Technical Writing - Types of Technical Reports

Technical writers at the start of their careers often find themselves confused as to what constitutes technical writing in the first place. There are many different applications for the new author and they may often find that not all of those are truly "technical". So for the new professional here's a quick list of some common documents they may be asked to create and what they are for.

Background Reports

Unless you work for the CIA this doesn't usually mean a report about a person and their life and habits. A background report is normally a brief (1 or 2 page) study into the application of a specific aspect of technology (for example the use of photovoltaic cells in solar energy transfer). Usually these reports are generated for a specific (and paying) audience and are singular in their application rather than generic.

Technical Writing - Types of Technical Reports

Instruction Sets

More commonly known as user guides or manuals, these are the staple product of many a technical author and self-explanatory. They are the "how to do x, y and z" of a product or service.

Feasibility Studies

These studies examine whether undertaking a specific project or task is possible and/or advisable within a specific business environment.

Recommendation Reports

This report is usually a comparison of 2 or more alternative actions that a business might choose to pursue, with a concrete recommendation of which avenue is deemed to be best at that moment.

Evaluation Reports

Here the technical author will examine the outcome of a particular project and make a determination as to the benefits and return on investment. Often called assessment reports, they are a key part of the project life cycle and can inform future projects and investments.

Research Report

These are usually scientific in nature and outline the results from a range of tasks such as lab experiments or market surveys. The focus of these reports is not just the outcome but also the methodology under which the results were created.

Functional Specification Documents

This document is normally associated with a new product and in particular software. You are trying to capture the full functionality of the offering, in as much detail as possible. Functional specifications are often dense and a poor test of a writer's skill as they tend to deliver wordy descriptions which encapsulate all requirements.

Proposals

A proposal is a suggestion for a project, and can run into thousands of pages for highly complex work. The author's job is to create a platform on which the proposal can be evaluated and will usually need to conform to industry and organisational guidelines.

Technical Writing - Types of Technical Reports
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Technical Writing - Definition of Foreword, Introduction, and Preface

Definition of foreword, introduction, and preface OK, let's get started. Easy enough to say, but what do we start with? What comes first, a foreword, an introduction, or a preface? The best way to approach the subject is to look at what they do.

A foreword, if we follow the generally accepted definition in publishing, is an introduction to a book by someone other than the author. It comes right after the Table of Contents, and the pages are numbered with lower-case Roman numerals, e.g., i, ii, iii, etc., rather than the Arabic numerals used for the text of the book.

Ideally, it's written by an expert on the subject of the book who says that the author did a good job writing about the subject. The foreword generally speaks well of the author.

Technical Writing - Definition of Foreword, Introduction, and Preface

A foreword, as the spelling indicates, is a word that comes before. It's not a forward, which is a direction, or a foreward, which is a misspelling.

A preface is usually written by the author of a book and often gives an overview of how the book came to be written, its intended purpose, and to what extent it covers the topic. It may come before or after the foreword, but it usually comes after and follows the same page numbering system. The preface may also include acknowledgements.

An introduction is also written by the author (or, sometimes, the editor). It's an essay that sets up the full topic of a book. It states what the author's point of view is and may indicate what the reader's point of view should be. After reading the introduction to find out what's in the book, the reader can decide whether or not to read it. Since it's part of the text, the pages are numbered with the same numbering system as the text.

Technical Writing - Definition of Foreword, Introduction, and Preface
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Technical Writing - Definition of Brainstorming

Good tech writers bring more to the table than the ability to create documents that fulfill the client's objective. Very often, the writer is part of a team that develops concepts and whole campaigns. The writer is expected to take an active role in the process.

One opportunity for participation is being in a brainstorming session. Some people confuse a brainstorming session with a bull session when people sit around and say whatever comes to mind. There are big differences between the two. The biggest difference is that brainstorming is intended to produce valuable ideas. It's not a time for expressing random thoughts and telling stories.

A brainstorming session is a group of people who are involved with or interested in a specific topic. They gather to present ideas and - most importantly - to build on the ideas of others in the session. The value of the exchange is that ideas generate other ideas. Directions that none of the participants thought of individually become clear when the input of many people is stimulated and enlarged upon by the discussion. The objective of a brainstorming session is to develop a few, workable ideas that can be turned into the basis for dealing with a situation or going forward with a project.

Technical Writing - Definition of Brainstorming

Unlike a bull session, a brainstorming session has structure and clear rules. They both have to be understood and followed by everyone. If there's any doubt that they're not understood by all the participants, they should be presented either orally or as a handout before the session starts. Then, they must be enforced during the session. It's a free-form brain dump, but it has structure and rules.

The structure

· Brainstorming sessions work well with five to ten participants. Too few and there's not enough input. Too many and there's not enough time for everyone to participate.

· There should be a stated time limit for the session. Small groups can often accomplish a lot in an hour or so. Even with large groups, though, three hours is pretty much the upper limit.

· One person is designated as facilitator. The facilitator states the purpose of the session and sets up the guidelines. It's also this person's responsibility to keep the session moving along on time and on track.

· One person is designed the scribe. It's this person's responsibility to capture all the ideas and write them down.

· The facilitator and scribe are both part of the discussion.

The rules

1. Quantity, not quality, of ideas is the aim; as many ideas as possible from all participants.
2. Ideas should be short and simple enough to be easily understood and written down.
3. Everyone must have an equal opportunity to express ideas.
4. No judgment or criticism is ever made about an individual who expresses an idea.
5. No idea is rejected regardless of how silly or far out it may seem.
6. No idea is criticized during the session, not even by looks, groans, or laughs.
7. Ideas are not discussed as they're generated.
8. All ideas are written down on a surface everyone can see.
9. Different ideas, no matter how similar, are written down.
10. Only ideas on the stated topic for the session are allowed.

After the session, ideas that are similar can be resolved into one idea, and then they can be ranked by preference. The pros and cons of the top ideas can be discussed until the most workable ideas are settled on

Technical Writing - Definition of Brainstorming
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If you can write a simple sentence in English and organize your thoughts then technical writing may be a rewarding field. You can easily make it a second income stream in your spare time.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the average salary for technical writers is ,380. Freelance technical writers can make from to per hour.

The field of technical writing is like a golden city. It's filled with wealth, rewards and opportunities. After learning technical writing you can branch out into business writing, marketing writing and communications writing. All of these can become additional income streams.

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The Format To Follow While Writing A Whitepaper

Writing a whitepaper is easy What you must first decide is whether a whitepaper the right solution to your problem or not. You should know what you want to talk about. Only if you have a certain level of expertise in the area, can you succeed in telling people about it in detail.

Setting the right objective

Before you start writing one, ask yourself that why are you writing it? Is it to demonstrate your knowledge to the world about a certain technical issue/trend, or to influence your prospective customer's purchase decision about your product? The reasons could be numerous. But it should be absolutely clear in your mind. Unless you know the objective of writing it, the right tone of voice will never come and it will not generate the desired effect on the reader.

The Format To Follow While Writing A Whitepaper

Target your audience Your audience will read your paper only if it has some value. You are not writing to bore them. Would the content of the paper give the reader something to chew on? Would he be excited to know about the technology/product you are writing about? Does the reader really care about the topic? It would help if you could do a small research to find out the need of the paper. Once you are sure that there is a need for the whitepaper, think about the questions that are generally raised in that area. Will your paper answer/discuss them? Would it give the reader something to take home?

Now that you are clear about the topic of the paper, its objective and the target audience, you need to take a deep breath and start writing it. Remember that your paper should contain something new and worthwhile. It should make sense in the mind of the reader.

Making a framework First, make a rough draft of all the content you need to cover in the paper. You don't have to write all that you know in just one paper. Cover only one topic at a time, so that the message in the paper is singular and the reader does not get confused. Once you are ready with the framework of the paper, you should go through it carefully to see that the thought sequence is correct. Do your arguments follow the logical way of reasoning? If yes, then you are ready to go on to the next step of writing, lest you need to structure it to suit your audience. If you are facing difficulty doing this, then read the already published articles/papers in your subject and see how your competitors have framed it. Take the best of all worlds and structure your article. But, do not copy anybody - use your own flow of thought, as you know the best about what you are writing.

Now, you can start writing the main content of your paper!

The title Title is the most important part so do not make it generic. It should mention exactly what you are talking about. You can also give a short sub-title to give the reader a benefit to go ahead and read it. For instance, "Undisclosed techniques of digital watermarking - robust and flexible ways to secure your critical digital data."

The introduction The introduction/abstract should exactly give out what is to follow. Do not summarize your index of content here. Give a brief outline of the topic and intent of writing the whitepaper. You can also write about who the whitepaper is written for. Remember this is what will urge the reader to go on. If you are not confident about what you should write here, then wait and write the intro at the end of the paper. It is often a good idea, as by the time you reach the end you get a clear idea of what it should be.

The main content Being the subject matter expert you would know about the latest trends and frame your content appropriately. Your matter should be fresh as nobody reads an old newspaper.

Compartmentalize Divide your writing in sections. Give headlines and sub-heads. Highlight/bold the sequence of thought, so that even if a person just scans through your paper, he gets a perfect idea of what it is about. Be clear, concise and correct about what you write. Do not make your paragraphs too long. Put some most important thoughts in highlighted boxes.

The writing style Following correct English and grammar usage is a requisite. If you have problems with it then take professional help. Incorrect language is the biggest turn-off for an intelligent reader. It shows that you are unprofessional in your approach - especially when you are trying to sell your product through the whitepaper. Follow the active and positive style of writing. Don't be too complex in your writing. It should be written keeping an intelligent reader in mind who already has a certain idea about the subject, but is not a scientist. If you use technical terms, then please be kind enough to explain them once when you use them for the first time in the document.

Write what you want to write about While writing for the web, you should not fill in stuff which is not directly related to the topic. It makes sense to identify some keywords and use them constantly throughout your writing. This would also help your paper rank high on the search engines.

Give visual relief The paper should not be a line of ants walking after the other. Be imaginative and give some visual relief through the use of landscape contouring, i.e., using sections, headings, sub-headings, diagrams, bulleted/numbered lists in the whitepaper. Illustrate with examples, give diagrams/charts - use these as an aid to demonstrate your point. Don't shy away from using illustrations - they make it easier for the reader to understand. Use as many as possible - nobody is interested in a flat land, try to make your paper attractive, even if it's boring technical discussion.

Conclude with credibility Oftentimes, people use similar content for the introduction as well as conclusion. The beginning and the end of a story could never be the same. Frame your conclusion based on what has happened in middle of the story. Give the reader a thought to take home.

Always give references/sources of the data used from elsewhere and provide copyright information and your own contact information.

In the end, thoroughly proofread what you have written. Move sections to make the sequence of thought logical if required. Ask a friend to critically examine it. Once you are done with the first cut, give your brain some rest and let the document lie for a while. You are sure to refine it in a much better way while reading it for the second time. Finally, edit it. Cut out all the irrelevant words/sections. A whitepaper does not have to be 10+ pages long. It should just give out your message powerfully.

Go ahead now, select your topic, and start writing!

The Format To Follow While Writing A Whitepaper
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Good Feature Writing Examples Get You Closer To Your Byline

It is the dream of many of us that write to be featured above the fold on a leading publication, website or newspaper. For many it remains a dream, but for others who turns dreams into action it can become a reality.

Gone are the days when few of us had a voice. Today, with the Internet, blogs and other news gathering sites, we can quickly and easily become published feature writers, although getting paid for it is another matter. The good news is that having your blog featured on Feedburner, or your article on the front page of Digg or Netscape will generate so much traffic and word of mouth that paying for the same advertising would be akin to buying commercial time on the Super Bowl, and beyond the reach of most.

A feature article can be about anything at all, but it helps if it is newsworthy. I have written an article or two about my dog, and while it brought personal fulfillment, it did not generate much traffic. In the newspaper field (and true also on the Internet) the headline "Dog Bites Man" garners little attention since it is an everyday occurrence, while the title "Man Bites Dog" makes us all sit up and take notice.

Good Feature Writing Examples Get You Closer To Your Byline

If you are going to write a feature article on anything, give it a unique perspective, and do not copy and paste something you read. That would be plagiarism, and the search engines tend to ignore what they identify as duplicate content.

Case studies are often provide very good feature articles examples, especially if the study concerns something or someone that could affect all our lives or the economy. When Alan Greenspan, head of the Federal Reserve of the United States from 1987 to 2006, made a statement people around the World took note. Was it because he was a great writer? Rather it was because what he said affected the lives of millions, billions around the world.

Choose what you want to write about, write it well, but be certain you have an audience. If someone can read your feature article, and find it improves their life or teaches them something they did not know before, you have the very real possibility of achieving "above the fold" placement.

A proven successful feature article model is the "How To" article. Some examples are:

"How To Lose Weight and Keep It Off"

"How To Make So Much Money Even Your Mother-in-Law Will Think You Are Made Of Gold"

"How To Live To One Hundred and Remain Healthy and Fit"

When Winston Churchill uttered the famous words, "Never, never, never give up" he was talking about World War II. But the same holds true in getting your first featured article published. Never give up: if your article is rejected, revise it, write another one, or submit it to somewhere new. Rejection is part of life, and certainly part of any writer's life.

Know your market. This sounds simplistic, but it is crucial. Do not submit your articles to publications or websites about dogs if your article is about cats. Despite your talent, your work must fit the market where it is submitted or publication will be an elusive dream.

If you are a writer, then you have the potential within to be a feature writer. Research, refine, then listen if you get a rejection notice: often those editors will guide you toward ultimate success.

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Technical Writing - What's a Copyright and How Long Does it Last in Technical Documentation?

There'll be many times when as a technical writer you'll be using text and images created by others. In order not to violate anybody's intellectual property rights, you need to know the different types of copyrights that exist (at least in the United States).

The standard copyright is expressed either with the word "Copyright" or the universal copyright symbol "©" (letter "c" inside a circle). Best information on U.S. copyrights is available at U.S. Copyright Office (at copyright-dot-gov).

The interesting thing about a copyright is that an original intellectual property, like this very article for example, has copyright protection the minute it is created. However, if there were a law suit, those technical documents officially registered with the U.S. Copyright Office has a better chance of winning the case. Copyright registry is voluntary but is the only sure-fire way of claiming ownership of an intellectual product.

Technical Writing - What's a Copyright and How Long Does it Last in Technical Documentation?

In general, copyright of a technical document created after January 1, 1978, lasts as long as its author is alive, plus 70 years after his or her death. For example, if someone registers a user manual with the U.S. Copyright Office on January 1, 2009 and then dies in 2010, the work would still be copyrighted until 2080.

Once you copyright-register your technical document, you do not need to renew the registration again.

One thing you should know as a technical writer: all text and images created and owned by the U.S. government have no copyrights for the U.S. citizens. They are in "public domain." Why? Because if you're a U.S. citizen, you have already paid for it through your taxes. But still you have to be careful not to use public domain work in a libelous manner.

NOTE 1: If you're a technical writer working for a company, the copyright of the work you are creating almost always belongs to the company and not to you as an individual writer.

NOTE 2: All the information quoted in this article was correct when the article was written in December 2008 but it may have changed by the time you're reading this. Please consult copyright-dot-gov and your attorney before making a decision on all copyright matters.

Technical Writing - What's a Copyright and How Long Does it Last in Technical Documentation?
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Writing a Mission and Vision Statement

Last year, I attended a seminar where the attendees were asked to define their personal mission or purpose in one sentence. Out of about a group of about three hundred people, fewer than a dozen were able to articulate a mission statement.

It's not that living with purpose is a low priority for most of us. Research by Richard J. Leider and David Shapiro, authors of Repacking Your Bags, found that the number one deadly fear of most people is "having lived a meaningless life."

Why, then, does writing a mission statement seem like such a daunting task?

Writing a Mission and Vision Statement

I believe the main reason lies in the lack of practical resources. Though you can avail yourself of prolific advice about writing mission statements from management experts and from books, the Internet, and so forth--most of this information is complex and confusing. Also, most of these resources target corporations and organizations, providing little practical advice for an individual who wants to craft a personal mission statement.

When you were a child you probably learned how to start a fire by focusing sunlight through a magnifying glass. Sunlight alone could not start the fire; it had to be focused through the magnifying glass. This reflects a basic principle of solar energy--though a large amount of sunlight falls on the earth, the light is diffused. For the sun to be utilized for heating, solar energy units must be designed to collect and concentrate the light.

The same principle applies to purpose. It must be focused to produce results. With no focus, there is no mechanism for establishing direction or goals. As Diana Scharf Hunt said, "Goals are dreams with deadlines."

Committing yourself to defining your purpose is the perhaps the most important task you could ever engage in. "Discovering your purpose will put your life into crystal-clear perspective," says Mark Victor Hansen in an Internet article "Conceptualize your Purpose." "You will see another world, one in which you are a necessary and intricate spoke in the wheel."

Your Personal Mission Statement

What is a mission statement? Since the focus of this article is on personal life purpose, as opposed to a corporate or organizational purpose, I'm going to simplify the process with the aim of making it easy for individuals who desire to articulate their purpose. Let's use the following definitions:

Mission Statement: Concise statement of your life purpose.
Vision Statement: Concise statement of the unique and distinctive ways that you will accomplish your purpose.

The first place to start is your mission statement. I will use the terms "mission" and "purpose" interchangeably. Choose the term you like best.

Think of your mission statement as a general statement encompassing your reason for existence--in other words, a broad statement of what you hope to accomplish. It does not include the distinctive ways that you intend to accomplish your purpose; that will be articulated in your vision statement.

Your mission statement will help you stay on course. In First Things First, Stephen Covey emphasizes the motivation and energy that result from an effective mission statement. "What we're talking about here is not simply writing a statement of belief. We're talking about accessing and creating an open connection with the deep energy that comes from a well-defined, thoroughly integrated sense of purpose and meaning in life."

Before you develop your mission statement, it is important to understand what a mission statement is not. It is not a to-do list. Nor is it a statement of strategies or methods. It is not a job description. Jobs and roles change through life's different seasons; purpose embodies a broad vision that encompasses all your roles.

You may not see a clear picture right now, and that's fine. Relax. Don't sweat it. Enjoy the process.

In other words, your mission statement is not written in stone. You can and should revisit it periodically. Most likely you will revise and fine-tune it time and again. Don't be concerned about whether it is precisely accurate. Pray and ask God to lead you in this endeavour.

Take time out from your busy schedule to prayerfully reflect on your personal mission, as you understand it at this point on your journey. Look at the big picture, and ask yourself questions like, Who am I? Why am I here? What are my desires and dreams? What is my mission, or purpose?

Defining your purpose should be a stimulating and motivating exercise. It should stir enthusiasm and excitement.

Many people feel that purpose must relate to a vision of achieving something of great magnitude or something that affects a nation or even the entire world. But purpose does not necessarily involve grandiose ideas.

I like what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, "Everyone has the power for greatness--not for fame but greatness, because greatness is determined by service."

Defining your passions within a larger context will help you articulate your purpose.

Successful people not only have a clear vision of what they want to do, but why. The why is as important as the what, for it is the why that fuels vision and keeps you motivated when you face setbacks.

Understanding why you want to do something will help you define your purpose. For example, perhaps you believe you are called to leadership in the business arena. Ask yourself, Why do I want to do this?

Think about how you can use your gifts to seek others. Always seek to understand the big picture - the purpose for your passions and talents.

Now get out some paper or your Palm Pilate or laptop or whatever communications gadget you like best, and begin drafting your mission statement. I'll say it again--do not obsess about getting it perfect. I wrote and rewrote my mission statement many times. And who knows, I may refine it again in the future.

Keep revising it until you can define it in one clear, concise sentence.

Here is my mission statement: "To inspire and equip women to reach their divine potential."

Notice that this statement does not include the specifics of how I will accomplish my mission. It says nothing about the unique and distinctive strategies I will employ for achieving my purpose.

Your Vision Statement

Now that you have defined your mission statement in one sentence, you are ready to take the next step and craft your vision statement. The vision statement adds the all-important how. It defines the distinctive and specific ways that you will accomplish your mission.

As George Barna says in The Power of Vision, "While the mission statement is philosophic in nature, the vision statement is strategic in nature." While mission relates to general approaches, "vision relates to specific actions."

Your vision statement propels your mission to specific strategies. Specifying the primary activities you will pursue to accomplish your purpose, it reflects your unique passions, talents, and skills.

You should be able to define your vision statement in one concise paragraph. The first sentence of this paragraph is your mission statement. The next one or two sentences specify how you will accomplish your mission.

Your vision statement will evolve over time, reflecting your character development and the acquisition of more skills and experience.

At one time, my vision statement read as follows: "To inspire and equip women to reach their divine potential. This will be accomplished by writing articles and books and by speaking at conferences and seminars."

As time went on, I revised my vision statement to the following: "To inspire and equip women to reach their divine potential. This will be accomplished by writing articles, columns, books, and e-books; by publishing an online women's magazine; and by speaking at conferences and seminars."

Notice that the first sentence (my mission statement) did not change. The next sentence, which encompasses how I will achieve my mission, continues evolving.

Thousands of other women may have the same mission statement as mine but have different vision statements reflecting their unique gifts and callings.

For example, one woman might reach the same mission as mine through counselling. Her vision statement might read something like this: "To inspire and equip women to reach their divine potential. This will be accomplished through personal counselling."

Another woman might have a vision statement like this: "To inspire and equip women to reach their divine potential. This will be accomplished by coaching women in leadership and business management skills."

Can you see how the vision statement encompasses uniqueness and specificity? It is the vision statement--not the mission statement--that reflects your unique gifts and strategies.

Your vision statement serves as a compass to keep things going in the right direction. It helps you measure your progress, set goals, establish priorities, and know when to use one of the most important words in your vocabulary: No.

One of my favourite movies is Apollo 13. I never fail to be inspired by the courage and resourcefulness of the astronauts amid unimaginable pressure and seemingly impossible odds. On top of a litany of other crippling technical problems, the astronauts were faced with the reality that their oxygen could run out, they could be poisoned by carbon dioxide accumulations, or they could freeze to death. Even if they managed to return to the earth's atmosphere, they had to enter at precisely the right angle.

If you've seen the movie, you'll recall there were many decisions and actions that contributed to their successful landing. One of those actions was ensuring they kept the earth in sight at all times, for they had lost their navigational equipment.

In the same way, your vision statement will keep you moving in the right direction. It will help you stay focused on the big picture, even when facing emotional upheaval, discouragement, obstacles, and all the other distractions that life throws at you.

Mission and vision statements provide focus to your purpose. As Henry David Thoreau said, "In the long run men only hit what they aim for."

Writing a Mission and Vision Statement
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Business Memos - 10 Tips for Writing Memos That Get Action

Memo is short for Memorandum. It is a simple way to communicate important information within an organization. Writing a clear, well organized memo is a valuable business skill.
Memos are used to communicate information and get results by focusing on one clear call to action.

Here are 10 tips for writing a memo that will get the action you want.

1. Audience needs: Think of the audience and their needs. This is essential in the call-to-action. For example, tell your readers how they will benefit from attending an extra meeting or how they will increase productivity by following your ideas.

Business Memos - 10 Tips for Writing Memos That Get Action

2. Audience level: Consider the education, background, and company status of your readers, and write to the level that matches their needs.

3. Tone: A business memo is somewhat formal, but it's less formal than a business letter. It won't help you to address a group of co workers in a very formal manner. It's fine to have a friendly tone, but still be business-like. Match your style and tone to your audience.

4. Common language: Make sure everyone understands you. If you work in a technical field, be careful about using jargon that some readers may not understand. You may want to write different versions of the same memo to people in different departments.

5. Informative subject line: This explains simply and clearly what the memo is about. Similar to a subject line in an email message, the subject line is crucial to getting people to read your memo.

6. Write the bottom-line first: The first sentence or two should give the main point. Don't add extra information leading up to the point. Remember, this isn't a story, it's a business document.

7. Clear and concise: Check for extra wording; keep the memo to one page or less, and use attachments or separate summaries for additional information. Keep the memo structure simple and logical. Limit paragraphs to one idea.

8. Factual: Use a neutral or positive tone. Avoid emotionally-charged words.

9. Conclusion: If needed, add a conclusion to reaffirm or summarize the main points.

10. Formatting: Use the standard format outlined in many guides, or follow your company's guidelines.

There are many aspects to writing an effective memorandum, using the correct format.

Business Memos - 10 Tips for Writing Memos That Get Action
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For a simple guide: How to Write Persuasive Business Memos That Get Action, go to http://www.goldmansmythe.com/howto.html

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Technical Writing - How to Design Your Page Margins in a Microsoft Word Document Template (1)?

Microsoft Word is the world's most frequently used word processor with pretty good page layout functions. It's installed on a great majority of home and business computers in every country. So it makes sense for you as a freelance technical writer to learn how to design a document template in Word.

First create your margins and other basic page layout features.

Select File > New from the main menu and create a blank Word document.

Technical Writing - How to Design Your Page Margins in a Microsoft Word Document Template (1)?

Select File > Page Setup to display the Page Setup dialog box.

Select your Page Orientation (Portrait vs. Landscape).

Set your Top, Bottom, Right, and Left margins. The default values look good but you can change them to anything you want.

Set your Gutter dimension and position. Gutter is the blank non-text area to the LEFT or TOP of your text area. A lot of book-format documents leave a gutter to the left for ease of reading. Experiment with different gutter widths and see which one you like better; or set it to the width specified by your Documentation Guideline (if you have one).

Select a value for "Multiple Pages" from the drop-down menu. Here are your options:

NORMAL creates a single type of page, with the same margins and gutters, headers and footers. All pages of the document will look exactly the same. MIRROR MARGINS creates left and right pages with margins "mirroring" each other. That is, margins will be on the OUTER edge of each page. 2 PAGES PER SHEET creates two small equal-size pages out of the "normal size" page. For portrait-orientation pages, two smaller landscape pages are created. For landscape-orientation pages, two smaller portrait pages are created. BOOK FOLD creates a "spread" (a single page unit) out of 2 or multiples-of-2 pages. Your choices are All, 4, 8, 12, and 16 pages to a spread.

In the Preview box, select from the drop-down list how many pages these page layout features should apply to.

WHOLE DOCUMENT applies the page setup values to every page in the document. THIS POINT FORWARD applies the changes from where you are in the document to the end.

Click the DEFAULT button to reset all values to their default values.

Click OK when you're done.

Technical Writing - How to Design Your Page Margins in a Microsoft Word Document Template (1)?
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Ten Speech Tips for Writing Powerful and Persuasive Presentation

Have you ever had to give a speech?

Do you remember that feeling? A knot in the stomach, sweaty palms and a panic attack!

Not a very pleasant experience. And yet, I'm sure your speech was a success because 90 per cent of a typical audience want the speaker to succeed.

Ten Speech Tips for Writing Powerful and Persuasive Presentation

Yet according to The Book of Lists, speaking in public is one of our greatest fears.

Much of this anxiety is due to a lack of confidence in writing and preparing a speech rather than in the delivery.

Giving a presentation can be a great way to build your business, influence public opinion or kick-start your career.

It is an excellent way to stand out from the crowd and make a real difference in people's lives.

What are the secrets of writing a powerful and persuasive speech for any occasion?

Here are 10 tips for turning a good speech into a great one!

1. Have a plan and set some objectives & outcomes.

There is nothing worse than not knowing what you want to achieve. Do you want to educate the audience, inform, inspire, motivate or touch their emotions? Always work out what you want to achieve before beginning the speech process.

2. Have a formal structure - beginning, middle and end.

Audiences love structure and the best speeches stick to this tried and true rule. As they say: "tell them what you're going to say, tell them and then tell them again".

3. Avoid having too much content.

Hands up those that are guilty of this sin. I know I am. I have lost count the number of technical presentations given by CEO's, managers, scientists, engineers, geologists and other professionals who have just put too much content into their presentations. Far too much for an audience to absorb - remember even the best audiences face information overload after 20 minutes.
How do you overcome the content crisis? See Tip # 8.

4. Define who your audience is and use the most appropriate communication
channels to reach them.

Analyse how your audience likes to take in information - do they like to be visually stimulated or do they enjoy just sitting back and listening. Or do they like to get involved, to touch and feel in a kinaesthetic way. Work out the best mix of visual, audio and kinaesthetic and use this in your speechwriting.

5. Research your speech using a range of sources.

Be a keen observer of the trends your audience is likely to be interested in and keep a file of interesting articles and information. If you are time poor- a few quick questions when meeting an audience just prior to a speech, such as "what are the issues facing your business/industry/association at the moment?" can really help target your presentation and build rapport.

6. Use personal stories, examples and metaphors to make intangible concepts
tangible.

In many cases you are trying to sell ideas and concepts in a speech. These are intangible and often difficult for the audience to grasp. Personal stories, examples and metaphors make the invisible visible.

7. Have a strong opening and closing.

People remember the opening - first impressions count! The closing is important as it should reinforce the key message you want the audience to go away with in their head after they have heard the presentation. Ending with a 'call to action' can be a powerful way to get your audience to act on your message.

8. Add value and extra detail through a handout.

Here's a tip: if you want to provide detail - put it in a handout! You can get far more content across in the written form than in a speech. Always refer to this in your presentation but hand it out after your speech so the audience is not distracted reading through it while you talk. There is nothing more soul destroying for a presenter to see the audience leafing through written notes rather than looking at you!

9. Use short words and plain English.

The short words are always the best words. Avoid jargon. Use active words instead of passive. This has far more impact in the minds of your listeners.

10. Evaluate and review on a regular basis.

There's nothing more powerful than to hear back a speech you've written. If you are writing a speech for someone else always try and hear the speech or at least get some feedback. Recording and listening back to a presentation is the fastest way to improve your skills.

Ten Speech Tips for Writing Powerful and Persuasive Presentation
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Thomas Murrell MBA CSP is an international business speaker, consultant and award-winning broadcaster. Media Motivators is his regular electronic magazine read by 7,000 professionals in 15 different countries. You can subscribe by visiting http://www.8mmedia.com. Thomas can be contacted directly at +6189388 6888 and is available to speak to your conference, seminar or event. Visit Tom's blog at http://www.8mmedia.blogspot.com

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