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Subject:Re: Style Guides: Where to begin? From:kcronin -at- daleen -dot- com To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Fri, 13 Jul 2001 07:12:11 -0700
As others on the list will advise, it simplifies things a lot to find some
external document to set the basic rules for you, such as the Chicago, the
AP, or the Microsoft style manuals. I'm a big fan of Strunk & White's
Elements of Style, and also like Merriam Webster's Manual for Writers and
Editors.
Anyway, choose one or more of those, buy everybody a copy, and set a rule
that those books will be your authority for most issues. This saves you
from reinventing the wheel.
Next, you need to figure out what those books DON'T cover - the nitpicky
things that come up with the product(s) you're documenting. That's where
YOUR style guide comes in. Best advice: Keep It Simple! Typical issues
that will arise are use of your product names, how to state commands (do
you say "press the Enter key" or "press Enter"?), how you cross-reference
other sections of the manual, etc.
It sounds like you're also faced with creating a "How-To" section. This
can be a VERY valuable tool for a team of writers, particularly if they
have varied levels of expertise with the tools you're using.
This may even be a separate document. Again keep it simple, and establish
who's in charge. I think only one person should be allowed to modify your
Frame templates. And somebody (probably the same person) has to make the
rules. How many spaces after periods, how do you introduce lists, how do
you name headings, etc.
This can get tricky, because everybody's going to have their own opinion.
My feeling is that democracy does NOT work in this scenario. Pick a boss.
Let them make the rules. These rules are arbitrary and subjective anyway,
as anybody who's read messages on this list can attest to, so there's
bound to be somebody who disagrees with some rules. Too bad.
I've developed style guides and how-to's for three teams now, and I've
gotten better at it each time. That's because each time I assumed MORE
authority, and solicited LESS opinions from others.
Pick a boss. Set some rules. State them clearly. Then you can go back to
doing your REAL job!
- Keith Cronin
_____________________________________
"I can write better than anybody who can write faster, and I can write
faster than anybody who can write better."
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