Here are my top resources for those of you making a living out of technical writing.  Some are also of use to anyone who writes in any style for a living.  First though…

What Is a Technical Writer?

I’ve always written my own training content, workbooks, manuals, user guides, procedures and policies.  I was a Technical Writer long before I realised it.  And, my personality type is tailor-made for the role.  Simply put, a Technical Writer is someone who writes technical documentation.  Non-writers often make the mistake of reading IT into the technical bit of the job title.  However, while many technical writers deal with information technology, many don’t.  There are many fields that come under the heading of “technical”: Medicine; Engineering and Construction; Food; Health; Research; or Education for example.

Sometimes, Technical Writers are also referred to as Technical Authors or Technical Communicators.

What Do Technical Writers Do?

Technical Writing often involves a great deal of jargon or specialised language.  It is the task joy of the Technical Communicator to become familiar, often very quickly with new concepts, technology, jargon and environments, in order to produce a guide, manual or handbook that will illuminate the topic for newbies, or provide a useful resource for the more experienced.

What Online Resources Are Available?

There are some online resources that I simply cannot do without.  Some are human in form.

I’d Rather Be Writing

Tom Johnston is a Technical Writer from Utah.  He writes a blog entitled, I’d Rather be Writing, about “The Latest Trends in Technical Communication” and is never too busy to answer a query, or recommend some useful online resources via Twitter.  Each blog post is mighty useful.  Add it to your RSS reader now!

Merriam -Webster

An Encyclopedia Britannica company, Merriam Webster operates an online dictionary and thesaurus, a delight to anyone into who wishes they’d studied semantics or etymology at university.  This website is a resource for all those who need to know the precise origin, old and modern meanings of words, and pronunciation guidelines.

The Plain English Campaign

It’s not too great a strain to say that this may just be my favourite concept in the writing domain: Plain English.  It prompted the style of the strapline we use for our Coaching Service: No Fuss; No Jargon; No Crystals: Only Results.

Strunk and Whyte

If you’re looking for an old, reliable guide to how English should be written, then this is what you have been waiting for.  Strunk and Whyte is a plain English reference guide from the early 1900s, highlighting and explaining those English rules that are so often contravened.

Cherryleaf Technical Authors Blog

This is a highly useful blog, combining video, links and how-tos.  The man himself, Ellis Pratt is on Twitter and is always helpful, even to the point of sourcing local technical writers for me.

The Chicago Manual of Style

“With state-of-the-art recommendations on editorial style and publishing practices in the digital age, The Chicago Manual of Style is the must-have reference for everyone who works with words.”  Sign up for the immensely compact and useful Q&A Alerts.  They’re also on Facebook.

The Grouchy Grammarian

If you just cannot bear to take English seriously, then I’d suggest Thomas Parrish’s The Grouchy Grammarian, as a humourous starting point.  Once you begin to laugh while learning the rules, you’ll be pedantically hooked forever!

If you need a Technical Communicator, contact me to discuss your project.  And, if you are a Technical Communicator working in Ireland or the UK, get in touch, I’d love to meet you online or offline!

Image credit: nirak (main image).  All other images are taken from the resources’ websites.

Following a request from a group of business people in Omagh, we are holding a seminar in the South West College on 14 June.  This seminar has been run several times before, mainly in the Belfast area.  Comments are always positive.  Here are some recent responses:

“Had all relevant aspects explained and plenty of opportunity to ask questions.”  Kerry Smyth, Knowledge Transfer Centre, QUB

“I went to a Social Media Workshop run by Dawn from Sensei last week in Antrim. Dawn managed to condense a huge subject into a very simple, easy to follow and interactive presentation. There were people there who didn’t have a clue about social networking. There was a lot of excitement in the room and there were many questions about the possibilities. Dawn was very calm and professional and managed to keep people interested throughout. I would have no hesitation in recommending Dawn to run courses for my company or anyone else’s for that matter. Very pleased. (First published on Lookaly).”  Dean Langasco, I Love Mondays

Who Should Attend?

This session is for anyone who wants to gain a quick-fire overview of what social media is and how it can be incorporated into a business marketing and networking strategy.   It is most suitable for those who are new to online marketing, or those in the very early stages.

Results

This seminar will help you to:

• Understand the benefits and meaning behind the jargon and hype
• Know what to do to establish a professional online profile
• Access relevant industry information and local business assistance
• Keep in touch with your customers to encourage repeat sales
• Network more effectively with other SMEs

Thanks to South West College, Omagh, who are hosting this event.

A similar event will be held in Limavady.

I delivered this presentation at Twitter: Understanding Its Networking Value, a seminar run by Legal Island, as part of its Business for Breakfast Series.

This week, we are launching a new service, Online Coaching in Social Media.

Who is it for?

We design and delivery a fair amount of social media seminars and workshops.  Our customers are drawn from those who are just starting a business and those who are attempting to expand their business.  This also includes more established organisations, who are attempting to seek new ways to market what they do and expand their network or establish a more rounded online presence.

Put simply, whether are an individual or larger organisation and want to learn how to do social media marketing and networking, then this service is for you.  Learn more here.

What does it look like?

• You contact us to book an appointment, at a time that suits you, from a diary of available slots.  We hope to make available slots that are outside the 9-5 routine, as requested by some of you.
• We “meet” online.
• Coaching takes place.  This is via a online conferencing tool, where screens can be shared  for demos and coach and coachee can both see and hear each other.
• You begin to implement the instruction during and after the session, as you wish.
• Ongoing mentoring, advice and coaching is available, depending on need.

If you’d like further details, click here.

What will it help me do?

• Expand your network of business contacts, and therefore the amount of people who know about you and who will help promote your products and services.
• Provide access to new customers, who you have yet to meet!
• Provide access to different customers, in new ways.
• Learn about competitors.
• Establish new relationships with collaborators and partners.

Can’t I just learn this all myself?

Yes, of course, you can learn the basics by yourself.  We don’t intend to spend much time during coaching to show you how to set up profiles.  That takes about 2 minutes.

We’re simply providing the service for those who would like to learn how to make best use of the tools quicker.  We have prepared sessions that will take you to the tips and tricks faster than you would find them all yourself.

What if I prefer coaching in person?

We’ve thought of that too.  If you live and work in Northern Ireland, you may know that we already deliver coaching in many other areas.  See the postcard image above for details, or click here.

Contact us on 028 9043 6634 or info@sensei-winbeforehand.co.uk to express your interest.