October/November 2003

Volume 44, Number 2

Creativity and the technical communicator

by Marella Colyvas

What is it that draws us to be technical communicators? I know there are as many answers as there are technical communicators, and hearing your stories over the years has piqued my interest in this question even more. Many of you fell into the profession through a circuitous route, trying different professions along the way; others went so far as to get a degree in Technical Communication. What stands out among myriad answers is, though, a love for and commitment to the communication of ideas using language, pictures, and other media, so the result is a clear and precise rendition of the matter at hand. Most of us also love language for its quirkiness as well as clarity, no matter what genre we work with—online help, user manuals, web content to sell products or services, or marketing communications. And most of us would say that given everything we need to do, often our writing, which is what we love to do, gets the least attention.

So, when we're facing the next deadline or attending endless meetings with subject matter experts, all the while juggling practice to improve our technical skills in the latest tool, how do we manage to keep our writing fresh, clear, and precise? In other words, how do we enhance our own creativity?

A few years ago I attended a fabulous workshop at an STC conference that addressed this very subject, and a lesson from it stuck: if you want to assist your muse, you must call it. In a nutshell, if you want to improve your writing, you must write. This does not mean that you spend more hours editing your own work or taking on more assignments. It means that you must engage a part of the brain that many of us forget we have: the creative right side. It means honoring that part of you that is a writer.

The best way to do this is to free-write: take about 25 minutes (longer, if you can) and just write. It is easier if you break up the 25 minutes into two sessions, one right after the other, for 10 minutes and 15 minutes respectively. The rule is, your hand never leaves the paper or keyboard—you keep writing for the full allotted time. "But what do I write about?" you ask. That's easy. Pick something on your desk, in your home, or some word you saw in an article, and just write about it. No editing, crossing out, or re-writing allowed. You will be amazed at what you come up with.

If you're tempted to try this, here is a prompt for you: pickle. That's right, just pickle. Write about that word. Write anything, for 10 minutes. That's free-writing. There is a web site devoted to this sort of writing, too, although these authors allow only one minute to write: http://oneword.invisibleland.tv/.

OK, I can still sense that you're skeptical. "What does this have to do with technical writing?" you ask. A lot. First, it engages the part of your brain that is the opposite of the analytical side, the side we exercise when composing precise instructions, descriptions, or cost-benefit studies, and allows you to play with language in a different way. Playing with language in turn allows you to improve your command of the written language, and an increased command of language makes difficult writing assignments easier. After all, turning out a good piece of technical writing, even if it consists solely of ISO 2000-driven requirements, isn't just the compilation of what Joe Subject Matter Expert gave you as a brain dump. A good piece of technical writing is a synthesis of ideas and language that you put together in your own unique way, even if there are specific style requirements.

Second, this exercise honors that part of you that is a writer. What you write about in your sessions is yours alone. It is unique, and is not for anyone to criticize. This can make you feel better about yourself as a writer, because we rarely get accolades for what we have done; we get criticism instead. One of the best things I've done for myself lately is to join a writing group that does the exercise that I've discussed, though for a longer period of time. An added step is that we read what we've written, and everyone else in the group can give only positive feedback. It is not the place to give any criticism.

I hope all technical communicators try this exercise to enhance their creativity. What I've described is not the only exercise, but it is the easiest to start with. I have found that writing this way has helped me mostly in ways that may be intangible, but there have also been measurable benefits: it has been easier to write some seriously technical information about telephony—I write it faster and better, and have received commendations from the project team.

I invite you to try free-writing to enhance your creativity. I am also willing to start an online writing group for people to practice, if there is sufficient interest. If you are interested, please contact me directly: marella.colyvas@eds.com. I look forward to hearing from you.