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>
> Hi Peggy,
>
> Maybe you just need a catchy opening line. How 'bout:
>
> "Rosy-fingered Dawn, the system administrator, marveled at the new XYZ
> software, her overheated hand a blur as it swept the mouse through the
> bevy of new screens...."
>
> --Chris
>
When I first saw Peggy's post I wasn't sure what to make of it, but I
think Chris makes an intriguing suggestion:
Peggy, maybe you could create some sort of fictional "case study"
showing how the shiny new software app your manual accompanies saved
time, money, and/or stress for an individual, small business, or
enterprise (depending on what kind of app it is, of course). If you
start with a dilemma that your developers and market research folks have
identified as highly likely among people who will buy the software and
tell them a good story with a bit of drama, a little flair, and a happy
ending (brought about via the deus-ex-machina of your new application)
you could make them eager to read the rest of the manual to learn how to
solve their own similar crisis.
And if you've ever written fiction or if you have a favorite fiction
genre you might even jazz it up a bit with some lines that give it the
feel of a good story (a 1940s detective noir metaphor or two, for
example).
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