No feeling can compare to opening up a new issue of the school newspaper that you spent countless hours working on, seeing your hard work laid out before you, about to be sent off into the world. Although the process of creating the newspaper may seem simple, it is actually quite complicated. Stories have to be meticulously researched, graphics created on Photoshop (unfortunately, we cannot just steal images from Google), funds need to be raised to produce eight issues a year and papers must be printed. Here is a behind the scenes glimpse of what it means to be an Epic staffer.

1. Pitching

No matter how large or small a paper’s readership, each publication revolves around the content; it is the body and substance of every issue. So, be sure to stay updated with both local and global news. Though this may initially seem daunting, being well-informed will ensure that you always have ideas to pitch. Each issue starts with pitching stories, with staffers cycling from section to section, sharing their ideas. Pitches that are selected then become stories and are assigned to staffers to be written.

2. Stories

The writing process involves research, outlines and numerous drafts of your story, and though it may be laborious at times, it is also incredibly rewarding. As you write more and more drafts, your writing grows into a beautiful piece of work with your voice speaking from the page, communicating your message to readers. In addition, as you continue to edit stories, you become a “mini-expert” on the subject of your articles. To ease into the writing process, make sure to become well informed on the subject, because the more information you know, the more thorough your story will be.

3. Layout

Once stories have been assigned and the writing process begins, each section has to begin dummying. This doesn’t refer to decreasing your IQ, but brainstorming graphic and layout ideas for each section of the newspaper. This process pushes staffers to engage in out-of-the-box thinking and explore more creative and wild possibilities for graphics to work around space constraints.

After each section finalizes dummies, they migrate onto the computers to design the various elements needed for the pages. And no, you do not need to know how to use Photoshop or Indesign to join the Epic staff. It’s really a learning experience. But make sure to take note of the graphics and layouts of large publications as you read them; it can be a great source of inspiration for future design ideas.

4. Production

Easily the most fun and rewarding part of the Epic is the after school production. Each issue for four days, the staff stays for long hours to finish the newspaper and send it off to the printer. It is during this time in which stories are finalized, graphics finished and pages polished. Everyone spends a lot of time together, bonding over frustrating Photoshop fails or last minute graphic changes.

But production isn’t just a “get to the grind” environment, it’s also a place to “eat way too much junk food” and “jam out a little too hard when your song plays on the Spotify playlist.” Yes, there will always be a time crunch and or pictures and pages to edit, but there will also always be a family to stand by your side, joke about your mistakes and pick you right back up again.