TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Martin S. wrote: "I've been tossed into a Tech-writing blender
with a new position I've been in for about a month.
I'm the sole tech writer for 3 product managers,
handling about 90 internal and external documents. On
top of this, previous tech writers have created a
mish-mash of formats, styles, processes, etc., which
make no sense in the known physical universe...What I need help with
is how to smack these alligators into a manageable,
well-behaved line. I'm looking for suggestions on software, approaches,
tacks and procedures. Anything would be welcome."
Your first priority is to prioritize. Find out what's hot and what's not.
Some of the 90 documents are bound to be more important than others. If you
have documents that need to be written/rewritten immediately, write them in
whatever tool you have available. You can come up with a style and format
(or adopt one of the existing ones) as you go. Leave existing documents in
their current formats until you have to do a major edit or rewrite. Then,
bring them up to date with your format and style. If you ever find yourself
with any down time, then you can start worrying about processes.
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