writing
I have been writing professionally for over 10 years. In addition to working as a managing editor for a national magazine and Communications Manager for a local school district, I also have worked as a freelance writer. My published articles include news, features and editorials in a variety of lengths. One of these articles was originally written for ENGL 584: Feature Story Writing. I subsequently submitted the piece on Outer Banks travel for publication and it appeared in Hampton Roads Monthly magazine in March 2001. (Please note: this is a multiple-page feature and, as a result, is a large .pdf file.)
While enrolled in ENG 595:Advanced Technical Writing, I worked with a small group to create an introductory QuarkXPress User's Manual. I believe this work demonstrates my ability to translate complex technological software or complicated procedures into easy-to-understand documentation. This group project was developed to provide first-time or novice users of this page-layout software with a sound foundation of basic principles. The user documentation includes an overview of the Quark environment as well as a break down of its basic functions. The manual was intended for use by students in the Old Dominion University English department computer lab and by high school students enrolled in Granby High School's News Production course.
Since that time, the user's manual also has been used for training personnel on my public relations staff. As part of my course work, I also collaboratively developed a one-hour training session that utilizes a PowerPoint presentation (viewable as a .pdf file), instructor explanation, a cheat sheet and a guided activity to acquaint users with QuarkXPress. By the end of the session, the participant will have a basic understanding of the program and will have constructed a one-page newsletter.
My Professional Writing coursework has allowed me to build upon the journalistic writing skills learned in my undergraduate curriculum and honed during my vocational experiences. While there are obvious rhetorical objectives that must be integrated into any text, my studies in feature and technical writing have demonstrated the necessity of accurately analyzing the intended audience and fully understanding the purpose for the writing. These elements provide vital clues to determining the style and medium necessary to effectively deliver a message. Understanding of these exigencies also allow me, as the writer, to more appropriately situate the new texts I create in relation to already established works.