This month in Spotlights, we are learning about Barry Shanko who started as an electronics technician moving into freelance science and technology writing then into technical writing. His freelance science writing has appeared in publications including space.com, Air and Space Smithsonian magazine and the Vancouver Board of Trade newspaper.

As a technical writer, he’s produced online help, user guides, training materials, ISO/Work instructions and marketing materials. His training manual won an award at the 2009 STC CWC competition.

Right now he’s looking for new opportunities. To see samples of his work, check out his website. (www.TechnishIntoEnglish.com)

Me: What was the most interesting project you’ve ever worked on?

Barry: I was working in an electronics plant as a test technician. The plant was going ISO and they offered me the chance to write the manuals.

I knew nothing about ISO and had never written a manual. I dug my heels in and said to myself “I am going to master all of this no matter what.”

A specialist who’d implemented ISO at IBM and DND supervised the certification. He told me he’d never seen such well-done ISO instructions in his career.

Me: Why have you stayed in the field?

Barry: The sense of satisfaction. At the electronics plant, I looked across the factory floor and saw one of the workers leafing through the manual I’d written for that workstation and using it to adjust the machine. That’s when I realized I’d made a lasting contribution.

Me: If you could take elements of the tools you use to create a hybrid program for technical writing/communication, what would you put together?

Barry: It would give control over figure numbering, layout, formatting, etc., that I have in FrameMaker, the choice of various outputs that one has in Flare, the ability to manipulate images that you have in PhotoShop, along with being able to create line drawings that you have in CorelDraw. And by the way, do all this without crashing or corrupting my files. And it’s free!

Me: What’s the most challenging aspect of the field?

Barry: Convincing others, usually management, that accurate, complete and easy to use documentation is not a cost, bother or delay to release, but is a vital part of the product. It doesn’t matter how great your engineers are, if the customer can’t use the product, all that effort is wasted. I add that if you allow me to do my job, then the payoff is fewer angry calls to customer service.

Me: How do you get around “writers block”?

Barry: I start by doodling on a piece of paper to try and understand the concept better and get different ideas on how to describe it.

Me: What do you do in your spare time?

Barry: I’ve been an amateur astronomer since I was a kid. I was just old enough to remember the Apollo program and remember being glued to the TV to watch the moon walks. I’ve written extensively on both topics for a long time.

Autumn Jonssen