Registration for the 2012 Technical Communication Summit is Now Open

Registration for the 2012 Technical Communication Summit is now open. The summit will be held in Rosemont, Illinois, from 20 to 23 May 2012.

The first 100 people who register before 31 December 2011 are eligible for the really early bird rate ($795 US for members). To register or for more information, see the STC website.

The summits, which are the STC’s annual conferences, are the largest gathering of technical communicators in the world. The Lone Writer SIG has had a strong presence at the summits for several years. We will publish more information on SIG events at the 2012 summit closer to the event.

More…

Calendar Updated for 2012

TheLone Writer SIG website calendar has been updated for 2012. The calendar includes information on conferences, workshops, and other events of interest to lone writers.

More…

Scrum and the Single Writer

WritesUA features an article by Kathee Kuvinka on working as a lone technical writer in an agile environment. Check it out.

More…

It’s Time to Renew Your STC Membership

The 2012 STC membership season is now open! Renew your membership before 11 November, and you’ll be entered into a draw to win a new Kindle Fire. For more information, see the STC website.

More…

Call for Speakers Extended to 3 October

STC has extended the call for speakers for the 2012 Technical Communications Summit in Chicago/Rosemont to 3 October 2012.

More…

Call for Progression Speakers in Chicago/Rosemont

Next year’s STC Technical Communication Summit will be held from 20 to 23 May 2012 in Rosemont, Illinois.

A Lone Writer Progression session is planned and the SIG is looking for presenters (and their topics). If you plan to attend the conference and have an idea for a topic, I encourage you to develop your topic and present as part of the Lone Writer Progression. Any STC member may propose and present their topic.

What is a “progression session” anyway?

“Progression session” is a format for an educational session at conference that has as many as 10 different speakers presenting on various topics simultaneously. Each speaker will host a table with a presentation on a topic they have developed from their own area of practice. Attendees will choose a topic and sit at that table to hear a 12 to 15 minute presentation about that topic, and then move to another table to hear the next 12 to 15 minute presentation. This process repeats three times throughout the hour-long time slot. This means attendees will hear three of the topics presented.

Sessions in this format are very popular and are among the best attended at the conference. Progression sessions are a great way to share a lot of information in a relatively short time. Veteran presenters and new speakers alike can hone their speaking and presenting skills as they present new topics and research.

Subject Matter for Topics

We will be looking for topics of relevance to members of our SIG, but many of those areas are also important for technical communicators working in small to large teams. Some possible topics include working as a sole writer, selecting the best tool for your needs, convincing other team members of the importance of good technical documentation, succeeding in an Agile/Scrum environment as a lone writer, how to edit / proofread your own work effectively, etc.

How to Join a Progression Session

Beginning this year, all speakers must submit an individual proposal for their topics, including progression sessions. If you have an idea, don’t hesitate to propose it. As an experienced speaker for full talks, workshops, and progressions, a progression moderator, and proposal reviewer, our SIG manager, Ed Marshall, can help you with your proposal.

You will need to make your submission by 28 September 2011. So, organize your topic and get any supporting materials together! The “Powers That Be”
are adamant that the deadline will not be extended.

At a minimum, you will need the following information: 

• Your name and contact information
• Working title for your topic
• A short abstract or description of your topic
• A short professional bio about you, especially about any speaking or presenting experiences you may have had
• Any further details about your topic, such as an outline or graphics (if you have them). More information is better, but if your presentation is not fully developed, please propose it anyway!
• Be sure to mention any SIG affiliations you may have

Links

STC Summit Information Page

STC Call for Proposals Page

There is usually a $100 discount on Conference Registration Fees for Progression Speakers!

If you need help with your proposal or have questions, feel free to ask.

More…

STC Welcomes Back Alumni with Special Membership Rate

STC is encouraging alumni to renew their memberships for the remainder of 2001 by offering a special renewal rate of $99 US as well as waiving the reinstatement fee. For more information, visit the STC’s Welcome Back page and watch the video from STC’s president, Hillary Hart.

More…

STC Alberta Newsletter Features Lone Writer Article

The fall 2011 issue of SuperScript, the newsletter of STC’s Alberta chapter, features an article by Adriana Harper on how to succeed as a lone writer. Check it out.

Have you come across a blog post or other information on the web that would be of interest to lone writers? Let us know, and we’ll post a link to it on Solitary Scrivener.

More…

Couldn’t Attend Last May’s Summit? Check Out These Resources

Couldn’t attend the 2011 Technical Communication Summit in Sacramento, California? STC offers two resources that let you experience the best of what its annual conference had to offer.

Summit@aClick is an online collection of the conference’s content, with synchronized audio and slides. It is available to members for $249 US and to non-members for $499 US.

STC’s Flickr site includes hundreds of photos from the 2011 conference as well as the 2010 conference.

More…

Link to My STC Lone Writer Page Now Available

Earlier this month, STC launched the My STC network. This new social networking tool includes, among other features, pages for chapters, special interest groups and other groups within STC.

We’ve included a link to the Lone Writer SIG’s My STC page on our website. The link is available in the menu under For Members (STC user name and password required).

We are looking into other opportunities to integrate the Lone Writer SIG and My STC network.

More…

 1 2 3 >  Last ›