Crazy for Words

Neat Link - Another Tool for Your Collection

2010-03-12T17:01:00Z

My friend sent me this link to Pipl.com. (Thanks, Lisa!) It's a great way to do a quick search to see how you appear to others on the NET. It's pretty fast, and it consolidates multiple social media sites.

Interesting Take on Self-publishing

2010-03-12T16:57:00Z

Rachelle Gardner's blog had an interesting take on self-publishing. I like her postings. She is a literary agent who offers some very candid advice to those looking to get published.

Happy writing!

Spring, Creativity, and Miscellaneous Junk

2010-03-11T00:13:00Z

Spring is about to make an appearance here in Central Virginia. It's been a tough, cold winter. I'm thrilled that the temperatures are in the mid-60s this week. And we just measured all our snow this year in inches. A lot of my friends were measuring in feet and yards.

The warm weather is inspiring. It's time to get out and do. I'm tired of hibernating. It's time to clean up, give away, or recycle. Start new projects and do something new.

Celebrate and enjoy the warmer weather! And don't forget to spring forward this weekend.

Enjoy and be creative!

Screenshots in Your Documentation

2010-03-11T00:09:00Z

It's always important to provide illustrations in your user and training materials. Make sure that the screenshots look professional.

Don't use real customer data in your examples. You have an obligation to protect confidential or sensitive data. (If you haven't looked at yours lately, you may want to look through them.)

If you use technology or a graphics package to obfuscate or cover sensitive information, make sure that someone can't take the layers apart to access the data.

Make sure that your screenshots match the step that you're defining. Make sure all field names and titles match.

Customer Service...Great Expectations?

2010-03-10T23:58:00Z

I went to get groceries last week. I was ready to check out about 9:30 AM. It was on the weekend. Most of the world is up by 9:30. There were over 20 check out lines - and two were open. Well, sort of. The two cashiers there didn't have any bags or their cash drawers. One lady had to go find a key. After everyone got his/her supplies, the lines were about eight people deep. There were two managers standing nearby, and they kept telling the growing crowd things like, "Sorry! We're understaffed." But, they never jumped in to assist or to call someone who could.

I logged a complaint on the store's website. I was impressed that I got a call from the store's manager within forty-eight hours. She was helpful, and she said that she would address my issue with her managers.

Really, there were several issues...

1. If there is an issue (like understaffing), the leaders need to jump in to help or get assistance.
2. Thanks for updating me on the cause, but I'm the customer. I don't care why you're understaffed. Do something. Just don't stand there and make excuses.
3. If you're a worker, and you see a backup in your area, get it together and get moving. I saw two unprepared staffers who acted like they didn't want to be there.
4. I was pleased that I got an actual human response from my email. I thought it was going to get lost in cyberspace.

Make sure that your customers see value in you. Make their experience worthwhile. (I'm hoping my shopping experience this weekend will be better...my fingers and toes are crossed.)

Interesting Site - Arts

2010-03-10T23:57:00Z

This is an interesting site on the arts in Virginia. (And if you like contests, they have some great ones for travel.) Be creative and enjoy!

Women, Work, and the Art of Savoir Faire

2010-02-07T12:36:00Z

I just finished Mireille Guiliano's Women, Work, and the Art of Savoir Faire: Business Sense and Sensibility. I'm on a management and leadership book kick recently, and it's nice when they have a female perspective.

This one is well organized and filled with anecdotes that highlight her key points. (The recipes in the back are a nice touch too. Even though I'm not brave enough to attempt a couple of them.) She covers everything from behavior, mentoring, and leadership to dress and communication skills. I like her style and presentation. It's a good read that doesn't feel like a self-help book.

Let me know what you're reading and if you come across anything that's worth sharing.

Enjoy your Super Bowl Sunday! We'll be digging out for a couple of days from the latest snow storm.

More Reasons to Proofread...

2010-01-31T15:29:00Z

Here are some bloopers and whoopsies that I've seen recently...

Outback Steakhouse Coaster:

“Zagat said we have the #1 Best Steak. Actually, you said it, they repeated it.” (We need to work on the punctuation.)

My technical writer found this one…

Click the risk score beside the appropriate risk on the risk matrix to access the Risk Edit View where the Risk Significance can be updated.

“Stationary” appeared on an aisle sign in Target. (I guess the paper wasn't going anywhere.)

I saw this (very large banner) on Hull Street Road in Richmond… “Gallary Unisex Sallon – Booth Availible – 3 Months Rent for $75 a week” (Lots of creative spelling...)

On Fox News, they advertised a “News Upadte.” (Whoops!)

Larry Michael on “Redskins Nation” described a coach who “knew what lied ahead.”

Where'd Ya Learn Your Stuff?

2010-01-30T15:13:00Z

It's been rough, and everyone's been hit in one way or another by the economy. Someone gave an update in church last week about the upcoming (county and school) budget cuts and what they will mean for my county, Chesterfield. We know that cuts are needed, but it's difficult to realize the severity, especially if it means an end to some or all extracurricular activities.

I just finished reading Jeannette Wall's The Glass Castle. (It's a very good story about overcoming adversity.) She honed her journalism skills on her high school paper, and it provided her with a way out of the abject poverty of Welch, WV.

According to VH-1's "Save the Music," "Many of American's greatest thinkers, innovators, and leaders all have one thing in common: before they made history, they learned how to play a musical instrument."

I got my first full-time job because of my work in high school and college with literary magazines and the yearbook.

We all know cuts need to be made, but we need to find ways to preserve the extracurricular activities, especially the arts. Without them, it would be a very long day for students and teachers. I can't imagine a school day without art and music.

It's a Matter of Perception

2010-01-30T14:54:00Z

We, like most of the continental US, have been experiencing a rollercoaster of weather in the past couple of weeks. We suffered through a snowstorm and an arctic blast, only to have the temperatures jump to the 50s and 60s. (That was earlier in the week. We're in the middle of another snow storm right now.) We had some nine and ten-degree mornings. What an awakening! When the temperatures changed from the teens to the fifties, it felt good. It's all a matter of perception. In the spring, I'd be the first one to say that fifty-five was chilly.

Perception is something we have to pay attention to in the work world. How do your customers and co-workers see you and your work? Are you an asset who provides detailed documentation by the deadline? Or are you seen as overhead? If you are, your tasks are the first to get cut when the project is behind schedule or over-budget.

You need to make sure that as a professional writer that you return calls and messages promptly. Make sure that your work is organized and error-free. Your team members need to know that you go above and beyond and that you get things done. You need to make sure that you're the one they can't live without.

It's all a matter of perception, and right or wrong, that's how others see you. If they think they can live without your contributions, then it could happen.

Stay warm, and if you're on the Atlantic seaboard, stay in and hibernate.

Poe and Parker

2010-01-21T00:02:00Z

What a day a week in the world of mystery and detection...

It seems that the visitor to Poe's grave in Baltimore (for close to 60 years) was a no show this year. I was shocked when I read the paper this morning. I hope all's well. Did he/she stop because of the 200th anniversary last year? May be we'll find out next January? I hate to see the tradition end. Richmond, VA has a claim to Poe. (His mother is buried at St. John's Church.) If you're ever in downtown, you need to stop by the Poe Museum. It's in the restored stone house, the oldest, remaining home in Richmond. Poe didn't live there, but they have some wonderful exhibits, a lovely garden in the middle of the city, and great "unhappy" hours.

Mystery writer, Robert B. Parker died yesterday. I loved his Spenser series. I took the most wonderful class as an undergraduate, "Mystery and Detective Fiction," and that's where I was first introduced to Spenser and Hawk.

I'm a little melancholic. I'll miss Parker and the stories of Poe's visitor.

Keep reading!

A Story of Giving

2010-01-18T14:17:00Z

I read an article in Parade yesterday by Kevin Salwen. This family decided to make a difference. They sold their house and downsized. As a family, they decided how to use half of the proceeds. In the article, Salwen talked about living in such a large home. They were all in the house, but they did activities that separated them. The project drew them closer together as a family.

This article and this act of love were impressive. They had a great idea, and they did something about it. I hope others have the courage to act. Find ways with your own situation where you can make a difference. It's a great reminder for this Day of Service in honor of Dr. King.

GoodReads.com

2010-01-18T14:09:00Z

My friend invited me to join GoodReads.com. I like how you can link this to your Facebook page. I also like getting recommendations and reviews of a variety of books.

It has a great search feature, and you can use it like other social media sites to find friends. Get connected, and send me an update of what you're reading.

Happy Monday!

Staying Current

2010-01-18T13:55:00Z

Hopefully 2010 will be better economically. We've all had to cut back over the past few years. Make sure that you find ways to stay current in your field. Don't let your education lapse because of economics. Here are some things we've done recently...

1. I perused websites in my department's fields for online classes. One even had an "end of the year half-price sale," and it made it affordable enough so we could each take a class. We did a knowledge share at the end so that we all got the highlights of all the classes.

2. Look for websites, blogs, Twitter feeds of others in your discipline. Use these for Q&A or knowledge shares.

3. Look at websites and publications from professional organizations. Many have free parts to their sites. Membership is often affordable. My professional membership offers some white papers and access to its library.

4. If you can't travel to conferences, check to see if you can buy the conference notes. These have a lot of good information in them from the sessions.

5. Look for training consortiums in your area. Our training coordinator has a knack for finding open slots in low-cost classes that are sponsored by other business or community colleges.

Keep learning! Don't stagnate because the money's not available for training or travel. Sometimes, you just have to be a little creative.

Penpals

2010-01-09T15:40:00Z

Does anyone have penpals anymore (the snail mail kind)? I do. We've been writing since the third grade. She's moved around New Zealand and Australia over the years, and I've moved around Virginia. We've never met face-to-face, but we've talked on the phone several times. She called on 9-11, and it meant a lot to me that America wasn't alone that day. (Hey, back before social media, we even exchanged cassette tapes...Okay, I'm dating myself.) We've been penpals since I wrote to a children's magazine in 1975 requesting a penfriend in another country.

I was just curious to see if anyone writes letters (that they need envelopes for) any more. Let me know what you're up to.

An English Major in an IT World

2010-01-09T15:09:00Z

I can diagram sentences...What am I doing in a techie world? I used to wonder how I ended up in IT. I began my journey in IT as a technical writer. I had been a one in a past life for a company that did manufacturing, so it wasn't that much of a transition. The industry was different, but the skills transferred.

There's more of a connection than some people realize. Here are some of the skills that help me daily with quality assurance and technical writing/editing:

1. Writing, editing, and proofreading
2. Organizing (outlining, arranging, rearranging)
3. Planning
4. Communication skills (written and verbal)
5. Formatting (documents, spreadsheets, and presentations)
6. Researching
7. Translating (I can translate complex ideas into Plain English.)
8. Adapting to software changes (I'm comfortable with using software and technology, and I have an idea of how it should work.)

Explore your options...

I'm not the only one...

2010-01-09T14:29:00Z

It thought it was just me. I'm trying to hibernate and stay in and away from the arctic air that's been hanging around for a while. I saw this on CNN. The animals at the Miami Zoo aren't really fond of the frigid temperatures either.

Be safe and stay warm. Stay in and read a good book.

Resolutions?

2010-01-01T14:16:00Z

It's 2010. Did you make resolutions? Here are some that I've refined...

Give yourself permission to discard sentences, paragraphs, chapters, or manuscripts. If you think it's worth saving, put it in an idea file for later. If you don't think it's working, cut it. If you think it's not right, then chances are it needs to be reworked or removed.

Give yourself permission to stop reading a book that you're not enjoying. I used to think that I had to finish it because I'd invested 100+ pages. Not anymore. Life's too short. Move on to something that you enjoy. This applies to movies too. We have a 15-minute rule for DVDs. If it doesn't grab us, we move on to something else.

And listen to how you "talk to yourself." How do you respond to yourself in your head? Is it always a put down or what a friend would be offended by? If it's always negative, work on ways to make it positive. You sabotage yourself when you constantly dwell on the negative.

Best wishes in 2010. Keep reading, writing, and revising!

List of Banished 2009 Words

2010-01-01T14:12:00Z

I saw in this morning's paper that Lake Superior State College has released its list of words that need to be banished from the Queen's English from 2009. Check it out. Quite a few are favorites of popular media.

Happy New Year!

Playlists...Dancing with Technology

2009-12-31T17:47:00Z

I finally moved in the direction of the 21st Century this year. (I work in IT. I deal with technology all day. I like to unplug when I get home. My 20-something co-workers tease me constantly about not texting and turning off my cell.) But I did get an MP3 player for Christmas. (My 5 year-old niece has had one for a year and half.) I love it. I wear it to Wal-mart during my weekly (not so much fun) grocery pilgrimages. It makes the experience better. I just hope I'm not dancing or singing in the aisles. (I'm tone deaf, and I lip synch in church.)

This is progress for a young 40-something who still has vinyl and cassette tapes stashed in the closet upstairs. I used to buy an album or a CD for one song, so downloading music solves that problem.

I'm the organizer, and this lets me make lists in another media. I love making playlists. I've got one for almost every mood -- happy, nostalgic, play-it-loud-and-drown-out-the-world,...

I'm not sure if I'm ready to tackle Smartphones or electronic books for home-use yet. My cell phone is just a phone, and I still have a land-line. And I still like holding on to the books that I read. May be these will be my next great technological ventures. There could still be hope!

Happy New Year!