September 5, 2008

I am even more interested in this class and its potential benefits now that I had the opportunity to read a little and start to understand how it pertains to technical writing. Previous English classes dealt little with persuasion and even less with usability. While my real-world experience clued me in to the need for both of these characteristics in my writing, I think it should be at the height of importance once basic writing skills are attained.

I think the section of Chapter 1, where I was asked to read the example memo and write my reaction line by line, was representative of a major break-down in communication that unfortunately happens every day. Whether it was the writer's intention to create hostility or not, as the recipient I immediately felt defensive and lost all desire to cooperate; therefore, any chance of quick resolution was eliminated.

With so much correspondence going back and forth during my work day, it is easy to lose structure. Chapter 20 brings the reasons for structure and "rules" to light. What I take from this reminder is that although I feel like I am saving time and being more efficient, in reality I am losing effectiveness. I have already considered ways to implement reader-centered practices in my work.

Given that a proposal for our research project is one of the first things we will submit for grading, I am incredibly interested in learning how to compose this type of document using the reader-centered approach. This is the type of writing, discussed thus far, with which I am least familiar. The information in the book is easy to follow and process, but I am hoping that the lecture and class discussion will help strengthen my understanding. I am curious to see how the protection aspect will come into play for our proposals.

September 8, 2008

Writing is a large part of my life. From writing lists of random words when I was first learning to form letters, to writing research papers in school and composing memos and evaluations in my job, writing has fulfilled a need to communicate. I have evolved in how I write and also why I write, or do not write, in certain styles. As a young girl, I wrote simple thoughts and used so much of my secluded imagination to supplement stories that the words alone were not sufficient to effectively express what I wanted to say, according to anyone else. In my teen years, perhaps due to my inability to capture the interests of outsiders in my prior efforts, I believed that I lacked the creativity necessary to write anything fiction; therefore, I despised the thought of writing for purposes other than research. I did, however, rely on the calming effect writing my thoughts had and used diaries and journals as an outlet for so many typical teen issues. Currently, the things I write are vital to the day to day operation of a thriving business. I enjoy the act of writing, whether it is for research, personal reflection, or other communication. Writing more effectively is an ever-present goal of mine. My audience's time is valuable, and I am ill at the thought that reading something I write is an experience that will not satisfy them.