Putting the Elements Together

Gathering the Information Research the person, team or organization covered on the page. Identify specific information related to the current year. Interview people involved with the group or activity. Get quotes that are interesting, appropriate and specific. Yearbook staff members must:

Interviewing Techniques You must consider what the readers want to know when you prepare for an interview. Good questions are the key to a good interview. Take good notes during an interview, listening to the comments given. Verify all information, including spelling of names, before the interview ends. Be organized and prepared to avoid wasting time.

Including Quotes Statements can be paraphrased, indirect comments or direct quotes. All quotes must include the attribution, naming the source. Take good notes to be sure the quote is accurate. You should come as close as possible to the interviewee’s exact words, but should avoid: “ummmm”, “you know”, etc. Inappropriate language, such as profanity

Writing the Copy Use simple, clear sentences. Each paragraph should be 1 to 3 sentences. Each paragraph should only have ONE idea. ALL copy is written in the PAST TENSE. Use transitions to make the paragraphs flow from one to another. Avoid jargon, confusing statements & abbreviations or identify the full name, then use abbreviation.

Start With a Good Lead The lead is your opening paragraph. It should grab the reader’s attention. The best lead is a descriptive lead which provides a picture in the reader’s mind. Avoid cliches, questions and quotes as the lead. A good lead sets your page apart from other pages.

Headlines Matter! You need a headline that identifies the topic of the page. The headline should be written in subject/verb format, when possible. Avoid one word headlines. They are more like simple labels. Headlines can also be tied to the book’s theme.

Photographs The pictures are the most important elements on the page. Good pictures will grab the reader’s attention, making him/her interested in the rest of the page. Look for appropriate action that represents the group or organization shown on the page.

Working With Photographs Select the best photographs possible. get meaningful action get the reader close to the action keep the image simple & easy to understand The dominant photo should catch the reader’s attention & represent the page. Crop out distractions or irrelevant material. ALL photos must be high quality DPI.

Captions Every photo should have a caption that identifies the people and their grade levels and provides any necessary background information. Do NOT state the obvious! The caption should provide additional insight. The best time to get the information for a caption is IMMEDIATELY after you take the picture.

Note the action pictures related to the page’s topic. Each paragraph is short, with only one idea. Each quote is a new paragraph. Every photo has a caption that adds to the picture & identifies the people.