Re: Skills?

[Chris Hamilton <chamilton -at- GR -dot- COM>]

Dan BRINEGAR wrote:

> Darn, just *one* class? Well, how 'bout one semester of a course....
>
> "Eric J. Ray" did the Dr. Laura thing and forced us to get  down to
> brass tacks:
>

How 'bout one set of skills? If I had to answer that way, I'd say it's
real close to journalism. I have to go out and find out who, what, when,
where, why, and how, sometimes from reluctant sources, and I have to
write the answers in a consise manner that leaves as little room as
possible for confusion.  And when I put it together, it all has to make
sense. Sometimes the best way to find out the answer to these questions
is to ask and sometimes the best way is to do it yourself, which brings
me to the almost-mandatory set of skills...

Technical ability. The best preparation I had for my technical writing
job was the four years I spent as a programmer. I know enough to have a
very solid frame of reference for what I'm talking to people about, and
when I don't I have a solid enough frame of reference to pick it up
quickly.

Now go take on the day.

--
Chris Hamilton, Technical Writer
Greenbrier & Russel
847.330.4146
chamilton -at- gr -dot- com

"Please do not try to confuse the issues with facts!"
                          -- George Banks, "Mary Poppins"

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