Re: tech writing workshop

[Sella Rush <sellar -at- APPTECHSYS -dot- COM>]

Amy--Interesting idea, although grammar could certainly be its own refresher
course!

Our local STC group sponsors a series of workshops every year. These tend to
cover peripheral subjects, such as indexing, organizing a web site,
marketing writing, usability, etc.  The classes are either half or full
days, and cost about $80 per full day.

I like the idea of using real examples and critiquing them in class--an
entire workshop could be constructed around this.  Those of us who write
fiction are familiar with the concept of critiquing and how valuable a skill
it can be.  There's something to be said for being able to look at a piece
and articulate where it works and where it doesn't. Also, you could sneak a
lot of instruction into a critique based class.

You could structure it in 2 parts:  the first part would critique pieces
chosen by the instructor (not done by participants).  The instructor would
use the pieces to cover specific points as well as provide practical
instruction on the critiquing process. The second part could be critiquing
participant pieces using the same process established in the first part.

Re subjects I'd like to see:  document design, information organization, the
concept of schema and some discussion of adult education.  Also, maybe the
notion of tone--which we've discussed here as humor (At our next STC meeting
the subject is "procedures with personality", given by Dave Farkas), which
leads back to audience.  Of course, any evaluation of a sample would have to
take into account the intended audience.

Now that I think about it, all that stuff I learned in my "style" class
would make a great refresher course--see the book "Style:  Ten Lessons in
Clarity and Grace" by Joseph M. Williams.  I would definitely take a course
on this.

Sella Rush
mailto:sellar -at- apptechsys -dot- com
Applied Technical Systems (ATS)
Bremerton, Washington
Developers of the CCM Database