. We used to tussle with Microsoft
Word and a pdf maker, and thought they were a bear. Our website
program is simpler but more limiting in placement and format, but
it must be so the article holds up through all the variables
between readers' computers and servers and connections.
So it can be tedious to convince the program to place images
where we want them. Since we've had our website we have a new
option, which is to make a sub-page we can jump to, for photos that
should be arranged in tight order but won't behave themselves.
Sorry about the typos
Often we don't edit for spelling and grammar until very
last.
Finally, we love website publishing. We modify articles all the
time that we've already "finished" to update them, make corrections
you call to our attention, link them to later articles, and add
photos.