How To:
Blogging for the Rose Festival Website Blog

Also see:
Resizing Images Smaller

Welcome to the world of blogging. If you haven't had a chance to blog before, this will be a great intro to the Blogosphere, where truth is stranger than fiction and fiction often passes for truth!

NOTE: While we encourage you to try your hand at blogging about your life, this tutorial will deal specifically with YOU blogging at our official Rose Festival website blog.

Our Rose Festival blog is located here:

rosefestblog.livejournal.com

As Marilyn mentioned in yesterday's staff meeting, we'd love to have your participation. Feel free to suggest blog subjects and to blog about them yourself, if the (rose) spirit moves you! Marilyn is going to put together a calendar of weekly topics, so we can keep track of the subjects we want to cover. After you 'sign up' for a topic and Marilyn adds it to the calendar, she'll let you know when your blog entry is due back to her.

Note: Some of you (Robert and Jeff) will be approached directly about your subject matter and deadlines.

Blog entries should be 300-700 words, with one to five photos (with captions) included.

Blog entries should be first person ("I" or "we"), with a personal touch, not a news report style. We're looking for your unique perspective on a subject, so pack your personality when you blog! This is what makes it accessible and appealing to the reader.

Example:

When I saw the anxious, hopeful faces of the candidates for the Rose Festival Court, it reminded me of how I felt when I auditioned for my high school debate team. My own heart started to race!

-or-

Even though it's been 200 years since I tried out to be a Rose Festival princess, I was suddenly back at Roosevelt High School, waiting for my name to be called.

Most of all, bring enthusiasm to the subject. And have fun!

Send Marilyn your blog entries via email (just as you would a website change to Charlie) at: MarilynC@rosefestival.org

Your blog content may end up slightly edited, but not much. We want it to have 'your voice.' Attach your chosen photos to the email. Marilyn will probably size and frame them all the same -- but please size them down a tad if they're huge. [See: Resizing Images Smaller.] Feel free to write captions for the photos and include them in your email.

Marilyn will do the actual coding for the blog, then check with you before we go live. (She will also need a photo to make a user pic of YOU, the blogger.)

Questions? Feel free to ask Marilyn (via email, phone or in person)!

Thanks for your interest and participation!