Re: How did you get started in tech writing?

["Will Husa" <Will -dot- Husa -at- 4techwriter -dot- com>]

What's my story?

I went to college for video production and photography because I could tell 
a story in pictures. While there, I needed an elective, so someone suggested 
that I take a writing class. It made sense because in video production, you 
need a script to sell a story to someone who will finance the project. I 
discovered that I could write scripts, storyboards and descriptive text.

For the next ten years or so, I worked for the phone company as a 
photographer and produced video productions on the side. When the phone 
company found out about my side job, they asked me to produce training 
videos for a new main frame enterprise computer software product that only 
engineers would comprehend. I didn't understand a word of it, but since I 
new storyboarding, I could match up what was on the computer screen with 
what was on the presenter was saying. In essence, I was writing a user 
manual based upon the video production.

I turned the training videos over to the client along with my notes, 
storyboard and user manual.  A couple of days later, the client calls me 
back for a follow-up meeting. He was complaining that the training materials 
that the vendor supplied were confusing, but that the user manual that I 
slapped together made perfect sense. The client was using my user manual 
instead of the vendor's user manual!

That was almost twenty years ago. In the past ten years, I've managed to 
make technical writing my full time occupation. Many of my clients have 
given me repeat business and good referrals.

Be seeing you,

Will
=========================================
Will Husa
Technical Writer
Procedure Writing and Online Help
Phone: 708-927-3569
Fax: 630-668-9283
Website: www.4techwriter.com

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Nancy Allison" <maker -at- verizon -dot- net>
To: <ekarenski-techwrl -at- yahoo -dot- com>
Cc: "Techwr-l" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Sent: Friday, August 15, 2008 6:00 PM
Subject: How did you get started in tech writing?


> In the Fallback or Sellout thread (or whatever it was called) Karen
> wrote:
>
>> I was actually wondering if I was going to read other's responses as
>> to how they started in this profession.
>
> What a great question. I wonder if we can get a thread going on it.
> Karen's answer was in her post.
>
> My answer, briefly, is this: I got a Master's degree in Teaching English
> as a Second Language, only to find that it was impossible to make a
> living at it, at least in Boston. I wound up doing more temporary office
> work than teaching. And I HATED secretarial work.
>
> And, when I did teach, I discovered that I liked writing my teaching
> materials more than I liked being at the head of the room. When someone
> said, "You might try technical writing," I gave it a shot.
>
> What's your story?
>
> --Nancy
>
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
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ComponentOne Doc-To-Help gives you everything you need to author and 
publish quality Help, Web, and print content. Perfect for technical 
authors, developers, and policy writers. Download a FREE trial.
http://www.componentone.com/DocToHelp/

True single source, conditional content, PDF export, modular help.
Help & Manual is the most powerful authoring tool for technical
documentation. Boost your productivity! http://www.helpandmanual.com

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