When an Idea Inspires Hope

So I'm thinking about starting a weekly tabloid, or newspaper. Back in the 1980s I worked as a reporter for a small town newspaper. I covered township boards, city councils, planning commissions, school boards, public works meetings, other hard news, features, and the schools.

I loved covering the schools. It was so young and alive. I took pictures of students of the month, honor roll students, special activities, sports, drama, music, and of course the faculty, administration, and custodial staff. Used to get yelled at for spending so much effort on the schools. Yet I knew it was the school coverage that people cared about. (Just couldn't convince my news orientated editor of that.) Parents love to see their children honored in a paper, and the children love it, too. Whenever I visited, and it was between classes, I would be flocked by students wanting me to take their pictures and put them in the paper. I always told them, "You have to do something newsworthy, but isn't a crime. I won't put criminals' pictures in the paper." They would groan, and then try silly stunts to get my attention. I did get a lot of them in.

This area has grown to where there are enough schools to generate pictures and stories. But I would do a mess of freelance writing (I will call the publication, "The Freelancer") and feature stories. And I might even give the city councils a few inches of space.

I will feature local businesses, which should encourage them to advertise. Included in this would be advertising for Spouses and my gift and toy business. There are several sections I've already considered. I'll need to find an artist to draw my Decca the Brave comic strip. I've already written up 52 weeks worth. (That means paying somebody.) And I've got some other creative ideas.

A lot of work, though. A LOT of work. Back in the 1980s I was putting in seventy hour weeks, and I wasn't doing everything. I very much doubt I could maintain six blogs and a weekly publication. And there is another risk.

The last time I was swimming with creative ideas was in the mid to late-1980s. Then I began working for the newspaper. It resulted in a rift forming between me and my main collaborator. Within a year of working at the newspaper our collaboration ended, and with it, the bulk of my inspiration. I just didn't feel like writing anymore. Six months later I would quit the newspaper and wound up with nothing.

I would hate to see that happen again. Don't think I could bear it. Too old, you see. Which is another point. Do I even have the energy to do this? Don't know. What I do know is that I downloaded a 60-day trial copy of Microsoft Publisher. I'm currently experimenting with a 16-page layout to start, but I have to hurry. The trial only lasts 60-days or 25-openings, whichever comes first. If I close it every time I'm finished, or take a break, I could find my 60-days only last a week. So I have to be careful about how many times I use it. Once the trial is done I have to buy it or quit.

Next week I need to go to some of the local printers and see about getting quotes.