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RE: Retaining author's voice, was How to Use English PunctuationCorrectly - wikiHow
Subject:RE: Retaining author's voice, was How to Use English PunctuationCorrectly - wikiHow From:"Dori Green" <dgreen -at- associatedbrands -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Tue, 17 Jul 2007 09:20:50 -0400
If I have one particular and unusual writing talent, it's my ability to convey "voice" in transcribed material. I worked for many years as a professional transcriptionist; I type quickly and punctuate accurately at 118 wpm. It was good training for tech writing and it still comes in handy when I'm working with a "brain dump" SME.
I think it's the accurate punctuation that captures the rhythms and inflections that are commonly missing from written words. On one job, transcription of taped union negotiations where the recorder was allowed but I was not, the speakers usually forgot the important instruction to identify themselves when they spoke. In almost all cases readers were able to deduce the identity of the speaker because I was able to capture their inflection and tone through the transcript.
The next time anybody's technical writing seems too dry or flavorless, look at the punctuation. Speak the words aloud, say the same thing in a conversational tone, and adjust the punctuation accordingly. The new version will have a "voice".
Dori Green
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