Help for a new tech writer

[Ronquillo, Michael]

Take this on. This is the only way you will get experience. I joined a
company where not everything was yet defined, and I'm in the process of
rebuilding the structure here.

Also, you won't have to deal with any politics with other Tech Writers
and you get to call the shots.

Good luck.

-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+mronquillo=equitrac.com at lists.techwr-l.com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+mronquillo=equitrac.com at lists.techwr-l.com] On
Behalf Of Jim Mezzanotte
Sent: Tuesday, March 04, 2008 11:59 AM
To: techwr-l at lists.techwr-l.com
Subject: Help for a new tech writer

File this under "careful what you wish for." I've been trying to break
into
technical writing, and now I've plunged right into the deep end. I'm
working
for someone who is gearing up a manufacturing plant from scratch, and he
needs complete documentation for every operation that will take place
there.
Seventy people will be operating the plant when it is up and running. My
background is in print publishing--minimal proficiency in Quark, and
that's
it. He's leaving the software choice--and everything else--up to me.

Am I nuts to take this on? I will be starting slowly, a few days a week,
with research at the plant. All the info I will need is essentially in
the
owner's head, so I will be doing extensive interviews with him. But I
need
to get the right software and a template to work with so I can at least
start plugging things in to some kind of structure. I'm wondering about
Framemaker or Indesign.

I know I haven't given much info (I don't have much yet), but anyone
have
advice for me?   

--New (mildly panicked) tech writer


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