User:Fredddie/Checklist

This is my personal checklist for writing an article about a road. –Fredddie™

First off, don't try to do it all in one edit. There is no deadline.

Starting a new article...
 * 1) Create a page in the draft space.
 * 2) Split out the sections and write an outline of what I'd like to say
 * 3) Write out the infobox
 * 4) Complete the junction list
 * 5) Write a route description (RD) as if you were driving the route, but don't give every single detail
 * 6) Cite the RD
 * 7) Piece together the history of the route and write an outline
 * 8) Check newspaper archives for information about the road
 * 9) Write the history section
 * 10) Cite the history seection
 * 11) If possible, add any related routes, complete with infoboxes
 * 12) Write the lead summarizing what I have written
 * 13) Check Commons or Flickr for freely-licensed images
 * 14) Move to mainspace
 * 15) Add categories

Fixing an existing article...
 * 1) Fix the junction list
 * 2) Rewrite the RD as needed
 * 3) Cite the RD as needed
 * 4) Rewrite the history (usually crappy or non-existant)
 * 5) Cite the history
 * 6) Rewrite the lead

Sometimes, the real gems are hidden in the research. During my work on Iowa Highway 150, I was looking up the Centennial Bridge and uncovered a story about how the tollbooth workers were turning off the tollbooth's treadle, which told them how much toll to collect, and they were pocketing the money! Now, it didn't help the article at all, but now I can add that to the bridge's article.