I’ve been getting a tons of emails from new Technical Writers. I wanted to say that I have loved to talk to all of you, and to keep them coming. One can never meet enough great people. I realized just now that have forgotten to say to you what makes a great Technical Writer, and not just a good one.
DO NOT let your ego get in the way.
Everything that you do in life requires practice and constant learning, and this is especially true with technical writing. It doesn’t matter if you have been a writer for over 20 years, you still have room to grow. Don’t think that you are the “best of the best” because that will be your downfall. You’ve heard the story of the Hare and the Tortoise. His cocky ways made him lose the race to the slower-moving tortoise. Yep, it’s usually what happens. I’ve met so many writers with tons of experience who were not as good as new ones coming in. Why? They had become stuck, mainly mentally.
I’ve made it a lifelong goal to always learn something new every day. I know that I don’t know everything. When I go into an interview, and they ask me if they think I’m an expert on technical writing or proposal writing. I always say that I am, but that doesn’t mean that I know everything. I will always continue learning because this will continue to make me a better writer. You should be reading, writing (even if it’s not a technical document or proposal), and attending workshops.
The passion to wanting to learn is what makes a great Technical Writer; not years of experience.
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Tags: knowledge is key, practice writing, Technical writer, technical writing, writers continue learning
