#10022
Angels and Copy Editors Defend Us!
Tinkering with the author's words simply because 'I would not write them that way' is not discretion, but interference. Preserving the author's authentic voice is as important as enhancing its presentation so as to maintain the authority of the words. Of what, then, does the enhancing consist? And how does editorial discretion fit in?
Fothergill-Brown, Ann. Writer's Block (1999). Articles>Writing>Editing
#19564
The Art of Selling: Your Sales Techniques Must Fit the Product and the Times
A successful marketing representative shares her secrets on proven ways to sell writing consulting services.
Olive, Jo-Anne. Writer's Block (1996). Careers>Consulting>Marketing
#19550
Becoming Your Own Corporation: Boon or Bust?
Writers today are being advised to stop thinking in terms of building a life-long career with one employer, and instead view themselves as a one-person corporation offering specialized services to whomever is willing to pay the highest price.
Zvalo, Peter. Writer's Block (2000). Careers>Freelance>Consulting
#19556
How to tell your client the truth even when a project isn't working out as planned.
Holland, Anton. Writer's Block (1995). Careers>Freelance>Consulting
#10066
Building a Technical Writing Portfolio
Technical writing is one of the few careers in which building a portfolio can be almost impossible. A technical writing portfolio is not limited by your experience, but by your imagination. And a good imagination is one of the things employers like to see in a technical writer.
Dodson, Linnea. Writer's Block (1999). Careers>Portfolios
#19558
Writers, of course, seldom find themselves in life-and-death situations. However, the way in which a writing project is managed can often mean the difference between a project’s failure and success. For writers managing a project, obtaining backup consists of two issues: making sure someone can continue your work if something prevents you from doing so yourself; and knowing how to get help when you can’t keep your head above water.
Holland, Anton. Writer's Block (1995). Articles>Writing>Workflow
#13609
The written language of China has the potential to create new international dialogue. But will the endangered script survive long enough to do it?
Pomerinke, Tracy. Writer's Block (2001). Articles>Language>Regional>China
#19566
Communicating the Impossible: Is Technology Creating Information Overload?
It is sometimes puzzling why so much of the information to which present-day people are being exposed is so weak. One possible explanation is that because technology makes it so easy to create and distribute large quantities of information in a very short period of time, the creators of the information become more concerned with quantity rather than quality. Is this simply an oversight, a result of too many technocrats who believe that because they created the tools, they are also the best qualified to use them? Or is this phenomenon a deliberate mechanism that has been devised to justify the need for continued technological progress (i.e., more sophisticated communication tools)? One fact is becoming clear: the people driving technology into the future often do not devote enough attention to the quality of information.
Vasdi, Peter and Peter Zvalo. Writer's Block (1996). Articles>Writing>Communication
#10067
Communications Is Everyone's Business
As we enter the new millennium, we have the benefit of a host of electronic tools that make the dissemination of information to an unlimited number of recipients virtually instantaneous. But these relatively new tools are only as effective as the quality of the content they carry, and are still dependent on a person's ability to organize and present information in a coherent manner.
#13608
Corporatespeak: Deconstructing the New Language of Business
Business has a language all its own that changes almost daily. It is a language that is limiting, that denies possibility, and that excludes creative thinking. It is also the language with which industry players must grapple in their struggle to make money from new technology.
Leiper, Jeff. Writer's Block (2002). Articles>Business Communication>Rhetoric
#10068
Cover letters can mean the difference between your work being read and being tossed callously into the nearest wastebasket. Writing cover letters makes me feel stupid and small, as though I were begging some faceless entity (read: editor) to acknowledge my pitiful existence.
Van Nooten, Sylvia. Writer's Block (1999). Careers>Resumes>Cover Letters
#19565
Creating the Right Image Doesn't End with the Signing of a Contract
Helpful hints on how writers can create a positive first impression with clients.
Holland, Anton. Writer's Block (1996). Careers>Consulting>Communication
#13606
Deconstructing the Author Photo
Let's be honest. Writers used to be a homely lot and most of them still are. The general unattractiveness that spurs them to write in the first place (versus, say, leaving the house) is compounded by a characteristic, bloodshot squint earned through hours of deciphering Canada Council grant applications and the night before's Molson marinade, downed to obliterate the rejection-letter blues. Lighting and soft lenses can only hide so much. Yet publishers insist on including the author's photo on the book jacket, their unsightly portraits like roadside accidents from which you can't turn away. Trolls belong under the bridge, not on the bridge's architectural brochure.
Boucher, Lorie. Writer's Block (2002). Articles>Publishing>Marketing
#19777
Deke, an abbreviation of decoy, is Canadian hockey slang meaning to deceive (usually a defensive player) with a fake shot or movement. The term is frequently used outside of the hockey context.
Goldberger, Dalya. Writer's Block. Articles>Language>Writing
#19562
Do You Have the Brain to Be a Writer?
Are some people born to be great writers, or can they learn their way to greatness? An insightful survey of current thought on this age-old debate.
Zvalo, Peter. Writer's Block (1996). Articles>Writing
#10835
Do You Have the Brain to be a Writer?
Parents, teachers, and guidance counsellors sometimes tell children who are anxious about what they're going to do with their life, that they can pursue virtually any career they put their mind to. With determination and lots of hard work, anyone can become a future Prime Minister or President. As reassuring as this sounds, recent findings in the field of brain research suggest that not all people (i.e., brains) are born equal.
Zvalo, Peter. Writer's Block (1996). Careers>Advice
#10071
Documentation Without Documents -- The COIL Model
A description of a Canadian content-management system from the early days of the emerging knowledge management industry. COIL is a document management system that manages the information held in documents, rather than the documents themselves. By integrating more than 1,500 hardcopy pages of legacy documentation into one on-line information resource, COIL provides chart producers with an effective way of consulting the standards and procedures for their GIS, and of managing revisions to those standards and procedures.
#13610
Does Globalization Spell Trouble for Technical Writers?
The nature of work for traditionally white-collar professions such as technical writing, is also changing. While a growing number of professional writers is opting for the life of the freelancer, and enjoying the freedom and earning potential that this lifestyle can provide, many permanent full-time writing positions are being eliminated when work is delegated to temporary or contract workers.
Zvalo, Peter. Writer's Block (2001). Careers>Writing>International
#19560
Editing Sure Has Changed. Or Has It?
It has always been part of the editor's traditional task to search for the mot juste. This was especially true in technical fields: words could not be expected to guide readers if they were not accurate, and the mechanics of production made it costly to change words once they were published. Today, however, particularly in fields where much of what is published can become obsolete within months or weeks, fewer and fewer research organizations employ a full-time copy editor to refine the wording of their texts. Instead, to keep pace with the need for current information, our offices are being equipped with the latest tools for electronic text production.
Bodzin, Gene. Writer's Block (1995). Articles>Editing>History
#19579
English is one of the most powerful tools in the world today. Why English and not another language? Writer Jeff Leiper offers some answers.
Leiper, Jeff. Writer's Block (1998). Articles>Language>Globalization
#19582
Ever wonder why your last business trip abroad was a bust? Maybe it was something you didn't say. Learn what not to do when travelling in a foreign country.
Hansson, Tomas. Writer's Block (1999). Articles>Business Communication>International
#14936
Eureka! The Importance of Good Science Writing 
Today, society is large and scientific experiments across the world are carried out by people who are usually hidden from public view. So much of what scientists do affects our daily lives, yet most people remain largely unaware of how scientists use their (mostly public) funding, and how their work affects them. Good science writing helps us understand what scientists around the world are up to.
Holland, Anton. Writer's Block (2002). Articles>Scientific Communication
#29194
Eureka! The Relationship of Good Science Writing to Risk Communication 
A look at the importance of science writing in helping the public to understand issues that affect our daily lives so that we can make informed decisions concerning risk.
Holland, Anton. Writer's Block (2005). Articles>Scientific Communication>Risk Communication
#19557
Fighting for the Ultimate Desktop
Lately, articles have been appearing in some computer magazines expressing disappointment at the failure of electronic technology to produce a paperless office. What is the problem? Why are offices using more paper than ever before?
Vasdi, Peter. Writer's Block (1995). Articles>Writing>Communication
#19571
Finding the Time: When Deadlines Are Looming, Prioritizing Your Work Gets the Job Done
Professional people today work longer and harder than ever before. Find out how to make the most of a scarce resource—time.
Holland, Anton. Writer's Block (1997). Articles>Writing
