Working on Wordsmithing

Working on Wordsmithing Ryn Daniels  Write/Speak/Code 2017

@rynchantress w/s/c 2017 Ryn Daniels  they/them - @rynchantress Infrastructure Ops
Witch, Travis CI

@rynchantress w/s/c 2017 professional writing

@rynchantress w/s/c 2017 professional != formal

Let’s get going.

@rynchantress w/s/c 2017 What do we write?

@rynchantress w/s/c 2017 short long formal informal

@rynchantress w/s/c 2017 short long formal informal Chat Books Conference
abstracts Talk proposals Resumés Blog posts Pull requests Project proposals Work emails Code reviews Code comments Cover Letters Retrospectives

@rynchantress w/s/c 2017 good writing provides useful, timely information that
the reader needs.

@rynchantress 3 2 1 w/s/c 2017 agenda PREPARING: IDENTIFYING CONTENT
WRITING: PROCESS AND STYLE REVIEWING: FEEDBACK AND EDITING

@rynchantress w/s/c 2017 Preparing:   identifying content

@rynchantress w/s/c 2017 Content: WHAT are you trying to communicate?

@rynchantress w/s/c 2017 what is the outcome I want from
the people who read this? Ask yourself:

@rynchantress w/s/c 2017 which people do i want (or need)
to read this? Ask yourself:

@rynchantress w/s/c 2017 identify your audience

@rynchantress w/s/c 2017

@rynchantress w/s/c 2017 woah that’s a lot of text!

@rynchantress w/s/c 2017 Writing:   Process and style

@rynchantress w/s/c 2017 start with a summary (or a tl;dr)

@rynchantress w/s/c 2017 create an outline

@rynchantress w/s/c 2017 break content into sections

(pay attention to attention spans)

@rynchantress w/s/c 2017 blargh

@rynchantress w/s/c 2017 making information usable

@rynchantress w/s/c 2017 include examples

@rynchantress w/s/c 2017 include different levels of content

@rynchantress w/s/c 2017 err on the side of more information

@rynchantress w/s/c 2017 blargh cat tax!

@rynchantress w/s/c 2017 finding your style

@rynchantress w/s/c 2017 Style guides! (not the code kind)

@rynchantress w/s/c 2017 read the backscroll

@rynchantress w/s/c 2017 short long formal informal Chat Books Conference
abstracts Talk proposals Resumés Blog posts Pull requests Project proposals Work emails Code reviews Code comments Cover Letters Retrospectives

@rynchantress w/s/c 2017 Reviewing:  Feedback and Editing

@rynchantress w/s/c 2017 blargh

@rynchantress w/s/c 2017 getting feedback

@rynchantress w/s/c 2017 specific feedback groups •Cheerleaders •Critical eyes •Subject
matter experts •Non-SMEs •Your target audience •Your heroes

@rynchantress w/s/c 2017 blargh don’t read the comments

@rynchantress w/s/c 2017 The editing process

@rynchantress w/s/c 2017 •Write •Read through once (and spellcheck!) •Re-read
tricky sections •Wait X amount of time •Internal Feedback •External Feedback •Publish/Send! Repeat as needed }

@rynchantress w/s/c 2017 how much is “as needed”?  How much
time is “x”?

@rynchantress w/s/c 2017 Value Axis 0 50 100 150 200
April May June July August September Length/formality of document Time spent  editing

@rynchantress w/s/c 2017 Length/formality of document Number of cat pictures
0 50 100 150 200 April May June July August September

@rynchantress w/s/c 2017 don’t let the perfect be the enemy
of the good.

Cat Tax

@rynchantress w/s/c 2017 tl;dr

@rynchantress w/s/c 2017 •Identify audience and takeaways •Write some words!
•Ask for and get feedback •iterate (and iterate) and ship •Keep practicing

@rynchantress w/s/c 2017 Thank you!

Working on Wordsmithing

Working on Wordsmithing

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