• Let scenes unfold (page critique)

    Updated: 2024-05-30 19:00:00
    If you’d like to nominate your own page or query for a public critique, kindly post them here in our discussion forums: If you’d like to test your editing chops, keep your eye on this area or this area! I’ll post the pages and queries a few days before a critique so you can see how your redline compares […]

  • [Podcast] Uncovering and communicating the value of your tech comm teams' work, with Keren Brown

    Updated: 2024-05-30 07:00:00
    In this podcast episode, I talk with Keren Brown, VP of Marketing and Value at Zoomin Software, about strategies for technical writers to demonstrate their value within their organizations, especially in light of recent layoffs in the tech industry. We discuss aligning documentation work with high-priority initiatives, quantifying the impact of technical writing, and making this work visible to executive leaders. Keren also shares insights on the changing landscape of technical writing skills in the age of AI and the role of translation in modern documentation workflows. Overall, this podcast will show you how to establish yourself as a highly valuable resource within your company.

  • What’s your favorite short story?

    Updated: 2024-05-29 19:00:00
    With social media fragmenting, I’m bringing back my old “You Tell Me” Wednesday discussions to try to get good old fashioned blog conversations going. If you’re reading in a feed reader or via email, please click through to the post to leave a public comment and join the discussion! For as long as I’ve been connected to […]

  • Every artist needs Raccoon Phases

    Updated: 2024-05-28 19:00:00
    I finished a new novel earlier in the year and, for the first time in a long time, I’m taking some time to figure out what’s next while it starts an uncertain journey through the publishing process. Do I want to write a sequel? Try one of those million ideas I have on the back […]

  • [Prompt engineering series] Using file diffs for better release notes in reference docs

    Updated: 2024-05-25 07:00:00
    You can use AI prompts when creating biweekly release notes for APIs by leveraging file diffs from regenerated reference documentation. The file diffs from version control tools provide a reliable, precise information source about what's changed in the release. I also include a detailed prompt for using AI to analyze file diffs and streamline the release note creation process.

  • Lisa Lucas and Reagan Arthur out at PRH (This week in books)

    Updated: 2024-05-24 19:00:00
    This week! Books! Even in the aftermath of the social justice protests of 2020, there were pretty loud questions about whether the publishing industry’s newfound push for diversity in its hiring practices would actually sustain itself, or, like so many previous ones, prove to be a flash in the pan. One of the flashiest hires […]

  • Avoid catch-all terms (query critique)

    Updated: 2024-05-23 19:00:00
    If you’d like to nominate your own page or query for a public critique, kindly post them here in the discussion forums: Also, if you’d like to test your editing chops, keep your eye on this area or this area! I’ll post the pages and queries a few days before a critique so you can see how your […]

  • Updates two years later on my smartphone experiment

    Updated: 2024-05-21 07:00:00
    Two years ago, I started an experiment to reduce my smartphone usage. While I've reverted to using my smartphone regularly, I've learned a lot along the way. I've realized there's an inverse relationship between book reading and phone usage, and I've made a conscious effort to prioritize reading more books, especially with the reinforcement of book clubs. I've also accepted that while smartphones are necessary, it's the constant notifications that contribute to anxiety. By removing most social media and news apps, I've switched to a pull model for information, reducing my stress levels.

  • Thoughts on Docs as code being a broken promise

    Updated: 2024-05-21 07:00:00
    In response to Sarah Moir's post, *Docs as code is a broken promise,* I agree that Git's complexity can be a major hurdle for writers, especially when generating diffs for review. Simpler Git workflows and tools with visual interfaces for merging and diffs are essential for making the process smoother. Despite its challenges, I still prefer docs-as-code over proprietary tools because of its advantages, like using Markdown and generating diffs for review.

  • Lindenbaum Results 2023/2024

    Updated: 2024-05-10 23:10:00
    : Lloyd of Gamebooks A blog about writing gamebooks . My musings on how to write a gamebook and what makes a good gamebook . Create your story here Saturday , May 11, 2024 Lindenbaum Results 2023 2024 I am pleased to announce that the winner of the 2023 2024 Lindenbaum Prize for short gamebook fiction is Andrew Wright with Are you the Hero Merit awards go to Heart of Keros by David Donachie , A Slope of Pines by Per Jorner and What Lies Beyond the Standing Stone by Jeremy . Johnson I would like to thank everybody who participated , the authors and those dedicated readers who took the time to evaluate all the entries , and also a further thanks to those readers who provided feedback and comment to the . authors If you intend to write feedback in a public place , please email me the address

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