Requests for Proposal: A Call for Standardization

Anyone who has written a proposal knows that it sometimes takes a lot of work to make work. Peter Zvalo makes some suggestions on how to improve the Canadian federal government’s unnecessarily confounding requests for proposals.

Zvalo, Peter. Writer's Block (2003). Articles>Grants>Proposals

Résumés: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

This article offers advice to technical writers about what to inlclude on their resumés, in order to get attention when applying for positions.

Zvalo, Peter. Writer's Block (2001). Careers>Resumes

Schmoozing for Profit: Choose Your Event Carefully, then Start Working the Room

Two short years after the fortunes of many high-tech companies have all but dried up, Peter Zvalo discusses how schmoozing can ease the challenge of marketing technical documentation services.

Zvalo, Peter. Writer's Block (2002). Careers>Consulting>Marketing

Talent vs. Skill in the Modern Writer

Skill, not talent, is the distinguishing factor between the writer whose work others appreciate and the writer whose work only he enjoys. 'Ideas are a dime a dozen' is a helpful aphorism when separating writers into those who think of creating art and those who actually do.

Nihmey, John. Writer's Block (1995). Articles>Writing>Rhetoric

Teamwork Creates a Positive Working Environment

In our present economic system, competition is viewed as a positive force. As children, our parents undoubtedly rewarded us for being the best, the fastest, the cleanest, or the smartest. As adults, we learn very quickly that only the best can be successful in a highly competitive world. While this competitive spirit can often help us to perform to our limits, when applied in its purest form within a work environment (i.e., when the competition is not of the friendly variety) it frequently results in hostilities that are counterproductive to producing good results.

Zvalo, Peter. Writer's Block (1995). Careers>Collaboration>Workplace

Technical Writer Wanted

The interviewee entered her prospective manager's office, eager to answer the questions that she knew would soon be fired at her. Shelley had been through this process a dozen times in the past few months as part of her quest for a technical writing position, and could anticipate the line of questioning. Far from being nervous, she was calm and confident. Phil, the manager, was also well versed in the interview process. Having hired many people during his career, he knew the type of person he was looking to hire. During an interview, his mind would usually be made up within the first few minutes about whether the candidate would get a second interview or would end up having to continue his or her search.

Zvalo, Peter. Writer's Block (2002). Careers>Interviewing>TC

Technology: A Blessing for Writers and Editors?

Computers have changed the way writers and editors work. But are we getting the most from the new tools?

Bodzin, Gene. Writer's Block (1996). Articles>Writing>Editing>Online

Ten Steps to Getting a Writing Job

A hiring manager in a documentation firm offers some advice and tips on getting a writing job.

Collins, John. Writer's Block (1996). Careers>Advice

Understanding the Importance of Style Guides

Style guides describe conventions for virtually every aspect of writing, ranging from such things as spelling, punctuation, and word usage, to structural and formatting issues. With the myriad of style guides in use, the dilemma for many writers is deciding which one to learn and apply in the trade. The answer to this is easy: learn at least one style guide thoroughly and keep a selected few others for backup. In the course of recruiting technical and generalist writers and editors for nearly a decade, I am sometimes shocked at the low level of familiarity with long-established style guides by people who claim to be seasoned professionals in this business. The reality is that it is plainly obvious to spot writers who “claim” to know a style guide and those who have actually taken the time to study it. The proof is in the pudding, as they say. The quality and consistency of a writer’s or editor’s output is the litmus test to how proficient he or she is in applying a given style guide.

Zvalo, Peter. Writer's Block (2002). Articles>Writing>Style Guides

Weaving an Untangled Web: Proper Planning of Your Web Site Will Pay Off

Many people rush eagerly to start playing with the World Wide Web as if it were a new toy. But, unlike a shiny new bicycle, the Web does not come with easy-to-follow assembly instructions: you can easily end up riding backwards down an extremely busy road. To make effective use of a Web site, you need to create your own assembly instructions—a well thought-out plan that positions your Web site as simply another tool in your overall communications or marketing strategy.

Collins, John. Writer's Block (1996). Design>Web Design>Information Design

What Makes a Text Canadian: The Citizenship of Its Author or the Culture-Specific Insight of Its Prose?

Assigning nationality to a text is common practice — a method of categorizing a chaotic assembly of works into easily recognizable, and saleable, slots. The citizenship of an author is considered, by some, to be an adequate marker of the type of texts he or she creates. Yet the notion that Canadian authors produce 'Canadian' texts is problematic and restrictive. It presupposes a definitive Canadian culture on which the author may draw, an inability of the author to supersede his or her cultural inputs, and an acceptance that individual voices can speak for a diverse nation. So why do we gather unlike texts under the 'Canadian' umbrella? Unity is comforting, but diversity is reality in the realm of Canadian literature.

Boucher, Lorie. Writer's Block (2000). Articles>Writing>Regional>Canada

What They Want Is What They Need

Is the customer always right? My uncle Fred would argue that in the microcosm of neighbourhood corner store management the customer had better be always right, or you won't have your corner store for very long. He also knew, however, that regardless of his philosophical approach towards running his business, a lot of his customers who were supposedly right didn't have a clue as to what they were complaining about...but he'd never tell them that.

Holland, Anton. Writer's Block (1995). Careers>Business Communication>Workflow

Who Controls Electronic Rights -- the Publisher or the Writer?

The increased importance of electronic publishing requires publishers and writers to pay greater attention to electronic rights issues. Most contemporary publishing contracts, at least those in which the publisher or writer is represented by counsel, contain some reference to 'electronic rights.'

Rich, Lloyd L. Writer's Block (1998). Articles>Intellectual Property

Why Every Creative Enterprise Needs Redundant Employees

The concept of redundancy is well known in the information technology industry. Redundancy, in this sense is not something to be eliminated, but rather a mechanism to be carefully controlled.

Zvalo, Peter. Writer's Block (1998). Articles>Management

Writer and Subject-Matter Expert: Establishing a Positive Relationship

In a typical documentation project, the writer's role is not to express his or her own thoughts on paper, but rather the knowledge, plans, or ideas of someone else (usually a 'subject-matter expert' or SME). This article suggests ways to establish good working relationships with SMEs.

Zvalo, Peter. Writer's Block (2000). Articles>Interviewing>Writing

Writer's Block

Writer's Block is a Canadian magazine (and e-zine) dedicated to the writing trade. Offers online Articles and Writing tips.

Goldberger, Dalya. Writer's Block. Journals>Writing

Writing in the Presence of Disaster: A Case Study of an Aviation Investigation Report  

The experience of a documentation company in working on a major aircraft accident investigation report.

Thurston, John. Writer's Block (2005). Articles>Writing>Reports>Case Studies

XML: Better Grist from a Better Mill?

In a world of documentation acronyms — ASCII, ANSI, SGML, HTML, DTD, FOSI — I have recently been exposed to the current newcomer on the scene: Extensible Markup Language (XML). For the first time, I'm seriously impressed with the possibility of a true breakthrough documentation solution. I'm particularly impressed that, at last, the industry is thinking of documentation in a way that promises to be practical and useful to us all.

Vasdi, Peter. Writer's Block (1998). Design>Web Design>XML