Re: Basic Tech Text

[Marguerite Krupp <mkrupp -at- CAYMAN -dot- COM>]

Karen Steele asked for recommendations on a good, basic tech writing text
for a short course.

My input:

I teach tech writing at Northeastern University in the graduate programs there.

If you're teaching *technical* writing, you might consider "Writing for the
Computer Industry," by Kristin Woolever (Prentice Hall, I think).  Though
specifically focused on that industry, its principles apply across most
engineering writing.  You can pick whatever chapters you want to use, given
that you have such a limited time.

If you're teaching generic business writing (memos, reports, letters,
specs, etc.), try Michael Markel's book, the exact title of which eludes me
at the moment.  Lots of good exercises.

Another (cheaper) possibility is "Writing that Works."  It has a lot of the
most common "gotchas."

For grammar/usage exercises (and rational answers), try Diana Hacker's "A
Writer's Reference" and the accompanying workbook (with perf pages, yet!)

And then there's Henrietta Tichy's books.  Last time I looked, they still
contained some male-oriented references, but that may have changed in the
new versions.  You might also check whether the STC  has any focused
publications of that sort.

Hope this helps.

Marguerite



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