Clarity In Writing

In day two of the Start The Year Off Write challenge, Thanhha Lai has us writing clearly and succinctly. This is something I learned in my technical writing courses as well, so I was eager to attack and complete this challenge. To see Thanhha's challenge using the cut-cut-cut method visit http://www.shannonabercrombie.com/thanhha-lais-cut-cut-cut-method/.

Another tool I find helpful for measuring the clarity of writing is the Gunning Fog Index. I learned about the Fog Index last year during a business writing workshop. It measures the readability of English writing. To learn more about the Fog Index read my post Measuring the Readability of Your Writing.

Four Tactics to Reach Your Goals

It's almost the end of day one of the Start the Year Off Write challenge and I haven't started. Well, that's not entirely true. It more accurate to say I haven't finished. I have a thought and a title....and then I got side tracked. BUT I was side tracked by this video on How Successful People Reach Their Goals.

Fitting, no?

Watch it with me...


Now, let's take Heidi Grant Halvorson's tactics and apply them to today's writing prompt.

I'm going to:

• Write a paragraph outlining the beginning, middle and end of my story.
• Finish my paragraph in the next half hour.
• Not let the story gaps stop me from finishing. I can improve on the story at a later date.
• I will not think about white bears.

I better get to work so I can successfully reach my goal. How about you?

UPDATE Jan. 6th: I was successful in writing the paragraph and completing the writing challenge for day 1.

New Writing Challenge! - Start the Year off Write 2014

Happy New Year!

I wasn't going to do any writing challenges this January but then I found this!

Start the Year off Write 2014

hosted by Shannon Abercrombie. With a participant badge this cute how could I not participate? (badge by Maple Lam)

I'm already pretty busy this month but who isn't? I'm going to give it try! Hope to see you there, too.

Rate Your Story - A Free Critique

No matter how good you are at writing, it is important to have your work reviewed by someone else. Your mom tells you your story is perfect, your kids ask, "Where's the pictures?" and your best friend will giggle at the story with you over a bottle of wine. That's fine, but do you wonder what a published writer thinks of your story?

I've recently discovered Rate Your Story! http://rateyourstory.blogspot.ca/

For the first week of each month, Rate Your Story will accept completed manuscripts that meet the criteria outlined in the submissions guidelines. The manuscripts are then critiqued by volunteer, published authors for FREE and returned in about 14 days. The story is rated on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the highest rating.

Along with the rating service, Rate Your Story also has a very informative blog.

As an added bonus, if the story scores a 1 or 2, Hummingbird Literary will accept submission of the manuscript on specific days. See submission guidelines for full details http://hummingbirdliterary.com/submissions/

I submitted my rhyming, picture book manuscript to Rate Your Story at the beginning of August. I'm excited, yet nervous, about getting my story rated. It was recently tweeted by @RateYourStory that almost all the manuscripts from August are returned and to check our inbox. I've checked....and checked and nothing yet, but I'm sure it will be done soon.

Thank you to all the Rate Your Story, volunteers judges for taking the time to help writers like myself.

• Miranda Paul
• Lori Degman
• Melissa Gorzelanczyk
• Mira Reisberg (Former judge)
• Katie Clark (New judge next month)

What Made Me Yell On The SkyWheel?

The other weekend I was in Niagara Falls, Ontairo with my siblings and my kids and we decided to take a ride on the SkyWheel.

Niagara SkyWheel is a 175-foot tall Ferris wheel in the middle of Clifton Hill, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.

When we reached the top and I saw the view, I let out a yell. What made me yell? No, I'm not afraid of heights.

It wasn't this.

Niagara Falls, USA.

Or this.

Dino Mini Putt

But actually this! 

 

More specifically this!

It's an upside down house! Why did this make me yell? In my picture book manuscript, ANNALEE FRILL, the main character lives in an upside down house. I was so excited that one actually existed I yelled to my sister to take a picture. Being the wonderful person that she is, she got the best picture she could. This house is exactly how I pictured Annalee's house, except it would be on an upside down hill. If you want to learn more about the upside down house in Niagara Falls you can visit their site at http://www.upsidedownhouseniagarafalls.ca/

Unfortunately, I was unable to go to the house during our visit but we don't live too far from Niagara so I will be sure to go next time I'm there. Looking for the ANNALEE FRILL picture book? Well, it's not published yet. I'm currently looking for a publisher or agent. When it does get published, I will be sure to get a picture of me with my book in front of the house. I look forward to that day!

How is a Car like an Oven?

How hot is it in Hamilton, Ontario?

It's so hot, a closed car can kill a person.

Spectator Reporter, Bill Dunphy 'bakes' himself in a car for 30 minutes. The inside of the car gets so hot that the paramedics' equipment, used to monitor Bill, malfunctions. Be sure to watch the video in Bill Dunphy's report at http://www.thespec.com/news-story/3895169-baked-my-car-turned-into-an-oven/

Don't leave anyone(children, elderly, pets) in a car in the heat!

The Hamilton Peregrine Falcon Banding

A quick post to share this year's banding video of the peregrine falcons in Hamilton.
TheSpec - Banding the Peregrine Falcons in Hamilton

See my post from last year http://madelinebarr.blogspot.ca/2012/06/peregrine-falcon-chicks-banded-in.html

Measuring the Readability of Your Writing

In a Business Writing workshop I learned about Gunning Fog Index.
Fog Index measures the readability of English writing.
Which made me wonder if this can help me with other writing projects.

What is the ideal Fog Index? 

That would depend on how well your audience can read.
An index of 12 or more is for people with a reading ability at the University level. This would be ideal for an academic paper.

If you're looking to reach a wider audience, a lower index number would be more appropriate. For the general population an index of 8-10 is ideal.

Different publications have a different fog index:

• Reader's Digest 8-9
• Time and Wall Street Journal 11
• The Bible and Mark Twain 6

Calculating the Fog Index

1. Select a section of writing about 100 words in length. End with a complete sentence.
2. Count the number of sentences in that section
3. Count the complex words in that section. Complex words have three syllables or more. Do not include proper names or compound words. Do not include suffixes as a syllable (e.g. ing, ed and es)
4. Divide 100 by the number of sentences. Add the number of complex words.
5. Multiply this number by 0.4 for the Fog Index number.

And, for those of you who like equations:  0.4(100/b +c) = Fog Index

Online Fog Index Calculators

If you are having difficulty with the calculation, you can always use an online calculator. I've noticed they give different results plus they can't take out proper names and so on, but they will giver you a general idea. 

• http://gunning-fog-index.com/
• http://www.online-utility.org/english/readability_test_and_improve.jsp
• http://www.panix.com/~dhf/fog.html

Personally, I like to do the calculation myself.

If you're curious, this post's Fog Index is between 8 and 9.

How foggy is your writing? 

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Other Resources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunning_fog_index

http://www.writing-information-and-tips.com/fog-index.html

http://www.knitnut.net/2009/02/are-you-happy-with-your-fog-index/

Technical Writing Course Update: Interviewing a Subject Matter Expert.

Last week in the Technical Writing course I'm taking we covered publication goals (business and usability goals) and audience analysis. Absolutely loved it!

This week we're working on task-mapping, table of contents and indexes. I'm in the process of working on my assignment and I can see why task-mapping is so important. I can't wait to try this on a real project.

I've already done a lot of the reading for next week. It involves information gathering and interviewing subject matter experts (SME.) The articles about SME make me laugh because I can think of a few people who fit into 'hoarder' category. The people who want to keep all information to themselves because it makes them feel smarter - they know something you don't. Or maybe it makes them feel more secure in their jobs. In either case, trying to get information from them sometimes feels impossible. After you have interviewed these people and find out you missed something you may find yourself asking them, "Why didn't you tell me that?" Usually the answer from an information 'hoader' is an arrogant, "You didn't ask."

 Below are some links to more information about interviewing SMEs. They are not the ones from my class but basically contain the same information.

• http://poewar.com/how-technical-writers-gather-information-interviewing-the-smes/
• http://www.stcsig.org/usability/newsletter/0505-sme.html 
• http://www.slideshare.net/RichMaggiani/effective-interviewing-of-subject-matter-experts

On My Way To A Technical Writer Certificate!

I am starting my journey towards getting my Technical Writer Certificate!  My first course starts on September 12^th and I’m very excited.  In my full time job I work in the technical field where I already write up a lot of documentation. The department has been going through big changes and some of my new responsibilities will be:

Create test documents

Document system functionality, particularly related to new enhancements

Document analysis and defects

Prepare and review recommendations and other project initiation documents

Prepare and review end user and operations documentation, training materials, and timelines

Not only did I request to take this program to become more efficient in my job, creating clear and informative documents but it has been a personal interest for some time.

I can’t wait to start.