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Subject:Re: Procedures for a young writer From:"Chris Christner" <cchris -at- toptechwriter -dot- us> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Fri, 11 Mar 2005 12:01:19 -0700
Hi Anthony,
To make the best use of your time, eliminate as many unneccessary
distractions as possible:
o Become an expert in the DTP tools and operating system you use so you
don't have to think about them.
o Learn the basics of good document layout and design so you can turn out
usable documentation quickly.
o When you write about something that you've researched, revisit that
material later to see if it still makes sense, or if you could have made
it shorter and easier to understand.
o When you are writing about something you don't understand, keep
pestering SMEs until you do! People hire technical writers because they
know how grok a difficult subject and then explain the essence in clear
prose to users who don't. Plus, when you've learned difficult subjects
well enough to explain them in simple terms, you'll find that *everything*
else happens faster and easier on the project.
Technical writing is like most professions: if you remain enthusiastic
about improving yourself, each project you do will be something to be
proud of and becomes the baseline for the next one. Soon you can turn out
high quality prose on autopilot while working on multiple projects
simultaneously. That's when it stops being a drudgery and the fun begins.
Good luck,
Chris
___________________________________________
TopTechWriter.US http://www.toptechwriter.us
Award-winning technical writing and illustration services.
>
> The thing that I have the most trouble with is
> setting time-management procedures for myself. There
> is a lot to do and I can't seem to establish a system
> that allows me to tackle one problem at a time. I
> often find myself picking here and there, not really
> sticking with and finishing something I start.
>
> My question is, Does anyone have suggestions, books,
> articles, (anything) that can help me learn to focus
> on getting something done without quickly abandoning
> it and moving on to something else?
>
> Thanks,
> Anthony Hernandez
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