The Newsletter for the Southwestern Ontario Chapter of the Society for Technical Communication
October 2003 (Volume 15 Number 2) About the Quill
In This Issue:
It's All About the People
What does being a trial lawyer, having multiple majors, and meeting a lot of new people have in common? Find out how the people in our chapter can make a difference. More
This Month in History
In keeping with the STC's 50th anniversary, we celebrate the achievements of our chapter that have taken place in the fall over the years. More
From the Outside Looking In: Becoming a Technical Writer
Find out what the world of technical writing looks like to someone who is new to the profession. More
Workshop: From Writer to Illustrator
Many of us would consider ourselves writers, but we consider it to be out of our comfort zone to be an illustrator. Find out how to make effective use of graphics without being a graphic artist. More
Calling All Comunicators!
Learn how spotting the typo in this heading can confirm that you should be in this field. Use this article to demonstrate to others why they should be a member of the STC. More
View from the Other Side -- The other side of the world, that is
One of our members is currently living in England. Read about her experiences with both the people and the language. More
Technical Writing in the Insurance Industry
Not all technical writing jobs are for software companies to send with their products. Even in the insurance, the type of writing is still very different.
Find out how "Finance and insurance put a twist on the technical writing field" at Manulife. More
Get the inside details on how "Insurance got her hooked" at Sun Life. More
The Consulting and Independent Contracting Corner
Consulting and Independent Contracting (CIC) is a Special Interest Group (SIG). In the second installment of her column, CIC-SIG Manager, Elaine Garnet, helps those considering contract work determine if they have the right stuff. More
Meeting Recaps
Read about what happened at our September general meeting that celebrated the STCs 50th anniversary. More
See what attendees at this Contractors and Independent Consultants meeting learned about keeping a business growing. More
Upcoming Meetings
There's lots to see and do in our chapter. Find out what upcoming meetings might interest you. Plan to attend our chapter's November meeting. More
The Management SIG is holding its first meeting. More
The CIC SIG has a great October meeting planned. More
Banner Competition
If you missed the deadline for entering the contest to create a new banner for this newsletter, you're in luck. Encourage those members with graphic abilities to enter this competition. More
STC Head Office
Find out about prorated fees for new members. More
Word Origins
In keeping with our general meeting about résumés, find out about the origins of words that relate to working or finding a job. More
The Editor's Message:
It's hard to believe that this is already the second issue of The Quill. I have a whole new appreciation for how much effort it takes to put a newsletter together.
Congratulations to everyone who has gone through this process in the past. It's a time consuming, but very worthwhile experience.
For this issue, I wanted to highlight some special features in The Quill.
New Feature Columns
This issue features the first installment of two new series -- one about living in England and the other about writing in different industries. While Nancy Halverson will be writing regular articles about England, I need writers from different industries -- for example, pharmaceutical, government, manufacturing, industrial -- to write articles about their industry.
Ability to Print
In a recent meeting, there was a discussion about being able to print the newsletter. The print graphic in the top right corner of each article enables you to print just that article. To print the entire Quill, click on the PDF graphic in the bottom left corner on the first page of the newsletter. We didn't want you to go from paper to online cold turkey.
Word Origins and Acronyms
As communicators, we are interested in the English language. That's why we have included word origins and acronyms. Whenever possible, the word origins will be connected to the general meeting for that month. Acronyms are something new to The Quill, but they are not new in job situations, so we might as well start learning some new ones.
About The Quill
To enable you to find out information about The Quill, there's a new About The Quill link on the first page of the newsletter.
This link will enable you to access administrative information like, contact information, copyright restrictions, reprint requirments, and submission deadlines. Having common information in one location makes it easier to find.
I hope you like what you see. I want to hear more from you -- both your suggestions and story ideas. I also want you to be part of The Quill by submitting something like an article, a word origin, or an acronym.
You can contact me, Debbie, at quill@stc-soc.org