Welcome to our first Scriptorium team Q&A or what we are dubbing #AskScriptoriumAnything. Once a month, we’re each going to answer the same question from our own perspective, experience, and interests so you can get to know more about us and what we do. Have a question for us? Send it via our social media or email.
For our first question, we thought we would tell you about which projects are our happy projects. The ones that get us most excited.
Annette Wierstra
I know. I am a writer and I should be the most jazzed about writing projects. But my favourite projects let me combine my writing skills with my teaching skills.
I think what makes those projects more interesting is that they move beyond recording and cataloging information (albeit important information), towards something more dynamic. Recording policies and procedures and doing knowledge capture is a great first step. But turning the written material into a course or orientation is just that extra layer that brings the project to life.
Getting to think about different learners and how we can make the material relevant and accessible just makes me happy. There is a greater scope for creativity in interactive presentations, storytelling, and exercises when you're not limited to a strictly written project. And I am just enough of a social introvert that I like to see how things play out in the classroom once in a while.
What keeps our work interesting, is that I get to interact with so many companies. But if you give me an educational component, I’m going to be that extra bit excited.
Pamela Scott
I get excited when creating a document that makes someone’s life easier. Usually that means making someone’s job easier, but sometimes it happens in my personal life too.
At work, it is often a procedure or policy that solidifies information so all parties know what is expected of them and can do their jobs well. It is so important to use enough words to be clear, but not too many as the meaning can get lost. Such a simple thing that when done right makes such a big difference.
At home I also find reasons for useful documentation. Recently, my family created a schedule, so every child knows what day of the week their turn is to sleep with the cat; ending the nightly battles and making bedtime (the hardest time of my day) much easier. That is a brilliant piece of paper!
Jaclyn Lawrence
Novel-length fiction is an obvious answer since the cover for my creative writing hobby has been blown. But really, I am passionate about the written word in general.
Growing up in a small town, I climbed hay bales and trees, played sports, rode motorbikes and quads, and read a lot. By junior high and then more so in high school when boys in my class struggled with material, I was asked by teachers, moms, and then eventually the boys themselves to tutor. These friends were smart; the textbooks and handouts were just confusing or boring. I discovered I was good at making material clear and relatable.
As a freelance writer, I’ve had the chance to write about all sorts of topics: microgardening, tattoo removal, directional drilling, drones, patient care, heavy duty equipment, telecommunications, and anonymous tabloids in small town Alberta (yep, that was a plug for my debut novel The Inquirer). What did all of these projects have in common? I needed to identify and cater to the unique purpose, audience, and means in order to be successful. With each new client or project, I get to learn something new and craft ways to share this knowledge with others.
Learn more about Jaclyn’s upcoming novel The Inquirer on her author website: www.JaclynDawn.com.