TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Has it been a decade? Wow! How time flies. Nice to have you back. I'm sure that you'll find Techwr-l as useful as it has ever been.
Teaching logically minded people how to organize their writing isn't too difficult. Teaching them how to write good prose is nearly impossible if they have no talent to begin with (and had they any talent to begin with, you probably wouldn't find yourself posting here). I think your best and least costly bet would be to hire a good tech writer to rework your consultants' writing.
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+lporrello=illumina -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+lporrello=illumina -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of Andrew Plato
Sent: Thursday, October 06, 2011 1:28 PM
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Help - my consultants cannot write!
Its been easily 10 years since I posted anything to TECHWR-L. I miss
those blathering posts from the last century.
Okay, I have a real reason for being here. And some of you will
probably appreciate the irony of this.
I own Anitian Enteprise Security - a security consultancy. I was a
tech writer in the 90s, spent plenty of time here barfing out my
opinions. Search the archives. Lots of frothing from me and others.
I am in desperate need of tech writer training for my consultants. I
have a bunch of information security consultants who cannot write. Its
infuriating. I edit their material and I want to wring their necks.
They blather and yammer on about this and that - I need to teach these
people how to succinctly express complex ideas and write reports.
So, my question is:
- Anybody have any suggestions for training courses, materials or
guides I can use to teach these people how to write?
- And if there isn't anything good out there, who could develop such a
program...relatively inexpensively?
Ideally, I'd like some program or class or something I could send my
consultants through that at the end of it, they would be able to
write...better. My problem is, I don't want to send them to some
community college writing class. I need something that specifically is
focused on complex report writing.
I was going to develop this material myself, but I am just too busy.
I call upon the great TECHWR-L for ideas, guidance, and insight.
Oh, and stop eating hamsters.
Andrew Plato
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