User:Czar/Craft

Interviews focused on the craft of writing encyclopedia articles (trials & tribulations, tools and references, editing environment)

Topics

I did a brief series a while back on Brianboulton (sorely missed, wish my questions were better) Charlesjsharp, Ser Amantio di Nicolao, and TRM, with the intent of making a 'from the experts: tips on writing featured articles' a sort of handbook, a project that I would happily pick up again if people enjoyed reading them Eddie891 ^Talk _Work 23:34, 3 January 2020 (UTC)[1]

Potential questions

These are just some questions to start. The idea is to have a few rounds of follow-up (if not a live chat) to write a fuller profile on you as an editor. Skip anything that doesn't resonate with you.

What is your best work? (And what makes it so?)
- How did you come into this work? (What led you to it?)
- Of the article's source material, which were the most striking and what about it? Did you find anything interesting that you discarded or couldn't use?
- How did you plan or pace out the project? To what degree did you follow the plan, or did anything unexpected happen?
- What sources do not exist on this topic that should? (What are its known gaps and missing perspectives, based on the extant source material?)
When an otherwise experienced editor enters your topic area for the first time, what will they notice or question about its standards? (e.g., structure, sourcing, collaboration method)
- What systemic gaps in coverage exist in your topic area? Who is writing the secondary sources to address it?
How do you write? I.e., apart from the standard browser setup, what editing habits/tools or research techniques are part of your process? (scripts, software, physical reference, interpersonal connections)
- What reference works or features do you use most often?
- What lessons/readings have been most illuminating for you as a writer?
- How does your writing/editing differ from your peers?
Do you work closely with any other editors, and how does your relationship work?
Has there been a time that you've been fearful to contribute to Wikipedia?
What editors do you admire, if any, and what about?
- What editors have been most influential on your style/technique?
To what extent are you involved/interested in non-writing aspects of the encyclopedia? (gnoming, behavioral discipline, cleanup, content disputes, WikiProjects)
What advice would you give to an editor upon finishing their first WP writing project?
Upload a photo of your desk/workspace?
(Feel free to expand below on whatever you'd like)

Topics

Potential questions

c.f.