I'm a tech-savvy and curious technical writer and communicator based out of Atlanta, GA. I've worked in career services, cybersecurity, and corporate support industries to help develop comprehensive documents and user guides. I have a background in technology and instructional video, leveraging multi-disciplinary skills to create effective writing and adjacent support materials.
My writing process starts by asking questions. "Who is this for? What is its goal? What information does it need to complete that goal, and what needs to be left out?" I often ask smaller questions as well to help build out my knowledge and ensure that the end product will be effective.
Once I'm done asking questions, I'll get to work on performing pre-writing tasks. These include outlines, audience analysis, user personas, and other support functions. The goal of these tasks is to help inform, advise, and refine my approach to creating the end product. Sometimes these tasks are minimal for certain projects, as there might already be existing style guides and established audiences to write for. In these cases, I'll liaise with any stakeholders as necessary to help generate buy-in and support the overall project development.
Once I've completed all my information collecting processes and outlining, I get to writing. The first stage is simply to get information on the page. I'll go through and fill out every section of my outline and complete a rough draft. Then, I'll go through and revise the information to restructure it into a more organized and cohesive whole. The final revision is to ensure compliance with style guides and other factors. At this stage, I'll invite stakeholders and managers to come in for the review process.
Depending on the work environment and the project needs, the above process might change. When working within iterative sprints, some of the revisions, initial build out, and stakeholder review get shuffled about. Sometimes only one stage of the writing process gets completed before a review gets initiated. The goal is to remain adaptable and flexible, pivoting as needed to support shifting priorities or goals.
No matter the overall "middle ground" or process(es) that take place to get the product to a semi-final stage, the final process is to get final review and input into the document or product. This is the last stage to be completed before V1 goes live. Any final changes get documented at this point, and I complete final edits before publishing the item. After this stage, any revisions or edits must go through a formal review process.
This overall writing process ensures buy-in and stakeholder authority from involved parties, such as product owners, product managers, developers, engineers, and content publishers. The process can change depending on the work environment, established guidelines, and project delivery needs. No matter the exact path from A to Z, I work to holistically include every person and department needed to validate the document/project and ensure that it is in its best possible state before initial delivery.
When I'm not busy communicating with colleagues and developing content, you can find me relaxing at home playing a video game, or out exploring the outdoors. I love to camp, backpack, and explore all that nature has to offer us. I'm beginning to get into landscape photography, and I look forward to honing my skills in this hobby so I can reflect on my adventures and reminisce on past journeys.
Learn more about my skills, work experience, past projects, and more!
