Tonight I gave my “Build Your Brand with Technical Writing” presentation (slides) to the Triangle SQL Server User Group (Raleigh, NC). I love giving this talk because I typically get one or two people who really want to get started writing ask me for help because of the talk.

Writing has been a passion of mine since I first learned to read around age 6. Back then, I dreamed I would be a writer and a teacher when I grew up. I guess I can tell that 6 year-old that her dreams came true.

I didn’t really think about the impact that writing, especially technical writing, has on others. People all over the world have learned T-SQL from me! When I write, I imaging a beginner sitting next to me as I explain the topics.

Here are some tips I gave the audience tonight:

1. Write about something you would like to learn more about.

2. After writing your post or article, set it aside for a day or so and then look at it with fresh eyes. Also, reading it out loud will help bring out any issues.

3. Network, network, network. Get to know people in the community. You never know when someone is looking for a co-author.

4. If you are a presenter, turn your presentation into an article.

5. Put writing on your calendar.

6. Just start writing even if it’s not clear what you plan to write about.

7. Use a tool like Grammarly to help with grammar, spelling and more.

Being an editor is now my third major career step, and I’m enjoying every minute!