Re: Recommended software for breaking into technical writing

["Murrell, Thomas" <TMurrell -at- ALLDATA -dot- NET>]

I have read with some interest the various comments in this thread about the
relative merits of technical writing vs. journalism, the life of a technical
writer, and even what software someone ought to be familiar with as a
technical writer.  I find it curious that no one has really addressed the
issue of whether the two fields are, per se, compatible areas for
cross-training.

In my experience, I have found very few Technical Writers, people who have a
balance of both technical and writing skills.  Most folks in the area of
technical communications are writers or editors who happen to be working on
technical material.  They themselves are not very technical.  Some few TWs
are very technical but lack in the area of writing skills.

The few who do seem to have some technical understanding seem to aspire to
crossing over into the more lucrative areas of software development or
engineering.  It is as if they are really more interested in making more
money than in improving their craft.  That also seems to be the case with
those people who have journalism backgrounds who have come into the field
simply because it pays better than journalism, which seems to be their real
passion.

I can't say that I blame anyone for wanting a better paying job than they
have.  Been there and done that myself.  I was a software developer who went
into project management because it seemed to pay better.  Eventually, I
found that there were more important things for me than just the money, and
eventually I got back into the technical area as a writer.  After one brief
stint as a supervisor of technical writers--a job that is akin to herding
cats in my opinion, and my hats off to those who can do it well--I
understood that my calling, what I do really well, is develop technical
documentation.

I find I have the same passion for well-written, informative, clear and
concise technical documentation that good journalists have for journalism or
good poets have for poetry.  With that passion comes, I must admit, a
certain resentment toward those who know how to maneuver a word processor or
electronic publishing package and who think themselves technical writers
when they have limited understanding of the importance of the work they do.

People ask me all the time what a Technical Writer does.  I've found the
simplest answer to give is to say that a Technical Writer writes the
instructions for how to program their VCR.  Invariably I have to follow that
up with the statement that if the writer were any good at the job, they
would be able to program their VCR.  (I've seen the kinds of stuff that
passes for instructions for such work, and they are generally pretty
horrible examples of the craft, again in my opinion.)

Knowing how to write is important in the field, vitally important.  However,
a willingness to understand what is being written is equally important.
Unfortunately, this willingness to understand the technical side of
Technical Writing seems sadly lacking in our profession.  Knowing Word or
FrameMaker is not as important as being able and willing to learn how things
work well enough that you can explain it to your audience.  If you can do
that, you can learn the publishing software, the graphics programs, and
rudimentary layout (I agree with the person who lamented the wrapping of
these disciplines into Technical Writing; as if a good writer would be the
best person to do layout and graphics.  Give me a good graphical designer
for that or a good editor for layout any day.).

Don't come into this field because the money looks better, or the hours look
easier (they aren't).  Come into it because you have a passion for it, just
as you would want someone to have a passion for journalism if they want to
enter that field.

Thank you for your attention.

Tom Murrell
Senior Technical Writer
Alliance Data Systems
mailto:tmurrell -at- alldata -dot- net

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