Published: June 25, 2011
Words: 2229 (approximate)
Language: English

Short description

With more than 20 years as a technical writer and communicator, Tom Guarnera explores what it takes to develop a career as a technical writer in today’s job market. Should an aspiring technical writer get a four-year English degree right after high school or should they spend a summer in Italy working as a dishwasher before going to college? Tom explains.

Extended description

Tom starts by making the point that most technical writers he has met along the way are far from “average” or “normal.” This, he writes, is because of the number one characteristic of a tech writer. They are all nuts! OK, maybe not certifiably crazy, but just a little nutty. Probably a better way to describe them is to say they are quirky.

The reason for this, you ask? Most people in this world tend to be either more technical or more creative. As we know, you can be very right-brained and still be creative, but most people tend to fall into one of the two hemispheres. In contrast, technical writing is the process of taking very technical information and processing it so a larger group of readers can understand. This involves strong writing skills, understanding the technical inputs and a creative way to display this information for the reader.

Tags

writing, write, writing business, write a book, technical writing, writers of the future, technical publishing, writing careers, technical documentation, technical interview, writing and writers, technical writing books, technical writing tips, technical writing ebook, technical writing guide, technical writing strategy, technical writing secrets, technical writing certifications, technical writing jobs, technical writing definition, user guide, write better

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Reviews

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Review by: GaryAJohnson on June 27, 2011 :
I found this writing to be quite helpful. It allowed me to examine some aspects of tech writing that I had not considered.
(reviewed the day of purchase)

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