Re: Recommended software for breaking into technical writing

[John Ryan <jr -at- SEATTLELAB -dot- COM>]

Hi all

As a former journalist now in tech writing, I suppose I'd have to answer
that the language you need to know is whatever language you are writing in.
To be able to communicate clearly is the number one goal.  Learning
applications and HTML is secondary.  Brush up on the MS Manual of Style,
have a good dictionary ready to go, and have a grammar handbook at the
ready.  (another great thread is the arsenal of style manuals tech people
use around here)

Since you are a journalist, you know all about digging up all the important
facts needed to explain a situation to an audience.  This time, it's a new
audience.  Get to learn about them by meeting with program managers and
review previous manuals.  Get to know the product inside and out.  Ask
questions.  Write to explain.  Cover all your bases.

As for software, here's what I use:
MS Word (cringe)
Photoshop
Snagit (essential)
Visual InterDev
Robohelp

Depending on your experience with software, your learning curve on each of
the above will vary.  You might know Word and have toyed with Photoshop.
Snagit is a breeze, but Robohelp and Visual InterDev have steeper learning
curves.  But like anything, the more time you invest, the move you will
know.

Keep in mind that TW isn't as a sexy field as journalism.  It's a slow,
sometimes tedious field.  Odds are no one is going to make a movie about the
fast-paced, suspenseful world of tech writers.  Although if they do, I want
Ewan McGregor to play me.

-----Original Message-----
From: Hyun Kul \Sean\ Kim <ender63 -at- erols -dot- com>
To: TECHWR-L -at- listserv -dot- okstate -dot- edu <TECHWR-L -at- listserv -dot- okstate -dot- edu>
Date: Thursday, August 12, 1999 10:48 PM
Subject: Recommended software for breaking into technical writing

>Forgive me if this topic has been posted before. (I did do an archive
>search, but may not have used the appropriate search words.)
>
>I'm a newspaper reporter considering a career switch into technical
>writing.  What software and/or programming languages do you recommend I
>learn?  And if you can prioritize them from "must know" to "highly
>recommended," I would appreciate it.
>
>I did ask this of a few tech writers, but would like the input of the
>broader community considering the expense and time commitment of
>acquiring/learning software. Thanks in advance.
>
>From ??? -at- ??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000==
>
>

 From ??? -at- ??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000=