[Wikipedia-l] Writing articles

[Merritt L. Perkins]

I have been thinking of trying to write some Encyclopedia articles but I
would like to discuss them with several other people while I am preparing
them for publication.
. Suppose I choose to write about Rose of Sharon. I could look in the
Wikipedia and not find it under that heading. Perhaps it is described
somewhere and I didn't find it. 
I could take close-up pictures of the flowers with my digital camera and
describe it from what I know and what I can see. Should I include
pictures of the whole plant, the seeds, or the roots? I could look in
encyclopedias and books for more information. I could prepare a rough
draft. After reading the instructions for submitting articles I would
like to discuss it with other people and get their comments and
suggestions. Someone told me that Rose of Sharon was mentioned in the
Bible. Somebody may know where. Should I include that and quote the Bible
passage? 
An historian may be able to tell what part it played in history like the
thistle in Scotland and the War of the Roses in England. A botanist may
be able to correct and add to my description. People in other parts of
the world may tell me that it is common there. Is it the national flower
of some country or does it appear on a flag? Should we include the name
in some other languages?
If someone else is writing an article on the same subject I might choose
to let him take my article and use parts of it in his article.
After I get tired of editing it I could submit it to be included in the
Encyclopedia.
Then the readers would have their opportunity to make changes.
I didn't find articles about Jesse Ramsden who made precision navigation
instruments or Count Rumsford who left Massachusetts and went to England
and founded the Royal Institution.
There are several other subjects that I might write about but I would
like to have other people participate. How can I do this?
This matter may have been discussed in e-mail but I have more than 450
e-mail on my computer so it is hard to figure out what conclusions have
been reached.
Merritt L. Perkins