Posts Tagged ‘Writing Life’
Technical Writing: Corporate Payroll or Freelancing?
Should you choose freelancing or go on a corporate payroll to work as a technical communicator? I get this question from my readers on a more or less regular basis: “Should I quit my company and set up shop as an independent entrepreneur offering technical writing services? Should I just launch a web site and…
Read MoreHow to Tolerate Ambiguity in Technical Writing and Keep Anxiety Under Control
© Ugur Akinci Technical communicators need to have a healthy capacity to tolerate ambiguity; not permanently throughout a project, but during certain phases of it. William Goldman, the award-winning screenplay writer and filmmaker, is famous for describing Hollywood as a place where “nobody knows anything.” And he meant it. The situation is not that bad…
Read MoreShould You Always Write to Communicate? How About Good'Old "Talking"?
© Ugur Akinci OK, I admit the irony upfront: this is a written argument about talking 🙂 But given my daily workload, I unfortunately still don’t have the time to create well-produced videos. So writing is still the quickest way for me to put an idea across. Yet, this is an important issue that also explains…
Read MoreIndoition Honors TCC as a "Top 50 Blog" in Technical Communications
Recognition is always nice. We all do what we do because we’re fascinated with the topic. We love it. Chances are we’d continue doing it even if nobody was aware of it. But still… we’re all human. And a little recognition does not hurt either 🙂 We are happy and proud to share with you…
Read MoreA Great FREE Online Typing Program to Improve Your Personal Productivity
© 2011 Ugur Akinci If you need to improve your typing skills by learning how to type 10-fingers here is a great free online program: http://www.sense-lang.org If you know other online typing programs, feel free to share it by commenting. Many thanks in advance!
Read MoreShould You Use Text or Video in Your Posts & Publications?
We need to make a lot of choices every day. The familiar refrain of “paper or plastic?” represents one such mundane choice that we are faced with when we stop by at a supermarket for shopping. Another choice I’m faced with on a regular basis is “text or video” in sharing useful technical writing tips…
Read MoreHow Technical Communication has ruined The Movies for me
© Ugur Akinci There used to be a time when I was simply nuts for the movies… I used to watch them, think about them, analyze and write about them. I actually ended up writing 6 unproduced feature-length screenplays as well. At one point I even started to coach other junior-level writers on how to…
Read MoreGraphic Design & Single-Sourcing — Revitalize Your Technical Communication Career in the Post-Writing Phase
© 2010 Ugur Akinci Technical communication is a great exciting field full of material and non-material rewards. But if you’ve been in the business for 5 or over 10 years, things can start getting a bit stale. You’ll know when that time comes to push your career up to a new orbit. You can spark…
Read MoreUse Cases — Revitalize Your Technical Communication Career in the Pre-Writing Phase
© Ugur Akinci The first few years of a typical technical communication career are great. You’re full of enthusiasm for your well-paying job and happy to generate one user manual after another. Yet after 5 or 10 years some of us hit a plateau. All of a sudden, the same job is not nearly as…
Read MoreShould You Get a Technical Communication (or Writing) Certificate, or Diploma?
© 2010 Ugur Akinci Here’s a question TCC readers ask me often: “Should I get a diploma or certificate in technical writing/communication?” I’m big on education and training. But my answer to this question is always: “It depends.” Let me explain. First off, if your current or prospective employer demands that you get a certificate…
Read More