Writing Life
Technical Communication Certificate Program at NOVA, Northern Virginia
© Ugur Akinci Here is yet another Technical Communication Certificate Program at NOVA, Northern Virginia Community College. “Professional Writing for Business, Government, and Industry Certificate“ The NOVA catalog reads: “This certificate program prepares participants to write with expertise in professional contexts. The curriculum provides skills needed by currently employed or potential writers in business, government, and…
Read More5 Methods to Finish What You’ve Started to Write
(Copyright-free photo courtesy of unsplash-dot-com) © Ugur Akinci Finishing an article, a book or a presentation is as important as starting to write it. The enemies of half-finished writing projects are many. So are your “friends”. Here are five time-tested ideas to finish all your writing projects on time and in good shape. 1)…
Read MoreTop 10 Trends Driving Technical Communication Industry Forward Today
© Ugur Akinci Here are top 10 trends identified by Christian Gravelle, Senior Technical Analyst, and reported by Maxwell Hoffman in an Adobe blog: Trend #1: Adoption of Structured Documents Trend #2: Shift Towards Single Source Publishing Trend #3: Added Complexity in Multi-Format/Multi-Channel Delivery Trend #4: Providing for Mobile Delivery Trend #5: Increased Demand for…
Read MoreHow to Get That Very First Technical Writing Job…
That very first technical writing job is the hardest for most writers and non-writers who are new to the field. Once that threshold is crossed, there’s usually no going back. The rest is usually a series of promotions or lateral and vertical moves from one company or assignment to another. For the freelancing “lone writers,”…
Read MoreViolating Document Specs May Cost CA County $548 Million
© Ugur Akinci I forgot the number of times I’ve emphasized the importance of clarity and accuracy in technical documentation in this blog and the dire consequences that can arise from such errors. To my online course students that’s something I make clear right away: a technical document must be correct and accurate above anything…
Read MoreArnold Burian – a Technical Communication Interview
© Ugur Akinci Arnold Burian is a technical communicator from Chicago, IL. He is the founder of Technical Writing World, the social network for technical communicators. In January 2012, Arnold is selected the 63rd most influential technical communicator on MindTouch’s list of 400 Most Influential Technical Communicators. QUESTION (1): How long have you been a…
Read MoreDavid Farbey – A Technical Communication Interview
© Ugur Akinci David Farbey is a senior technical communicator selected the 8th most influential technical communicator on MindTouch’s list of 400 Most Influential Technical Communicators. David’s blog “Marginal Notes” is at www.farbey.co.uk, and you can follow him on Twitter as @dfarb. QUESTION (1): How long you’ve been a technical communicator? Where do you work right now? How…
Read MoreCatherine Hibbard – A Technical Communication Interview
We’re kicking off the new year with a new series of interviews with veteran technical writers and communicators. Our first guest for this column in 2012 is Catherine Hibbard of Cypress Media, a veteran writer and trainer who offers Technical Writing Training and Writing Effective Policies and Procedures Training. In January 2012, she is selected…
Read MoreAuthorIt SaaS Cloud Enterprise-Level Technical Writing Platform – Selected Features
© Ugur Akinci Here are a few really cool AuthorIt features that caught my eye during a recent webinar demonstration by the company founder and CEO Paul Trotter. Searching for Content AuthorIt is a powerful structured-authoring editor that allows you to use the same chunk of content many times over. So searching for reusable content…
Read More"I’m a journalist. A reporter… Can I become a successful technical writer?"
Can a journalist become a successful technical writer? I don’t see why not. I was a journalist once upon a time too. After I made the switch to technical writing, I never looked back. Two Skills of Journalists Journalism teaches you mental concentration and time-discipline. When you’re working as a reporter for a daily newspaper…
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