The GHAWG Diaries, Part 6

What's happening behind the scenes to bring new GHAWG content? The GHAWG Diaries is my recap of what I've been doing.

^{Base image came in another form from PublicDomainPictures.Net. Edits made using MS Paint.}

Introduction

There's more to #GHAWG than just daily zapfic entries and the spreadsheet I use to track them. There's research. There's review. There's also thought and inspiration. Then there are the tools involved in doing any of those tasks.

Just to keep things from getting scrambled in my head, and also to document for myself what I've been considering, I began keeping a diary of my activities as they concern #GHAWG. With posts in the GHAWG, Uninterrupted series on hold at Act 5 while Act 6 remains in progress, I decided to share these diary entries with everyone on Hive blockchain.

On Mondays which don't feature a GHAWG, Uninterrupted post-- GHAWG-U-- I'll post diary entries from the previous 7 days or between GHAWG-U posts if the time between them is short. For Part 6, there are 7 days' worth of diary entries. The first entry starts on 2023-November-6.

Before anyone scratches their heads at a few terms, here are 3 I began using since the previous post:

Term	Meaning
`Rat Bike`	Code name for #GHAWG (the first and current zapfic serial)
`Blue Lion`	Code name for the middle zapfic serial in the GHAWG Universe
`The Bronze`	Code name for the final zapfic serial in the GHAWG Universe

Monday, 2023-November-06
📓 Besides finishing up the latest edition of `The GHAWG Diaries`, I spent time using Excel figure out how to add variable text to an image. In Excel 2007, it's possible by using transparent text boxes and linking them to cells containing the data to appear on the image. Although I wasn't able to combine formulas using the `&` operator to concatenate smaller strings into a larger string, I was able to position the transparent boxes where I needed them. `The GHAWG Diaries, Part 6`-- this post-- is the first one to use a cover image created using this method. It will take me time to retrace what I did to achieve this effect, and much of that time is taken up with generating screen captures to supplement the documentation. I want to publish this post this week, but I can't guarantee that timing. Until this post is published, I'll continue publishing Fun with Maps posts or whatever else pops into my head.

Monday, 2023-November-06

📓 Besides finishing up the latest edition of `The GHAWG Diaries`, I spent time using Excel figure out how to add variable text to an image. In Excel 2007, it's possible by using transparent text boxes and linking them to cells containing the data to appear on the image. Although I wasn't able to combine formulas using the `&` operator to concatenate smaller strings into a larger string, I was able to position the transparent boxes where I needed them. `The GHAWG Diaries, Part 6`-- this post-- is the first one to use a cover image created using this method.

It will take me time to retrace what I did to achieve this effect, and much of that time is taken up with generating screen captures to supplement the documentation. I want to publish this post this week, but I can't guarantee that timing. Until this post is published, I'll continue publishing Fun with Maps posts or whatever else pops into my head.

Tuesday, 2023-November-07
📓 At the moment, [Our Heroes](https://inleo.io/@magnacarta/re-leothreads-2ujniigzn) are spending the night in San Bernardino, California, US as they travel Old Route 66 in reverse. Anticipated publishing date for this zapfic entry is 2024-January-17. David Guardia needs to be informed of a mistake he made, but I haven't found the right situation for that to take place. What I can say is that what will feel like a long conversation for him will in fact take place in the blink of an eye. In this sense, it's the reverse of his [coma in Le Claire, Iowa, US](https://inleo.io/@magnacarta/re-leothreads-2l6wd9g2g) where the conversation he thought lasted 5 hours actually lasted 10 days. 📓 Update on the San Bernardino front. His "blackout" scene will take place while Our Heroes are still in Los Angeles or east of L. A. as they take a rest stop before reaching San Bernardino. It will be a brief stop for them, but I will need a zapfic entry or two to let the scene take place.

Tuesday, 2023-November-07

📓 At the moment, [Our Heroes](https://inleo.io/@magnacarta/re-leothreads-2ujniigzn) are spending the night in San Bernardino, California, US as they travel Old Route 66 in reverse. Anticipated publishing date for this zapfic entry is 2024-January-17. David Guardia needs to be informed of a mistake he made, but I haven't found the right situation for that to take place. What I can say is that what will feel like a long conversation for him will in fact take place in the blink of an eye. In this sense, it's the reverse of his [coma in Le Claire, Iowa, US](https://inleo.io/@magnacarta/re-leothreads-2l6wd9g2g) where the conversation he thought lasted 5 hours actually lasted 10 days.

📓 Update on the San Bernardino front. His "blackout" scene will take place while Our Heroes are still in Los Angeles or east of L. A. as they take a rest stop before reaching San Bernardino. It will be a brief stop for them, but I will need a zapfic entry or two to let the scene take place.

Wednesday, 2023-November-08
📓 I thought it would take me 1 or 2 zapfic entries to set up David Guardia's "blackout" scene. It took me 8. Even if I cut out the reunion with the uncanny Manny Rey, it would still be maybe 4 entries. I can't help that; it's what I needed to write. Now that this scene is in place, I can add the much clearer entry featuring Rhonda's dream. After that, it will be lots of travel along Old Route 66. On the bright side, I pushed the zapfic queue to the end of January 2024 (even accounting for deletions of entries).

Wednesday, 2023-November-08

📓 I thought it would take me 1 or 2 zapfic entries to set up David Guardia's "blackout" scene. It took me 8. Even if I cut out the reunion with the uncanny Manny Rey, it would still be maybe 4 entries. I can't help that; it's what I needed to write. Now that this scene is in place, I can add the much clearer entry featuring Rhonda's dream. After that, it will be lots of travel along Old Route 66. On the bright side, I pushed the zapfic queue to the end of January 2024 (even accounting for deletions of entries).

Thursday, 2023-November-09

Thursday, 2023-November-09
📓 I don't mind working on Fun with Maps as part of `GHAWG Behind the Scenes`. My only problem with it is that it takes me to long to make each post. That's a problem if I want to publish daily. Normally my problem is with graphics since it takes me a while to come up with a concept for the cover image (even if the graphic is simply stylized text). In this case, my problem is finding something to say about the places I discover. While it takes me almost no time to write about why certain place names grabbed my attention, it takes me time to do research about those same place names. Using _Wikipedia is both too easy and too lazy, so finding alternate sources can be challenging. Now that I know where the process breaks down, I will experiment with a new process. Work on several posts at once by first working on graphics, then recycling certain pieces of text from earlier posts, then commenting about the place names which grabbed my attention. Only after those things are done will I research those same place names. Once enough are done for one post, post gets published. Then I publish the posts as needed. After a couple of weeks, it will be like having a queue of posts just waiting for the right time or the right content. I began this process tonight. By December I'll know how well this new process works for me.

📓 I don't mind working on Fun with Maps as part of GHAWG Behind the Scenes. My only problem with it is that it takes me to long to make each post. That's a problem if I want to publish daily. Normally my problem is with graphics since it takes me a while to come up with a concept for the cover image (even if the graphic is simply stylized text). In this case, my problem is finding something to say about the places I discover. While it takes me almost no time to write about why certain place names grabbed my attention, it takes me time to do research about those same place names. Using _Wikipedia is both too easy and too lazy, so finding alternate sources can be challenging.

Now that I know where the process breaks down, I will experiment with a new process. Work on several posts at once by first working on graphics, then recycling certain pieces of text from earlier posts, then commenting about the place names which grabbed my attention. Only after those things are done will I research those same place names. Once enough are done for one post, post gets published. Then I publish the posts as needed. After a couple of weeks, it will be like having a queue of posts just waiting for the right time or the right content. I began this process tonight. By December I'll know how well this new process works for me.

Friday, 2023-November-10

Friday, 2023-November-10
📓 Today I worked on Fun with Maps. This time I used my new process. I saved the research part for last since that was where I was spending the most time. I was able to publish this post with 1 minute to spare in the day. My computer time was limited today, so I would have had this post published sooner. Even so, I will continue to use this process on an experimental basis until I see that it works for me or it doesn't. 📓 I updated the [GHAWGnav sticky post](https://inleo.io/@magnacarta/ghawgnav-navigating-the-ghawg-universe) to include all content up to today. This meant adding a section for `GHAWG Behind the Scenes`. I still need to go back through each post to update or add links; this task will never end.

📓 Today I worked on Fun with Maps. This time I used my new process. I saved the research part for last since that was where I was spending the most time. I was able to publish this post with 1 minute to spare in the day. My computer time was limited today, so I would have had this post published sooner. Even so, I will continue to use this process on an experimental basis until I see that it works for me or it doesn't.

📓 I updated the [GHAWGnav sticky post](https://inleo.io/@magnacarta/ghawgnav-navigating-the-ghawg-universe) to include all content up to today. This meant adding a section for GHAWG Behind the Scenes. I still need to go back through each post to update or add links; this task will never end.

Saturday, 2023-November-11
📓 Today was another day with limited time at the computer, so it took me until almost the end of the day to work on the Weekly Summary post. This time it was backlinking which took most of the time. It wasn't difficult, but it just took longer than I had expected. Unlike with Fun with Maps, I have the process here figured out, so that was not a concern for me.

Sunday, 2023-November-12
📓 Another Fun with Maps post is published using the new process, and this time I had hours to spare. It also helped that the post featured 6 places instead of 10 or 12. Even so, the process felt faster. It looks as if this is how I'll handle Fun with Maps going forward. Next Fun with Maps post is scheduled for Tuesday, when coverage of the 325-mile route which was skipped over in the zapfic serial is finished. 📓 Using Excel to generate variable cover images is working out very well. It's usually the same image, with only minor changes in text. A task which used to make me 10 to 15 minutes if I did it all using MS Paint took me maybe 2 minutes between Excel and MS Paint. Excel did the dirty work of taking the variable data and placing it where its needed. All I needed to do with MS Paint was crop the screen capture and save the image as a PNG file. It's not a difficult process to execute, but it does take a while to document with images and accompanying text. A post explaining how I did this will be made, but not at this time.

Sunday, 2023-November-12

📓 Another Fun with Maps post is published using the new process, and this time I had hours to spare. It also helped that the post featured 6 places instead of 10 or 12. Even so, the process felt faster. It looks as if this is how I'll handle Fun with Maps going forward. Next Fun with Maps post is scheduled for Tuesday, when coverage of the 325-mile route which was skipped over in the zapfic serial is finished.

📓 Using Excel to generate variable cover images is working out very well. It's usually the same image, with only minor changes in text. A task which used to make me 10 to 15 minutes if I did it all using MS Paint took me maybe 2 minutes between Excel and MS Paint. Excel did the dirty work of taking the variable data and placing it where its needed. All I needed to do with MS Paint was crop the screen capture and save the image as a PNG file. It's not a difficult process to execute, but it does take a while to document with images and accompanying text. A post explaining how I did this will be made, but not at this time.

Navigation to Other GHAWG Diaries

As more posts become available, this section will be updated with links to them.

When (and Where) To Catch #GHAWG

When

This is the normal schedule for the posting of content for #GHAWG:
● Daily -- Each zapfic entry is posted shortly after midnight, from New York
● Weekends -- Weekly Summaries (with modified screen capture from LeoThreads as cover image) are usually on Saturday, sometimes Sunday
● Monday -- Either GHAWG, Uninterrupted if present, or The GHAWG Diaries
● Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday -- GHAWG Behind the Scenes -- The goal is to publish these posts on all days not dedicated to the Weekly Summary, GHAWH-U, or The GHAWG Diaries (TGD). There may be days with no post, so I'll minimize those occasions as best as I can.

Where

● Daily zapfic entries drop at LeoThreads, usually posted shortly after midnight from New York (sometimes around noon)
● All long form posts-- Weekly Summaries, GHAWG-U, and TGD-- can be accessed using the #GHAWGnav sticky post or from my LeoFinance profile page

This week I hope to have more content published and recorded to Hive blockchain.

That's it for this edition of The GHAWG Diaries. I'm @magnacarta (graphic-signature made by @ahmadmanga) ^[!!]
Thanks for your time. Give the post an upvote or a reblog if you liked it. Feedback is welcome. Until next time!

[!!] -- Graphic signature was designed by @ahmadmanga