1/29 Blog Post 4: Cover Letter Packet

The collection of documents that I looked over were a good illustration of the resume cover letter writing process. The materials included in the packet range from initial brainstorming and freewriting exercises to the final draft of the cover letter itself. Being able to see the contents of the assignment bundled together this way gives a good concept of the amount of work that should go into a solid resume cover letter.

The collection of documents also displays the importance of the writing process. In this case, the writer has the luxury of an instructor to edit the original draft of the document. In a more typical scenario, the writer may have to edit and revise his or her own documents, which must be done very thoroughly. Instructor comments and peer review are valuable assets in crafting a good quality piece of writing.

The writer of the documents did a good job of utilizing the revision processes to enhance the cover letter. The final draft projects a more professional tone with a well-reasoned rhetorical framework.

1/22 Blog Post 3: Nonacademic Writing: The Social Perspective," Lester Faigley

I think the point that Faigley is trying to make when he mentions a "continuous process of communication" is the way social interaction changes writing, especially under specific circumstances. In essence, he claims that there is no concrete set of rules for writing, because there are so many different social structures that dictate differences in writing across cultures.

Faigley initially analyzes the differences in writing in the workplace. He details how writing style can change between professions, and then projects that idea onto a broader framework--writing across different cultures and ethnicities.

As it applies to someone writing in the workplace, Faigley's piece may be interpreted as a suggestion that any worker should be able to adapt to the circumstances present in the workplace. By observing the norms of writing that already exist, a writer can more ably communicate in the workplace, and more readily adapt to any changes.

1/20 Blog Post 2: Selzer, "The Composing Processes of the Engineer"

In Jack Selzer's "The Composing Processes of the Engineer," the author analyzes the writing process of a Chicago engineer, Kenneth E. Nelson. Selzer uses a comprehensive approach to study Nelson's writing, drawing from a number of sources collected from Nelson himself, such as all of his pre-writing materials like notes, outlines, and drafts. Selzer also conducted interviews with Nelson before and after written works were completed.

Selzer compares and contrasts Nelson's writing process with conventional methods of writing used by non-technical writers. To Selzer's apparent surprise, Nelson displays a great deal of creativity in his technical writing, particularly with regard to his audience. Since most of Nelson's written work deals with projects and project proposals, his ability to cater to his audience is essential to the success of his writing, and by extension the success of his career.

Another way that Nelson generates content for his papers is through research. As Selzer details, Nelson uses both library resources and the experience of his colleagues to build his written documents. Kenneth Nelson even refers to past writing, especially if the audience of his document is someone he has worked with before.

Another observation that Selzer makes about Kenneth Nelson is that Nelson creates a plan immediately and sticks to it. Nelson creates and assembles information according to a preliminary plan, and then arranges the content to suit the purpose of the document. Thorough planning and construction of the ideas and content of the document then translate to a relatively seamless draft and revision process. Nelson first creates a well-built document in the planning and outline phases, and merely refines the document in the draft and revision stages.

I thought that Selzer's conclusion was a little cloudy. He concludes that no real conclusion can be made from a single case study, which is probably fairly accurate. Selzer also suggests that, since Nelson's writing process showed some similarities to professional writers' writing processes, technical writers could be well-served to learn many techniques for creating written works.

1/15 Blog Post 1: Professional Writing and Editing

Probably the best part about professional writing and editing, for me, is that the skills I acquire in learning the material are applicable across such a broad range of jobs. Being an effective writer is an important skill to possess in virtually any field, and effective writing is generally a good indicator that someone can also communicate well verbally.

Some of the different jobs detailed in the eCampus links include speech writer, the job that drew the most interest from me; medical writer, automotive technical writer, and communications manager, among many other occupations. There are also various editing jobs in the same general fields, as well as freelance work for both writing and editing.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) surveys on the median and average income for writers, especially technical writers, came as something of a surprise to me. My natural tendency is to lump writers into the "starving artist" category. That doesn't appear to be the case, at least for the more specialized types of writers.

I found the BLS site to be the most informative regarding the issues I'm most concerned about. The depth of the reasearch the bureau has done is really helpful in finding out about pay grade, both nationally and regionally, as well as the industries in which writers and editors are used. While I don't anticipate using my professional writing and editing education as my primary qualification on my resume, it's reassuring to know that there are a large number of jobs available for qualified people looking for work in the field.