Hello everyone, and welcome back to another installment of my blog series! This time around, I’m diving into the world of Style and Technical Writing. Over the coming weeks, I’ll be delving into the nuances of style and its pivotal role in shaping tone of voice.
As I reflect on the past couple of weeks, I find myself wrapping up the second week of the course, during which I explored the fascinating realms of style guides and the nuances of human language. One aspect that particularly intrigued me was the realization of the vast divergence in linguistic conventions across different regions. Take, for example, the term “y’all,” which is commonly accepted in colloquial speech, particularly in the southern United States, notably Texas. However, its usage might come across as overly informal or even inappropriate in other contexts. This highlights the importance of cultural understanding for technical writers, as it informs us about the appropriate language choices for specific regions or audiences.
One of the most surprising revelations for me was the apparent lack of strict adherence to style guides in many settings. Having been introduced to style guides during my undergraduate studies in technical writing, I initially believed that they were universally embraced as essential tools for standardizing style and voice across organizations. However, my recent experiences have shown me otherwise. In fact, in a recent assignment for this course, I was tasked with recommending a style guide for an actual company, Slync.io. Despite being a company recognized for its achievements, Slync.io currently operates without a formal style guide in place. I emphasized in my recommendation how implementing a style guide could align with the company’s mission of streamlining logistics processes and reducing manual data entry.
This assignment held particular significance for me in terms of my career aspirations. Coming from a background in English literature, I’ve learned that not all clients possess the same level of familiarity with technical writing conventions as subject matter experts might. Therefore, in my recommendation report for Slync.io, I had to carefully analyze the company’s existing communication practices and identify areas where a style guide could enhance clarity and consistency. Additionally, I outlined specific guidelines within the style guide that I believed should be prioritized for implementation, considering the company’s objectives and communication goals.
As I conclude this update, I want to express my gratitude to all of you for taking the time to read about my experiences. I look forward to sharing more insights with you soon as I continue to explore the fascinating world of style and technical writing. Until next time!