In loving memory of Dotting Eyes Inc. 2004-2018.
My first gig was writing the content for a small-town brochure and creating advertisements for a scrapbooking store. I wrote a safety manual for a cheerleading gym, formatted 1000+ procedures for an oil refinery, indexed a documentation suite for an international data storage company, and edited web content about potash mining. I can go on forever about my random mix of projects and topics over the past fourteen years.
I may have been a sole proprietorship, but business communications and technical writing are a group effort. Gigs involve the client with a documentation need, SMEs (Subject Matter Experts) with the information, the writer who puts it all on paper, the designer who makes it pretty, and the various types of editors to smooth out the rough edges. (Even creative writing requires information sources and winds up in front of editors and publishers.)
Sure, one person can and often does take on more than one of these roles, but team members offer…
A fresh set of eyes. After staring at a project for a long time, we start to read what we think is on the page and not necessarily what is on the page.
A different perspective. Different people with different experiences promote creative and critical thinking.
A range of abilities. As I tell my clients, if you do what you do best and I do what I do best, we will not only get the job done but will be happier and quicker in the process.
Some of the teams I worked on over the years worked better than others. The better ones focussed on the end goal (the client needs) and respected one another’s roles. No one likes being micro-managed and compromise may not be necessary (especially if you’re the boss), but… well, see the above list.
So how did I end up at Scriptorium? I found the right team. Rather, the right team found me. Over the years, Annette and I referred one another for gigs, offered feedback on each other’s MA assignments, and shared notes when we both taught at MacEwan. In fall 2017, I was hired as a subcontractor to help her business partner Pamela with a project. Little did I know, I was being interviewed.
I don’t know if stars aligned, but our core work values and ultimate company vision sure did. With our combined work experiences, skill sets, and availability, our team supports one another and better provides for our clients.
And Scriptorium continues to feed my hunger for a random mix of projects and topics.
Jaclyn has been a dream addition to the Scriptorium team. We love the skill set, the collaboration, and the positivity she brings to our company. We are so glad that we found her and made her a permanent part of the company! Jaclyn's debut novel The Inquirer will be published next month. You can pre-order it here www.jaclyndawn.com
#Grammar #ClearCommunications #ConciseWriting #WritingWorkshop #YEGWrites #YEGBlog #teamwork #respectfulworkplace
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