Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

So much in this technical writing course has been new to me; or rather, I’m learning to approach writing differently. In part, I think it’s an indication of how much things have changed since I was last in an academic setting. It’s challenging to re-think, and rollback, deeply ingrained habits. But, it’s been a valuable experience.

Stand-out new skills included giving/receiving peer review, and writing with “You” attitude; with each placing emphasis on the audience. I’ve begun to write with “You” attitude in my professional life; in donor relations, we always consider the interests, preferences, and sensitivities of a supporter.

My writing has always been “wordy”. The tools learned for self-editing, for example, removing unnecessary words, passive voice, etc., are helpful. There is still work to, but I’m coming away with a sharper eye on the editing process, and a deeper understanding of the economy of words.

I’m still not 100% satisfied with the design of my web folio. I attempted (again) to play around with different templates, widgets, images, and colors. But, I’m not sure that I’ll ever be 100% satisfied, because I’m not sure we ever get to completion.

One of the things that I’ve valued about returning to university, is the ability to collaborate with a younger generation. It’s interesting to explore their work, and for them to explore mine. They’ve been exposed to a technical skill set that wasn’t around when I first entered university; I’ve learned so much from observing them.

The challenge with writing is that it’s often difficult to know when to a piece is complete. But, I believe, we never really reach completion. We can always do more revising, self-editing, learning, and attempt new things.

This is approaching completion.