Re: Thank You from new tech writer

[Barbara Donohue <bdonohue -at- alum -dot- mit -dot- edu>]

Hi, Jim,

Congratulations on your new adventure!

Untechnical writing : how to write about technical subjects and 
products so anyone can understand, by Michael Bremer, 
was  recommended on this list recently. It's out of print (and not 
available on Amazon), but I found it on interlibrary loan through my 
local public library and it seems very good. I would recommend to a newbie.

I also found these very useful when starting out:

    How to communicate technical information, by Jonathan Price & Henry Korman

    Technical Editing by Judith Tarutz.

Both of them are available new and used on Amazon.

I always try to remind folks who aren't trained tech writers (as I 
wasn't) that tech writing requires you to be super-user 
friendly/supportive, and this means sometimes going against the 
writing guidelines Miss Reinmann taught in 10th grade English.

For instance, she recommended using variety in your vocabulary. This 
is a bad thing to do when writing instructions.

I tell new tech writers (and remind myself):

"Always call a thing by the same name."

And a corollary: "Don't use the same name for more than one thing."

Sounds simple-minded, but it's very important and many a writer (and 
user-interface designer) has gone astray, much to the confusion of 
the end user.

Cheers & have fun.  Let us know how it goes!

Barbara



----------
Barbara Donohue
The engineer who writes. Turning technology into English.
978-263-4961
bdonohue -at- alum -dot- mit -dot- edu
Specializing in mechanical technologies





No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.21.4/1312 - Release Date: 3/4/2008 9:46 PM
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or 
printed documentation. Features include support for Windows Vista & 2007 
Microsoft Office, team authoring, plus more.
http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList

True single source, conditional content, PDF export, modular help.
Help & Manual is the most powerful authoring tool for technical
documentation. Boost your productivity! http://www.helpandmanual.com

---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- web -dot- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- 

To unsubscribe send a blank email to 
techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
or visit http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/archive%40web.techwr-l.com


To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com

Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-  Visit
http://www.techwr-l.com/ for more resources and info.