RE: Managing A Project [long response]

[John Posada <JPosada -at- book -dot- com>]

>I'm a new technical writer, so be nice 
>to me :-)

Why do you SAY such a thing? :-)

>I'm trying to estimate as accurately as possible some
>things for my next technical writing project, to 
>gauge how I'm doing time-wise and organizational-wise,
> so that I can be as effective as possible.
>
>If you can answer just one question, that would be 
>great!  Don't let me overload you!

============
Hi, Alexandra...

Welcome to the world of technical writing.

Regarding your questions. Based on the way I work (seat of the pants,
figuring it out as I go along), some of the questions are easier than
others.

Instead of addressing each one individually, I'll address them in whole.

When I get involved in a project, I do research for maybe 50% of the total
time I expect the whole project to take and 100% of the time at the
beginning. Research in how the system works, research in ways of presenting
the information. ON my computers, I'll create a set of directories that I've
gotten used to and every time I come across a document I may need later, I
put it in a directory. 

I'll create a Framemaker book with certain sections that I know I always
have in my document. Then, as I perform this research, I'll create random
files and sections for each item I think I'll be needing in the document and
some of them come in sets. For instance, if I know it is a software product,
I know I need sections on Installation, Uninstallation, Errors, Output,
Input, etc, At this point, I know I'll be changing names, changing order,
adding, deleting, modifying, bending, folding, and mutilating. I know I'll
be adding others, and combining others. It's pretty much
stream-of-consciousness document assembly, always changing, but at this
point, the sections are empty of content. This is also what I'm showing my
manager so he can adjust my direction.

I'm creating a number of Excel spreadsheets for categorizing my research.
These spreadsheets contain lists of things. In my current project, I have
spreadsheets for lists of MSMQs, Stored Procedures, Databases, Tables,
Servers, Hardware Machine Names, IP addresses, method calls, sections of
logs that our application produces to show what it's doing. Each of these
tables has some column of cells in common with some other table. For
instance, the table of MSMQs has the Virtual Server they run on and the
table of Virtual Servers has the Physical Servers that make up the Virtual
Server. The table of Physical servers includes the IP address of the server.
You get the point. Each of these tables contains multiple columns and some
tables run between 1,700 to 5,300 rows.

I'm creating diagrams. Diagrams on hardware topology, on application data
flow, on process business logic, etc.

I'm saving every email that goes back and forth among the team and for those
that I think I MAY be needing later, I place a flag.

In effect, I'm categorizing as much information as possible and the
relationships of that information before word-1 of content is put on paper.

Only when I have my database of knowledge, do I start writing anything down,
and as I'm writing, this too is stream of consciousness. It's rough, much is
wrong (I know it is wrong at the time, but I know it involves a point I need
to address at some point, it's poor grammatically, but it demonstrates to me
what I know and what I don't.

Then, it's just a matter of working on the things. What things, depending on
the project.

How do I know if I'm taking too long? Experience. A little voice starts
whispering....no....the OTHER voice.

Understand that with my type of documents, they are never done. The system
is evolving, so the documentation continues to evolve. Example...one of my
books is a Build Book, describing how to setup a server, how to install and
configure Win2000, then how to install and configure the application. I see
an email from my boss to a systems guy, saying he needs a server setup
running Linux. Within 3 emails, we'd determined that we need a Build Book
for Linux in addition to Win2000 Advanced Server. They're a living thing.

So...I hope I answered some of your questions. Good luck

=======================

John Posada
Senior Technical Writer
Barnes&Noble.com
jposada -at- book -dot- com
NY: 212-414-6656
Dayton: 732-438-3372
"Alright, nobody move! I've got a dragon here, and I'm not afraid to use it"
---------- Donkey

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