Archive for April 2009
How to Write Well and a Lot by Accepting Your Uniqueness
Secret of Productivity Productivity in writing is no rocket science. Here is the secret of how to write both well and a lot: try to accept your uniqueness. That’s perhaps the HARDEST part of writing well. We all do have a different perspective on things – if only we could admit it! But we usually…
Read MoreTechnical Writing – What is a SCOPE Document?
© Ugur Akinci A SCOPE document is one of those fundamental documents that define and guide any major project. As a technical writer you may be asked to write one, in close coordination with the project management (or your private client). In terms of its strategic abstraction, the SCOPE comes right after the VISION document.…
Read MoreHow to Write About Swine Flu
At this writing, the Swine Flu is spreading out fast all across the world. This is again one of those times when accurate and detailed information is absolutely necessary. Technical writers are uniquely qualified to provide such a service to the information-hungry public. So how would you write a Swine Flu information article, brochure, or…
Read MoreLogic and Reasoning in Technical Communications
We writers sometimes forget that “communication” must be logical in order to be effective. Otherwise we might as well be writing poetry (which I love and dabble with in my spare time as a hobby but never mistake it for “technical communication”). One of the most important logical fallacies committed in technical communication is the…
Read MoreLegal Liability for E-Book Publishers – Are You Covered Legally?
Legal liability is an issue for all writers. Legal liability for writers is the legal responsibility of a writer for the accuracy and truthfulness of their work. A legal liability can come from an assertion that the writer has acted in some manner that violates civil or criminal law. It can also arise out of…
Read MoreFrameMaker – How to Insert Text Inside an Anchored Frame
© Ugur Akinci PROBLEM: You would like to insert a text inside a frame (box) in FrameMaker (FM) with one condition: you’d like to have both the text and the frame move appropriately with the rest of the body text when anything is deleted or added to your document. SOLUTION: 1] Let’s assume that this…
Read MoreWhy Does Persistence Pay? The Mathematical Proof
We’ve all heard it a million times that “persistence pays.” We’ve seen countless examples of people succeeding in something just because they’ve kept trying at it until… SHAZAM! Something gives away, an invisible lever in the sky flips over, and the obstacles disappear like magic. We use the phrase “lucky break” to describe the mysterious…
Read MoreFacts about Abbreviations & Acronyms
I just came across a great article on how to abbreviate titles and other things and what NOT to abbreviate. I think we all need a refresher like this from time to time, especially if English is your second language. Here is an excerpt from this useful article by M. J. Mardan: Titles before names: Mrs.,…
Read MoreSecrets of Writing Great Catalog Copy
Words with double meaning, “double entendre,” is what lies at the core of great catalog copy. You should also pay attention to the words which can be used both as a NOUN and a VERB (e.g., “work) or as a NOUN and an ADJECTIVE (e.g., “clear) since they offer many opportunities for word-play and…
Read MoreThe Typical Day of a Successful Writer
Bob Bly is one of the most successful writers I’ve known. He has always been one of my role models as a professional writer. So here is a newsletter that I received from Bob this morning. I liked it so much that I asked his permission to reprint it here. He kindly agreed. Read the…
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