Last month I turned my attention to a new type of project–writing application stories for an electronics manufacturing company. The application stories describe problems customers were having that this company’s engineers and technicians were able to solve using its electronic products. The marketing manager is having me write these so they can be added to the company website. It’s a great way to show people the value of what they are doing and how they can help. I love writing stories of any kind, so it’s an ideal project for me.
The marketing manager sends me a short description of what happened, and I research their catalog, their website, and the customer’s website to write the story. If I don’t have enough information to tell what happened, I write what I think might have happened. That’s fun because I get to be a little creative. I send each story to a product manager who was in charge of the project and ask if I’m close. That gives the person enough to work with to remember what happened and give me more information. I’m pretty close most of the time.
I like the way they have them organized–there are sections labeled Challenge, Solution, and Why This Company? Finally there is a section with information about the product that was used.
It’s been awhile since I dealt with that kind of technical material, so as I began it felt like that part of my brain was a little stiff and needed to limber up. After one of two stories, I’m in the flow again. And my client is very happy with my results.
16 Jun 2010 at 13:30
Debra
Magnet Hospitals
No Comments
Here are a few things to consider when hiring a freelance technical writer or editor. This is written for nursing administrators who are working on Magnet recognition documents but may also apply to others hiring a writer or editor.
- How long has the writer been working at the writing or editing craft? Experience makes a difference.
- Does the writer have experience with the Magnet documentation process and nursing or medical content?
- The reviewers will be nurses but are not likely to be specialists in every area discussed. Can the writer bridge the gap between what nursing specialists are saying and the general knowledge of the reviewers reading it? An outside writer can be objective in spotting ideas that may need to be explained or clarified.
- Can the writer look at the material from an objective and technical point of view and at the same time highlight the successful outcomes that have occurred?
If you need help, please consider using my services. I love to organize the mounds of material required for the document and highlight the outstanding work of direct care nurses. My writing, editing, and performance improvement background makes me uniquely suited for this type of documentation. You can contact me at dbaxter@baxterwrite.com.
10 May 2010 at 13:33
Debra
Magnet Hospitals
No Comments
To apply for Magnet status, organizations must submit written evidence to the American Nursing Credentialing Center (ANCC) following guidelines provided in The Magnet Recognition Program Application Manual. A well-written document is essential for achieving Magnet status or redesignation as a Magnet organization. For the best possible outcome, nursing leaders may want to consider working with a freelance technical writer or editor.
Benefits
Here are some possible benefits:
- Nursing leaders and staff are free to perform their primary function, nursing.
- Targeted writing expertise can make a substantial difference in the clarity and readability of the document.
- An expert writer or editor will highlight the outstanding performance improvement outcomes the organization has achieved and help shine a bright light on its nursing excellence.
What Will the Writer or Editor Do?
Here are a few options for levels of involvement to consider from a writer or editor:
- Writing narratives. Narratives tell the stories of outstanding nursing efforts to improve outcomes for patient care according to evidence-based practice. These are usually gathered from individual nurse contributors. They fill out a form answering a list of questions, and the writer turns the information into a narrative that fits the format expected for the Magnet document. The Magnet team may need to start a year ahead of time for this option. Many of the narratives can be started and have final details filled in closer to the end of the process.
- Content editing documents or narratives. Some Magnet directors form a team of writers to gather the information from contributors and write the narratives. For example, four directors may be assigned to the four main sections of the document. After the team has decided which narratives to use for each of the Source of Evidence (SOE) statements, the freelancer can organize them (if more than one per SOE) in the best way possible to support the SOEs. The editor then edits for clarity, flow, headings, awkward phrasing, wordiness, repetition, etc. and asks about statements that are ambiguous or seem incorrect. Introductions usually need to be added in some places to highlight how the narratives fit the SOE. Most content editors will also copyedit as they go to correct in spelling errors, grammar, etc. and ensure consistency of style. More refined copyediting can be done after contributors have reviewed narratives and sent corrections. Depending on the size and extent of the document you will have, plan to allow 6 months or more for the editor.
- Reviewing the final document. If the team writes the entire document, they can benefit a great deal from having an editor review it for flow, readability, consistency of style, and to evaluate whether or not the narratives support the SOEs. I did this for one hospital in 3 ½ weeks. (Length and the kind of shape the document is in will affect the amount of time it takes.)
If you need help, please consider using my services. You can contact me at dbaxter@baxterwrite.com. My writing, editing, and performance improvement background makes me uniquely suited for this type of documentation. For information about a free guide to writing the document, see http://www.biztechwriter.com/magnet-hospital/
After you’ve organized and written your document, you can make it more professional and readable by editing for style. Even better, you can decide on many style elements before you begin and save a great deal of rework. Consistent use of style improves flow and provides visual cues that help make the document easier to read.
If you’ve ever written an academic document, you were probably required to follow a set of rules for style, such as the MLA (Modern Language Association) format or the APA (American Psychological Association) style. Medical articles may used the AMA (American Medical Association) style. At Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, we used the Chicago Manual of Style (CMS), which most textbook publishers use. Purdue’s Online Writing Lab (OWL) provides MLA and APA guidelines. OWL provides a few guidelines for CMS, but it’s better to have the entire guide.
Here are some tips for writing with style, plus see the sample that follows.
- Start a style sheet with rules you will follow as a guide for any contributors you may have (writer, editors, etc.) and as a reminder to yourself as you add to the document and for future revisions.
- Add formatting guidelines. For example, will the document be single or double spaced? How wide will the margins be? Will paragraphs be indented? List the conventions you want everyone to follow.
- When deciding how to handle words, consult dictionaries and grammar guides first. After that, decisions about words, punctuation, etc., are matters of choice according to style. Style guides also cover more issues, such as how to handle numbers. (I turn to Merriam-Webster first. My favorite grammar guide is the Online Guide to Grammar and Writing at http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/. )
- Your organization may also have “house” rules it wants everyone to follow. Add those to your style sheet.
- If you have contributors, have them use the same reference guides in order to be consistent throughout the document. Record the guides used on the style sheet.
- After you’ve consulted house and professional style guides, you are likely to have more decisions to make about how to handle some elements. Choose the style that works best for you and record it on the style sheet. The main goal is to be consistent.
- As you work on the document and encounter new situations, record the style decisions you make.
- When you’re finished, update the style sheet and store it for future use.
I also recommend this article, “Tips for Writing Magnet Evidence,” from JONA, the Journal of Nursing Administration. http://journals.lww.com/jonajournal/Citation/2010/01000/Tips_for_Writing_Magnet_Evidence.2.aspx
Sample Style Sheet
Formatting
- Left margin, 1.25 inches; right, top, and bottom margins, 1 inch; header 0.5 inches
- Double spacing is used before beginning text for narrative, then change spacing. 1.5 line spacing for all paragraphs.
- All tables have title lines in 25% gray shade and font is bold and centered. All title lines should be keyed to repeat if they split to additional pages.
- Short quotes will be in italics.
- Longer stories told in first person will be regular text with a byline in italics.
Numbers
- 2 years
- 5 days, 2 weeks
- Quantities (2 RNs) and technical numbers use numerals
- Other numbers spelled out for one through nine
Other
Credentials are listed from highest level, then RN, then certifications & then department.
My favorite tool for finding information quickly is Google Desktop. For example, when I work on a document for a Magnet hospital, I often find myself wanting to refer to narratives from other documents. I think to myself, “I know I’ve seen that somewhere.” Rather than looking through documents, I type a search term in Google desktop and find it in seconds. Once I get to the document, I use the Find tool in Word to locate where it is. I also use the Find tool to make sure words are used consistently throughout each document.
Google Desktop is free from Google. http://desktop.google.com
If you’re thinking about starting a business, consider meeting with a SCORE counselor in your area or attending a workshop. I’ve found both to be helpful.
Here’s a description from the SCORE website:
“We are America’s premier source of free and confidential small business advice for entrepreneurs. We offer advice online and in-person at one of our 364 offices nationwide.”
www.score.org
Are you writing a nonfiction book—or hoping to someday? Want to learn how to write clearly and concisely, tame Microsoft Word, work with editors, or get started on the path to publishing? If so, check out the information provided by my colleague and former coworker, Kathy Carter. She is providing excellent advice for nonfiction book writers.
If you need to hire an editor for your book, I recommend Kathy.
www.cartereditblog.com
Purdue University provides an Online Writing Lab (OWL) with excellent resources and instructional materials. One section provides resources for many areas of professional writing. Topics include effective workplace writing, audience analysis, employment documents, and prewriting.
Purdue Online Writing Lab: Workplace Writers
OWL also provides help for academic writers. See the sections on APA guidelines and the MLA Formatting and Style Guide.
Check out this site for help with software documentation and other forms of user assistance . In addition to about 250 useful links for technical writers, the site provides checklists and up-to-date market surveys of more than 350 help authoring tools, screen capture tools, screencasting tools and other utilities for technical communicators. All information can also be downloaded as a PDF booklet (approx. 100 pages).
http://www.indoition.com/index.html
Here’s an article for performance consultants with suggestions that freelance writers and editors might want to consider:
Mergers, layoffs, outsourcing, and travel cut-backs: these factors are all contributing to big challenges for HPT consultants. Whether you are an internal or an external consultant, it is more important than ever to effectively use techniques and technologies to manage projects at a distance. As virtual project teams have permeated organizations of all types, many challenges and opportunities have been documented.
For more, go to the October issue of Performance Xpress from the International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI). The article is “Virtual Consulting: Effective Partnerships Across Time and Space,” by Diane Gayeski, Gayeski Analytics. http://performancexpress.org/0910/
