Christine Hastie

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laws of collaborative writing Articles

Celebrate your collaborative successes

Law 10. Celebrate, then evaluate

Today, I received a letter from a project leader in the mail. I chuckled and got a warm, fuzzy feeling. Here I was, thinking about the tenth and last law of collaborative writing—how important it is to recognize all collaborators and celebrate your collective achievement. Then a thank-you note arrives. (And I did not Photoshop that time stamp….

Christine November 26, 2013 Leave a Comment 2334
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Good collaborations often show great diversity

Collaborative Writing Law 9. Editors, translators, and designers are collaborators, too

Writing teams need editors. Depending on the context, the project might need a translator and some graphic designers, too. In fact editors, translators, and designers are all key collaborators. They offer advice about how specific requirements are best incorporated into the final product. Depending on the kind of editing to be done, there are roles for editors…

Christine November 26, 2013 Leave a Comment 2322
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Collaboration is communicating about your shared goals

Law 8. Collaboration is all about communication and shared goals

We are all familiar with collaboration that fails because of insufficient effort in one direction or another. Here is a a proposal that takes into consideration all the factors at play when a group of people collaborate. The formula I propose shows how to create collaborative success. Yes, there is probably a more complex or correct equation for what it takes to make…

Christine November 25, 2013 Leave a Comment 3746
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Collaborative Writing Law 7. Model thy structure and content

Why do we try to reinvent the wheel? The world is full of examples of how information can be organized. Pick a content model. Any model! Well, you’re right. Not just any model will do. You want the one that fits your content best and helps your team manage the work. That’s why knowing the requirements and…

Christine November 25, 2013 Leave a Comment 2957
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Assumptions and expectations can create obstacles

Collaborative Writing Law 6. When in doubt, check your assumptions

Assumptions create obstacles to free-flowing collaboration. If a project is not advancing as expected, there are probably some hidden assumptions to bring to light. Assumptions can affect anything from the writing mandate to the final output, and all the activity and people in between. The root of assumptions is expectations—something every project and everyone involved comes ready charged…

Christine November 25, 2013 Leave a Comment 8465
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collaboration amongst people

Law 4. Assess the requirements for the project (even if there’s no time)

You have already established your writing mandate with Law 3. So does the team start scribbling yet? Not quite. There’s an Arabic saying about good, expressive prose: (If it takes) No skill to understand it, (then it takes) mastery to write it.” — cited by Taleb in his book on anti fragility (I’ve added parenthetical notes) In writing,…

Christine November 2, 2013 Leave a Comment 5628
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Changes come to goals and priorities

Law 3. Identify the writing mandate and agree on a process

When there is writing to be done, most people expect some magic to happen. The mystique surrounding the creative process is powerful. There is no magic, though. Setting words on the page is a process and having a plan is key. Very early on in the development process, your team must capture the expectations for the project….

Christine October 22, 2013 3 Comments 9611
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The rewards of collaboration

Law 2. Respect thy collaborators as thyself

Collaboration is about working with other people. Many hands make write work! And cupcakes have been known to make projects hum along nicely. Collaborative writing involves many different kinds of expertise, since contributions are collected from various people and sources. Often that can be a lot of fun. When things don’t go well, though, nothing will smooth the…

Christine October 18, 2013 Leave a Comment 2580
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Writing is always collaborative

Law 1. All writing in organizations is collaborative

It’s tempting to think of writing as a something one does alone. All writing is, to some extent, collaborative. Many book forewords tell the story of how people helped the author: editors, mentors, peers, wives or husbands, friends, kids—even the cat. The content still belongs to the author whose name appears on the cover. As Ray Bradbury…

Christine October 13, 2013 Leave a Comment 4819
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10 laws of collaborative writing

The 10 laws of collaborative writing

How do you make sure you are collaborating effectively with your writing colleagues? Here are 10 laws to guide you: All writing in organizations is collaborative. Respect thy collaborators as thyself. Identify the writing mandate and agree on a process. Assess the requirements for the project (even when there’s no time). Agree on practices and tools, and…

Christine October 10, 2013 Leave a Comment 7598
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