Summary: If you've ever thought about becoming a technical writer, this is the show for you. This week, we get the straight scoop from two who've practiced the profession for a long time and love it. In this comprehensive discussion, Vicki Davisson and Thomas Thompson explore what it's like to be a technical writer, including: * What technical writing is * What types of skills and educational background you need to do technical writing * What sorts of personality traits good technical writers possess * How tech writers learn about the technology they're writing about * What working with programmers is like * What makes for good technical writing * What they do when they just can't understand the software they're supposed to be writing about * What sorts of deadlines they face * What sorts of conventions are involved in the writing itself * What a tech writer's duties are * How technical writing has changed over the years * What it's like to be a contractor vs. being an employee * Where you can get training * How to get jobs in technical writing * How technical writers are compensated.
