Preface

I write and format my blog posts, including html tagging, off-line and paste the results into the Edit Html window. This is what my local template looks like; it is supported by an external stylesheet and the background images that are used in the stylesheet and post. This gives me a real good idea of what the post will look like and allows me to avoid the frustration of the Compose/Preview windows.

The template was made by opening my blog in a browser and saving one post to the desktop. I selected a post with floated pictures so I could capture the code for those. I stripped the saved blog_post.html down by deleting everything that was not needed, like the scripts at the bottom, the navbar, and the profile and link lists from the sidebar. Next I took the remains and retained the doctype and, starting from the <div>s for the post body, I built a pretty clean xhtml document with the items I needed to represent the column and page. I moved the stylesheet to external and linked so there is less code above the work area. I made a couple of adjustments to the stylesheet, for example, the main column background style property needed to moved to the body section and I added the width there as well so width is retained.

I'm sure I could clean it up further, but this works, so I probably won't bother. If you want to see what the template looks like, save it and look at it with a text editor. Every template will be different, but I think the overall layout is similar for new blogger templates.

There are two main advantages to my technique. The first is I can build a post slowly: I don't log on and have to start writing immediately. Second, and maybe most important is the post is on my computer, so, I NEVER sign-in and work on a post in Compose for an hour or two or more, carefully inserting and placing images, and highlighting important passages, only to have some minor glitch, either on Blogger's end, or my end, or somehere in the middle, destroy my work.

The following post is what my template produces and you can compare it to the real thing, as posted.


Tom

June Gloom

    That's what we call the marine cloud layer that keeps the days cool in early summer. It comes in overnight and hangs around until early to mid morning.
    It's been missing lately. No clouds and an offshore air flow makes for very hot days. Combine that with my missing shade trees and the afternoons have been brutal. Look at the later afternoon temps I captured. The bottom is the outside sensor which is in the shade on the cool side of the building. Above it is the inside temp - my AC must be broken.
   When I woke up this morning, I immediately noticed something had changed. It was a little warmer; only a degree or two, but it was noticeable. I headed for the door and looked to the west. No blue sky.

   I stepped out and looked to the east. The layer extends well inland.
  We'll have to see what the thermometer does today.

Tom

Summary

I'm adding this bonus post just to demonstrate that several posts can be worked at the same time simply by copying and pasting from the post area's opening <div> to </div> <!-- close post -->.

If you checked the source code you'll notice I even have the image tags for the floats, etc., so when I actually post I can upload the images, insert the code, and move them to the appropriate position. Images that are hosted at other than Blogger sites can be completely tagged while writing and formatting.

Tom

Writing

So, how do I actually use this?

On my desktop I have a file with some html code that I use regularly. They include image set-up like floats, link and image code, text color, etc.

I am not a writer, and I'm not very creative, and when you combine those with the fact that I don't have much to say it results in a bit of a struggle to meet my goal of a post a week to my main blog. On the side I have a test-blog where I test some blogging techniques. That one is easier to actually write, but the activity is low there as well. As soon as I have an idea I create a text file and start outlining. Once I have enough material, I move it to the writing area and start to actually write: I'm still in a text editor and haven't added code yet. At this point I look for pictures and mark the approximate position in the story where they might go and I move the picture into the writing folder. On the side, I do the cropping, put my name on and compress for posting.

I try to keep the stories fairly short and as soon as I think I'm getting close I add paragraph tags and decide whether to put the picture in-line or float and tag accordingly. Since I have a tag file it's pretty simple to copy/paste the tags. As soon as the post has some shape I copy it into the template, give it a title and save with the title name.

I've changed this part of my method a little. In the past I continued to work in the text editor and pasted changes, now, once I start looking at the post in the named_template.html, I do all changes there. I still work the html in the text editor, so I have that and the browser open and I make a change, save, refresh the browser window until done.

Some background technicalities, in Blogger I work in Edit Html ONLY. I use Linux and my text editor for this is KWrite, which is nice because it highlights code, offers folding, and the spell checker skips code.

It works for me!

Tom