You cannot expect inspiration to strike on your timetable. However, as last week’s post Consistency Is a Key to Creativity mentioned, if you practice creativity you are more likely to generate fresh ideas when you need them. Why do...
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Effective infographics can say more with a picture than a thousand words. So how can technical writers use infographics most effectively? Although we’ve blogged about infographics before in the post Infographics: Information at a Glance, we’ve never applied them...
A surprising key to unlocking creativity might be the last thing you expect, and that is consistency. We might assume creative types are those who wait for inspiration to strike, then delve into a frenzy of creativity. The elusive...
Historically, technical writers worked with one product from start to finish. That meant beginning with an outline for the product or piece of equipment, writing the content, and then formatting it for delivery. In some industries, technical communication is...
When I first started writing this blog it was very difficult for me. I would sit looking at a blank screen for hours fretting about what to write. Generating ideas for topics was not the issue. My issue was...
Unclear instruction manuals or confusing user guides have become amusing tropes in our society. How many parents have looked cross-eyed at directions for constructing a doll house or a model car and wanted to wad them up and toss...
At some point, most people have heard the theory that the right side of your brain controls the muscles on the left side of your body, and the left side of your brain controls the muscles on the right...
Before you sit down at the keyboard to type your next technical document, consider these five tips to enhance the effectiveness of your writing: Planning Word Choice Clarity Brevity Simplicity Planning Take some time before you start to consider...
I am an ultramarathon trail runner. When I run in a race, I must make sure I have what I need to keep running for 30+ hours. I cannot rely on an aid station to have the food I...
Studies have long shown that adult learners retain approximately 26 percent of what they learn in a workshop if the content isn’t reinforced or deployed within a few weeks of the program. That means roughly 74 percent of the...