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Re: TECHWR-L Digest, Vol 34, Issue 16: How did you get started in tech writing?
Subject:Re: TECHWR-L Digest, Vol 34, Issue 16: How did you get started in tech writing? From:wsfn <WSFN -at- rocketmail -dot- com> To:techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com Date:Sat, 16 Aug 2008 06:35:27 -0700 (PDT)
Tech writing is often a career one discovers after they've realized some harsh truthes about popular or sough after careers. In my case, I had become determined to be a museum curator when I was about 15. Long about my Sophmore year of college I got married and started going to school only part time.
I had discovered that Art History books were often really very bad and that if they bored me (an Art History major) they must be painfully dull to students who HAD to take these courses. I decided that I would some day write textbooks. I began to formulate ideas about interative online textbooks and how they would be used at university (library access, note taking tool, paper writing tool, as well as all the textbooks for a term).
I was working as a Temp in an office for 2 weeks when someone asked if I could use the Mac sitting at that desk. I had just written a paper that was required to be typed on a computer (young teacher) and got to reply "yes".
A month later I had been hired as a jr tech writer by Martin Marietta (just before Lockheed merger).
I changed my major and began taking tech writing courses and was running my own department by the time I got my degeree. At 33, my first post-school job got me to move to DC and start my real career as a help system author.
Now I have so many hats and interests, I beginning to think about my first love - art history. I'm still convinced that the technology will eventually catch up to my ideas (laptops are getting there, but not quite strong enough for my ideas) and I can combine my two fields into one.
Fact still remains, that very few earn a living as a museum curator!!!!
~Faye Newsham
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 34
> Date: Fri, 15 Aug 2008 14:35:14 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Karen <ekarenski-techwrl -at- yahoo -dot- com>
> Subject: Re: Poll: Is technical writing a sellout or
> fallback career?
>
> I was actually wondering if I was going to read other's
> responses as to how they started in this profession.
>
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