Writing Guidelines

[Ty]

Here are some guidelines for people who write things for the help file. I will add new points as I think of them. Writers, please send your thoughts, comments and questions via this forum.

Index Entries: All articles must have--please!!--several or many good index entries. When you write on a subject, please include at the end of your writing a list of terms that should appear in the index for this item. If you write about Red Eye Correction, for example, you could have index keywords like:

• Red eye correction
  Correction, red eye
  Color correction, red eye
  Portraits, red eye
  People, red eye
  Eyes, red, correcting
  etc.

Index entries are very helpful to users, but indexes which are made by program (instead of by people) are usually very bad. So please take the time to include any entries that you think would be helpful to a user of the help file.

Spelling and Grammar: When writing, do not worry too much about spelling and grammar. I am good at style and grammar and all writing things, and Microsoft Word is very good at spelling. When I receive good and clear writing, I won't change it at all. If it is not so good, I will make such grammar and structure changes as I think are necesssary.

[CreativeWorld]

Make sure you have a defined communication plan before you start. Describe your objectives in detail so that you are aware of your objectives. Check to see who you are speaking to and why. And make sure you're reaching your audience using the appropriate instruments for communication.

Publishing a document involves major steps such as sending it for programming, formatting and review. After the reviewing process, your document is ready for publishing. It would then be read by a technical editor and re-read by an executive editor. The document will then go through the final review process.

Read aloud.
Stay consistent.
check grammar & spelling mistakes.
citation.
check plagiarism.