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Re: What is a reasonable training period for newbie writers?
Subject:Re: What is a reasonable training period for newbie writers? From:Jo Francis Byrd <jbyrd -at- byrdwrites -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Fri, 10 Nov 2000 14:52:42 -0600
I did exactly that. I had six months experience revising boilerplates and
fancied myself a tech writer. A friend of mine once commented, "There is great
confidence in ignorance." He's right. I had nothing but unwarranted confidence,
and the great good fortune to be in the right time, the right place, have a
senior writer on the project willing to mentor me, and a God-given gift for
doing this.
When I talk to those new to tech writing, or wannbees, I tell them, DON'T TRY
THIS AT HOME, KIDS!!! Get he training, the education, find some way to get the
experience, but don't try it before you find out what you're supposed to be
doing.
I was very, very lucky. I should have fallen flat on my face.
Jo Byrd
Krista Van Laan wrote, in part :
> I can't even imagine that a person with zero experience in tech writing could
> go into contracting or into being a lone writer in the first place.
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