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Re: What is our art?

Subject: Re: What is our art?
From: Nora von Gerichten <wlg -at- pacificcoast -dot- net>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Tue, 19 Feb 2002 10:46:52 -0800

At 05:05 PM 2/19/02 +0000, you wrote:

This talk of annoying recruiters has got me thinking about what we
writers do.

I am trying to figure this out for my self. Until I do, I cannot expect anyone else to.

So what is it that we do? What are the skills and how do you get them
across to non-TRs?

I break down my activities in 5 minute increments. (I use an Excel spreadsheet.) If an e-mail takes me 5 minutes, so be it. If it takes 1.5 hours, so be it. Activities are defined in broad terms and elaborated in comments. I am hoping to have enough data soon to analyses so that I can understand more of how much percent of time is spent on what over a broad base of contracts. With my clients monthly bill, this spread sheet is included. Same format that lawyers use: time began, time end, nature of activity, no. of hourly increments, hours, cost. This is a new format for me (6 months) and am finding it resolves many questions of what it is that I am doing to my clients. I am hoping that it will illuminate me as to what it is that my art is.

My first thought on this is that we're explainers, translators even.
We take the time to get our heads around complex ideas that are poorly
explained and make them easier to understand.

At different times I have used different metaphors. Bridges, doors, gateways, etc. are some of my favourite. I have also have said I turn sows ears into silk purses.

As to activities, I also absorb a lot of the c*** while liaison with govts and other major sources of frustration. I have had the gull to get on the net and find people for large sums of money (largest US$3 billion in two weeks) for all sorts of arrangements, VC, factoring, angle investment, everything. I have a couple of lawyers who give me work because I write clearer, faster, and cheaper than some of their junior lawyers, just cannot do anything in the direction of law.

Nora

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References:
What is our art?: From: Rev Simon Rumble

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