Monthly Archives: April 2012

Professional Development

Most technical writers understand that they’ve signed up for a lifetime of learning. But aside from the content of your job changing every year to every five minutes, there are opportunities to learn things that improve your ability to contribute … Continue reading

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English Major Stuff

Normally, this site is dedicated to nonfiction technical writing. However, I had to put my old English major skills to work this past week helping a friend describe the various parts of a story. Being the geek that I am, … Continue reading

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Email, Call, Telecon, or F2F?

I know people who love to call and attend meetings. I am not one of those people. I also know people who will go to nearly any length to avoid a meeting–okay, I’m not that bad, but I’ve had my … Continue reading

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Giving and Receiving Feedback on Your Writing

This is a sensitive subject for many writers, me included, because our words are what we get paid for, what we take pride in, and why we do what we do for a living. How dare someone change them, correct … Continue reading

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Writer’s Block

So far, I’ve been blessed not to suffer from writer’s block on the job. Writing for myself (fiction) is often another matter, but when it comes to the heavy lifting of writing on the job, the work is there, the … Continue reading

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Protocol

“You know what the chain of command is? It’s the chain I beat you with until you understand who’s in ruttin’ command!” –Jayne Cobb, Firefly I learn a lot of things–scratch that, most things–the hard way. Such was the case … Continue reading

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The Spirit of the Student

Knowing is a barrier to learning. –Frank Herbert As an English major among scientists and engineers, the odds are good that when it comes to my work content, I’ll be the least-informed person in the room. This is not a … Continue reading

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