How to Tell or Write a Story
By Rix Quinn

Suppose, just for a moment, that a time machine appears at your front door. You climb aboard, and race far, far back into prehistoric times.

It’s night when you arrive, and you come upon some tribe elders. (Since people didn’t live long then, these old fellas are probably about 29.) They’re sharing stories around a campfire.

Suddenly they notice you, and one guy shouts, “Stranger, where you come from?” (Sounds like a line from an old Tarzan movie, huh?)

Slowly you unweave your story. You speak simply, in short words or phrases, because you want to be understood.

You use simple comparatives. “In my land, we have a machine that looks much like a window. You can look into it, and see stories about people who live far away.

“These people have many problems,” you continue. “We call this machine television. And we call the stories we see soap operas.”

You also appeal to the senses. “If we must go far away very fast, we climb on a giant cart that looks like a bird. And while we fly there, somebody serves us delicious peanuts.”

Your vivid word pictures make listeners want to hear more. So you unweave the additional who, what, where, when, why, and how of your amazing story.

A single theme runs throughout. You employ simple phrases and analogies.

All you need now is a dramatic conclusion – perhaps a short summary – to help people remember your words.

Congratulations. This story is finished. But your career as a writer or speaker has just begun.

Humorist Rix Quinn writes the syndicated humor feature “Poor Rix’s Almanac.” His new book on writing techniques – “Words That Stick” – is available from your local bookstore, or http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1580085768/qid/

3 Reasons Why You Should Nap in a Hammock (Not on a Couch!)
By Pankaj Andy

Have you ever marveled how life would be when the mornings do not turn to nights, your stars remain at a fixed position and the mountains and valleys run without twists and turns? It is droning to be part of such a world and drooping to lead this kind of life. So when we admire flexibility and relish the curves and curvatures in life, how can we fritter away the most delightful moments i.e. the time we relax and fantasize by squatting or lying on a stiff and a so called stubborn sofa or a couch? Let us delve into three good reasons to nap in a hammock and not on a couch…

· The best place to stretch and take a nap is in the open, in the lap of nature on a hammock. All the worries and melancholy take flight when the gushing winds from the East and West embrace you. A small nap can be an experience of a paradise when you swing in your hammock and the tender breeze cuddles you. Only a hammock can give you this feel, the charisma, the ecstasy of cloud nine.

Hammocks provide you with a harmonious sleep at any and every place. All one requires are any two poles or trees available free of cost to tie the hammock. Couches are immobile. You have to employ tremendous energy and labor to take your couch out to get baked in the sun on a bright winter morning. Not just this but many a times on a couch you wake up with a stiff and aching back that leads you cursing your nap the entire day. Hammocks are supple. It provides you just the right amount of space to adjust yourself. A hammock cocoons you making your nap all the more unflustered and carefree. Hey you can even enjoy a drink unwinding yourself in a hammock!

· Apart from this blissful experience, a nap on hammock is preferred to one on a couch because of other factors too. A hammock is inexpensive especially in contrast to a couch. You need to scrutinize your budget from top to bottom in order to have a sufficiently large and gracious couch. Couches are perhaps the best to embellish your drawing rooms and lobbies. But they remain less inviting to put your feet up. Often the upholstery used is designed to parade more of grandeur and elegance. In relation to simple unbreakable or resilient hammocks couches are more brittle, magnificent and less comfortable.

· Hammocks are not just a relished sleeping bed of kids but also of the young and the old. Hammocks can largely be sighted near the beaches, picnic spots, in the garden of a house and at other areas where nature has spread its splendor without wavering. If you are at a beach, wet and weary fervent to take a break and a short nap, a hammock is the first and the best idea. Your wet body can get soaked in the sun leaving the hammock as it is. Thence in comparison to pricey couches, hammocks are more user-friendly. They can be washed, wrapped, tied and unwrapped anywhere.

So what suits you and your body the best- the big ‘Ouch on a Couch’ or the joyful ‘Yippee on a Hammock’?

Pankaj andy writes hammock topics. Learn more at http://www.usa-hammocks.com.

Six Reasons You Don’t Need a Technical Writer (and Why They’re Dead Wrong!)
By Ann Zuccardy

I know, I know. Times are tough. You have to make due with the staff you have. It’s a common and valid lament in today’s workplace. You’ve got to do more with less, so an obvious place to cut costs is in your documentation efforts. After all, writers and editors are a luxury in lean times. You’re a small company and you can produce your documentation in-house, right? Think again. Hiring the right freelancer to do the job correctly the first time around could save you hundreds or thousands in help desk calls, service calls, document revision, and distribution. Here’s why.

1. You want someone with your industry or product knowledge. Knowledge of your industry or product is helpful, but your writer’s ability to communicate well both in writing and in the spoken word is crucial to your documentation project’s success. A good technical writer:

• designs easy-to-use and easy-to-find documents.
• writes clear and easy-to-follow instructions.
• demonstrates a broad range of technical knowledge which enables him or her to acquire new technical knowledge quickly. Most tech writers thrive on learning obscure technical facts just as much as they love discussing the merits of the semicolon. The best tech writers are amazingly quick studies.
• creates document templates with a clean, professional appearance that your company can re-use.
• asks intelligent questions of your SMEs (subject matter experts) that you might not think to ask, ensuring thorough coverage of the product’s features.

Good technical writers are power users of most word processing programs, HATs (help authoring tools), and are privy to the latest documentation techniques that will enhance your company’s professional reputation. A good technical writer is savvy about design trends and best practices. Can you say this for your engineers and programmers?

3. You need a writer on site. Why? This is 2005. Most freelance tech writers have high-speed internet connections, fax machines, and cell phones. I’ve worked with clients I’ve never even met or who I’ve met just a couple of times for documentation review meetings. It’s good for the writer and it’s good for you when you don’t have an extra body taking up your valuable space. I have developed some of my best professional relationships in cyberspace.

4. Only you understand your users' needs best. Yes, you do. You know what they want and what they need; that’s why your business is so successful. Consider the following questions:

• Does your documentation need to be geared to the newbie user or the experienced techno-geek?
• Do you know how to analyze your audience and write to that audience?
• Do you understand your audience’s basic learning style?
• Will graphics work better than words to convey your message?Will a CD or HTML-based online help work better than print documentation?
• How will you deliver and distribute the final documentation product?

5. You already know how to use MS Word. That’s great and it’s important.

• Are you thorougly comfortable with Word’s advanced features?
• Do you dream in macros?
• Are you familiar with FrameMaker (a highly un-user-friendly but powerful favorite tool of tech writers that handles large, complex documents that make MS Word quiver and crash)?
• Have you ever designed online help using RoboHelp?
• How are your Photoshop, Illustrator, Paint Shop Pro, Quark, Visio, InDesign, and basic HTML coding skills?
• Are you aware of the latest trends in writing and grammar style so your company’s message will be consistent and grammatically correct?

6. You can keep up with document updates.

• What is your plan for documentation version control?
• Who will write the updates?
• How will you ensure your users have the latest and greatest version?

There’s a trend toward single sourcing technical documentation these days. Simply put, this means one source for all of your documentation needs. This single source may contain material for your print manuals, online help, and training materials all in one place. In single sourcing, a writer tags specific material for a specific use. When you deliver documentation, you simply designate the type of documentation you want (e.g., print, online help, user guide, training material, technical reference information) to create and the software does the rest. The point is, everything is in one place, making version and source control simple. Setting up a single sourcing system now will save you time and future headaches later. A good technical writer is familiar with industry trends for single sourcing and may be able to help you set up a single sourced system within your organization.

If you’re skeptical about hiring a technical writer, consider this. Good written communication skills will always be in demand in the business world. However, in today’s complex business world, just being a good writer isn’t enough. A good technical writer needs technical savvy, a sound knowledge of dozens of software programs, and impeccable research and writing skills.

Would you hire an accountant to develop software? Would you want an engineer to answer phones? Would you expect a copywriter to do your taxes? Probably not. So, give your business and your wonderful products the professional attention they deserve and consider a technical writer for your next documentation project.

Copyright 2005 Ann Zuccardy. All rights reserved.

Ann Zuccardy is a freelance technical and copy writer with 17 years of industry experience in marketing and technical communication. She currently consults with IBM in Essex Junction, Vermont where she writes software user manuals, training guides, and release notes. Ann is also the owner of Vermont Shortbread Company. She can be reached at Wordbrains.com.