Lesson 7 – Setting up a writing schedule
- A writing schedule for your yearbook is your best friend. It helps you to stay focused on your goal, which is creating content.
- With a writing schedule, you can make sure that you are doing what needs to be done at the right time and in the right order.
Just like any other project or job, there are several different stages in creating great content for your yearbook:
Step 1. Set up a writing schedule
Step 2. Write (the actual act of writing)
Step 3. Edit (proofreading, making changes, rearranging)
- To set up a writing schedule, refer back to the content outline you developed as a team in the previous lesson.
- From there, use your shared calendar to determine who is going to write and edit the content and when those deadlines are to be met so that the yearbook can be promoted, published and sold on schedule.
Writing the content
- Although a yearbook is a publication that primarily showcases photos, it is not solely a picture book.
- To create a great yearbook that delivers a clear message, you also need strong copy.
- Remember, a yearbook is very similar to a history book, a record book and a reference book, all of which require writing.
Tips to keep in mind:
- Start with strong attention-grabbing headlines (where applicable)
- Keep sentences and paragraphs short and to the point
- Be specific and remember the 5 W’s + H
- Provide critical information and cut unnecessary words
- Use an active voice
- Add subheads to divide stories into sections
- Break up text with call-out quotations or facts
- Use bullet points to list short moments or stories
- Keep fonts simple – select one font style for headlines and one for body copy
Proofread and edit
- Proofreading is one of the most crucial steps in the process of creating a yearbook.
- If a reader finds an error in the final published product, it has the effect of discrediting the entire book, even if every other page is flawless.
When proofreading completed work, keep the following in mind:
- Start early and budget enough time – proofreading is not something that can be rushed.
- If you’re editing your own work, start with fresh eyes. This might mean putting your work away for a day or two and coming back to it. After a break, you’ll be amazed at what mistakes you catch.
- Look out for:
- Typos
- Spelling mystics
- Grammatical errors
- Redundant words
- As you work your way through, evaluate:
- Sentences – Are they flow? Are they too long?
- Paragraphs – Are they too long? Should they be broken down further?
- Evaluate the content as a whole:
- Is it interesting?
- Does it make sense?
- Is it accurate?
- Is it relevant to the school and the theme of the yearbook?
