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In seeking to combine my background in Physics and English, I have found myself drawn to the field of technical writing and editing. I began as the in-house science writer for a smoking cessation research lab, where I broadened my writing and editing skills by creating various types of texts, including peer-reviewed manuscripts, speaking texts and posters (for presentation at scientific conferences), press releases, and Federal and industry grant proposals, as well as the development of training and educational materials for a smoking cessation treatment program developed and designed by the lab. I then moved into computer writing and editing with a position in Apple Computer, Inc.'s Developer Technical Support Group. I focused on two main forms of documentation for Apple:
This documentation can be found on Apple's web site at http://devworld.apple.com/technotes/tn/tn-3.html (Technotes 1001 to 1050) and http://devworld.apple.com/dev/qa.html. In both cases, my responsibilities included meeting with Apple engineers and working with them to situate their chosen topic within the framework of software and hardware developers' needs, verify the accuracy of the information they provided, and sharpen the language and construction of the piece, creating a clear and complete addition to the body of Macintosh documentation. Above all, our documentation needed to be useful both to Mac veterans and newcomers to the Macintosh platform. I was also responsible for maintaining the DTS website, which reproduced the two types of documentation online, as the quickest means of disseminating the information to Mac developers worldwide. My work for RWD Technologies took on more of an editorial focus (although I participated in the update of the document standard used by our engineers in the largest project family for our major client). The deliverables we produced included software documentation, both for system administrators as well as for lay users of the system. We also produced job aids (step-by-step instructions for performing necessary tasks) which were used both in training materials and in the reference documentation created in our offices. My time at Apple and RWD helped focus my attention on the editing aspect of writing, and I have been able to sharpen my "editorial eye"-not only in copy editing but in high-level editing issues such as document conceptualization, tone, and delivery, all of which are necessary aspects in creating clear and practical documentation tools. Since December 1998, I have taken the plunge as a freelance writer/editor. My clients have ranged from academic medical researchers to web service start-ups. I have provided manuscript editing, website editing, concept creation, and technical writing services. |