|
|
||
|
|
Skills Required in Various Fields of Professional Writing | |
Eleven writers specializing in various areas of writing were invited to share their thoughts on five specific skills that are necessary for their area of writing (beyond the basics of knowing how to write well).
Although each type of writing had specific skills, several skills
were mentioned repeatedly: curiosity and a thirst for learning, ability to research
and verify information, organization, interviewing, self-discipline, maintaining
mental health and perspective, and knowing when to use graphics rather than
words.
Journalism:
Sam Grothe is currently writing for the Boulder County Business Report and has
worked for several papers in Boulder, Sterling, and Summit County. He also does
technical writing.
1. Curiosity and gregariousness
2. Having a "nose for news"
3. Ability to write a good lead sentence and good transitions; knowing when
to use graphics to explain rather than words
4. Objectivity
5. Understanding libel law and journalistic ethics
Business Writing:
Kelly Robbins owns Robbins Resources, a copywriting company, and writes a monthly
column for the Denver Business Journal. She has over 13 years corporate writing
experience.
1. Research skills - always verify information from sources
2. Interviewing techniques - what questions to ask and how to ask them
3. General industry/business knowledge
4. Thirst for knowledge in general
5. Discipline and the ability to stay focused
Sally Bell runs Bell Communications and has 15 years experience as a corporate writer, writing speeches, media releases, newsletters, and brochures. Prior to her corporate writing work, she was a reporter for 15 years, the last seven as a business writer.
1. General business knowledge and specific knowledge of particular area
2. Background in journalism, public relations, or ad copy
3. Effective interviewing skills - on the phone and face-to-face
4. Versatility in writing styles - formal and informal
5. Ability to sell yourself to potential employers
Technical Writing:
Marella Colyvas has been a technical writer for 20 years, including work with
Electronic Data Systems which eventually bought her company. She is now working
on a policies and procedures project for Sun Microsystems.
1. Ability to think logically, break down complex ideas, and write clearly
2. Ability to determine the true audience, which might not be what your employer
thinks it is
3. Knowledge of the subject matter
4. Knowledge of software necessary to deliver the document via electronic media
5. Ability to put information in a usable format - electronic format has different
challenges than print
Screenplays:
Kevin McCarthy has experience in a variety of writing fields, including technical
writing and critique services for authors. In the past few years he has focused
on creative writing and has written several screenplays, although he notes that
none has yet been successful.
1. Passion - write what you love
2. Perseverance - creative writing is very competitive; Isaac Asimov suggested
that the writer should throw away his first MILLION words.
3. Patience - take time to re-write
4. Perspective - diversify your writing (novels, poems, etc); realize that you
could be a good writer, not necessarily a great writer; understand that the
odds for success are long (but continue to hope that you might be the exception)
5. Professionalism - be polite and charming in the face of others' unprofessionalism
Academic Writing:
Mary Ann Dimand has focused on academic writing for twelve years. She has edited
and written several books on economics, international trade theory, and game
theory. She has also done technical writing for iPlanet/Sun.
1. Domain knowledge - know relevant software, know where to go for interviews
and information
2. Logical organization - sectioning and logical structure within the document
3. Understanding of readers/market and publication styles
4. Team skills - personal relationships can be vital to completing the project
5. Ability to revise - verify references, have work reviewed by journal referees
and other professionals
Marketing Communication:
Ryan DeMares worked as a journalist in the U.S. and Europe and then moved into
public relations and marketing communication. She also holds a PhD. in Interspecies
Communication, specializing with dolphin/human interactions.
1. Understanding how to contribute ideas - in-house, a background in marketing
is helpful because you are part of planning and strategy; as a consultant, having
leading edge ideas is more important because you are not part of the planning
process.
2. High energy
3. Belief in the product/service or the ability to convince the manager that
you believe in it
4. Innovative ideas
5. Fresh perspective
Fiction Writing:
Liz Hill has written four mystery books for young adults. She also has 20 years
experience in technical and business writing and instructional design.
1. Creativity - use your imagination to create "what if" scenarios
2. Understanding of the basics of the craft: scene, genre, balancing writing
well with having a story to tell
3. Understanding that publishing is a business - know what's selling and why
(publishers might not be very helpful in marketing your work)
4. Mental health - be able to accept rejection, and separate yourself from the
book or character
5. Self-motivation - there are no deadlines, so you have to want to write fiction
Scientific Writing:
Barb Miller owns B.J. Miller Communications and has more than 25 years experience
in scientific and technical writing. She is currently working with Avaya on
procedural writing for hardware installation and upgrades.
1. Project planning - analysis of audience, objective of the document, scope
of document (what isn't included is just as important as what is included);
and form (brochure, fact sheet)
2. Organizational skills - remember that the Web is different than print
3. Research skills and curiosity - be able to discard information that you don't
need; know who the subject matter experts are
4. Interviewing skills
5. Visualization - know when a graphic/photo/animation is better than words
Medical Writing:
Emmy Ford is a physician who has her own company specializing in expert content
for print publications and electronic applications. She is a contributing editor
for NHFS Drug Information, a nationally recognized compendium of drug information
in the U.S.
1. Knowledge and experience in science
2. Understanding of statistical concepts - when reading reports of results of
studies and clinical trials, you must know what was done and how credible the
study was
3. Research skills - books, on-line resources, know how to narrow search for
a specific topic
4. Ability to zoom in and zoom out - see the big picture and then be able to
focus on the details; accuracy in details in particularly important in clinical
material
5. Critical judgment and evaluative ability - be able to evaluate the quality
of the information, especially from the Internet; select the most important
sources; be concise
Web content:
Bill Sanders has a background in journalism, library science, research, and
technical writing. He has worked in Web design since 1994 and since 1997 has
spoken at several national and regional conferences. He is currently Director
of Information Management for a Houston-based mobile IT trouble-shooting team.
1. Know the difference between linearity and non-linearity in print and on-line
documents - understand that there are four levels of readership: scan, skim,
read, and research, and that sometimes a print-out will be the best way for
the reader to gain the information
2. Ability to create usable documents and know that your way might not be the
only way to present the material
3. Ability to analyze the intended audience
4. Knowledge of HTML/CSS and knowing what the coder can do with what you write
5. Knowing when to use graphics and which ones to use
6. Understanding that outline/flowchart/storyboard is an iterative process -
outline, then write, then outline what you wrote and compare with original outline.
|