Lines & Letters

Award-Winning Newsletter of NEO STC


Lisa Adair Becomes STC Associate Fellow

Congratulate Lisa Adair as she recently achieved the honorary rank of STC Associate Fellow. As explained at https://www.stc.org/notebook/2023/02/03/presenting-the-2023-stc-class-of-associate-fellows/, this is the second highest rank that the Society can confer upon a member, Fellow being the highest. “This honor recognizes members for their outstanding achievements in and contributions to the arts and science of technical communication, … Continue reading…

Tricia Spayer Becomes STC Fellow

Congratulate Tricia as she recently achieved the rank of STC Fellow. Enjoy reading her citation.  Tricia Spayer Citation: For continuing service to STC through chapter and Society leadership roles, and for advocating technical communication principles in all aspects of your career and volunteer roles. See the 2023 class of STC Fellows following. Presenting the 2023 class … Continue reading…

What Color Do You Want?

If you will, come along with me on a journey in our minds. Let’s go back in time for a little while. Imagine yourself in grade school again. You’re in art class and you’re using crayons to color at a table along with some other classmates. Someone says, “Please hand me the skin color crayon.” … Continue reading…

Paulette Tiggs Is a Winner

When we held our last drawing for the winner of a $20 gift card for a contributor to Lines & Letters, Paulette Tiggs was the lucky winner.   If you submit an article for our newsletter, you are eligible to be in our drawing. Submit articles to newsletter@neostc.org. A big thank you also is in … Continue reading…

Creating Systems of Compassion (Meeting Review)

Is the way we are working today not working? That is a question that Charlotte Chang (pictured at right) tackled on Jan. 26, 2023 during an impressive Women in Agile Cleveland meeting. “Creating Systems of Compassion with Charlotte Chang” provided great food for thought from a charismatic presenter. “Look…the way we’re working isn’t working. At … Continue reading…

President’s Column (January, 2023)

Happy New Year! As we begin 2023, I’m hopeful that we’ll all have a healthy and prosperous year. One of my resolutions is to practice gratitude and take note of all the things that I’m thankful for. I’m thankful for being a part of the STC community and especially for our Ohio chapter members. In … Continue reading…

Start 2023 in a Greater Way

As we start a new year, please consider clicking on The Literacy Site to give a donation of a book.    The click and donation are free. The site is at –  https://therainforestsite.greatergood.com/clicktogive/lit/home?gg_source=ctgtabs&gg_medium=sitenav&gg_campaign=ARS   When you click, the sponsors fund donations of books and supplies for children. The web site is part of the GreaterGood … Continue reading…

Spotlight on Nicole Derr

“I help companies develop high-value products and high-performing teams. My emphasis is on improving culture and employee engagement through collaboration, transparency, employee empowerment, continuous improvement, and trust.” So says agile coach Nicole Derr who goes on to say: “I specialize in leadership coaching, product strategy and innovation, and team development. I work primarily with leaders, … Continue reading…

Commas: Rules for Use

OWL Purdue provides the following about proper use of a comma. Maybe we can all use a reminder. Extended Rules for Using Commas 1. Use commas to separate independent clauses when they are joined by any of these seven coordinating conjunctions: and, but, for, or, nor, so, yet. 2. Use commas after introductory a) clauses, b) … Continue reading…

A Policies and Procedures SIG Meeting Review

The STC Policies and Procedures SIG held a lively Zoom meeting on October 27, 2022. The topic concerned – Planning, Organizing, and Managing Content. Part of the discussion centered on important basics such as: . Get a champion – director or executive . Understand the basic need . Gather a list of KPIs Concerning an … Continue reading…

Academic Writing Now (Book Review)

Academic Writing Now: A Brief Guide for Busy Students – Second Edition David  Starkey. 2021. Emerald Publishing. ISBN 978-1-80043-663-3. 200 pages. US$23.99 (softback). Comprehensive and authoritative while being friendly were my thoughts when I was reading Academic Writing Now. Especially useful is that Academic Writing Now covers the most recent versions of both American Psychological Association (APA) … Continue reading…

2022 Word of the Year from Collins (“for word lovers and word geeks everywhere”)

The Collins Dictionary revealed its 2022 word of the year as “permacrisis” with the definition of an “extended period of instability and insecurity, (especially) one resulting from a series of catastrophic events.” This is according to https://www.cnet.comulture/dont-stress-but-permacrisis-is-the-2022-word-of-the-year/ Some of the catastrophic events that came to my mind are the COVID pandemic, extreme weather, and Russia’s … Continue reading…

President’s Column (Nov., 2022)

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life…” Melody Beattie As we enter the holiday months, I’m a few months into my term as president of the Ohio chapter. This unique perspective has given me the opportunity to see all the behind-the-scenes work that goes into running a successful chapter. The teamwork and camaraderie of our volunteers … Continue reading…

Spectrum Conference Review

Tricia Spayer attended the Spectrum conference this year and also made a presentation, Enjoy reading her answers to the questions asked. What was your favorite part of the Spectrum conference in Rochester? My favorite part of the conference was seeing STC Rochester members, whom I’ve had the pleasure of hanging out with at previous Spectrum … Continue reading…

Where Technical Writers Meet Agile (Meeting Review)

We had a great panel discussion on October 20 about Agile development from the Technical Writer’s perspective. Panelists included our own Barb Philbrick, Paulette Tiggs, and Paul Holland along with guest speaker Nicole Derr. Nicole is a Technical Writer turned Agile Coach. She works with organizations that want to develop high-value products and high-performing teams. … Continue reading…

Mentoring and Wine

Ohio STC members and guests enjoyed sitting outside at the beautiful venue at Michelangelo’s Winery. We shared some red wine, a charcuterie board and a couple of flatbread pizzas. And although they are well known for their amazing pastries, none of us had any room left to try them.’ One guest, a recent college graduate, … Continue reading…

Embodied Risk in Technical Communication (Book Review)

Embodied Environmental Risk in Technical Communication: Problems and Solutions Toward Social Sustainability.Edited by Steven Stinson and Mary Le Rouge. 2022. Routledge.  ISBN 9781032155494. 290 pages. US$44.95 (softcover). If you are a practitioner or teacher working in the field of technical communication, environmental education, science communication, or public health, the material in Embodied Environmental Risk in … Continue reading…

Spotlight on Futurist Bill Bishop

What does it mean to be a futurist – which is what Bill Bishop calls himself – in addition to being an entrepreneur, inventor, innovation coach, author, and international keynote speaker? In part, a futurist can write a book such as Dancing with Robots: The 29 Strategies for Success in the Age of AI and … Continue reading…

President’s Column (Sep., 2022)

“Sometimes you’ll have to hold your nose, close your eyes, and jump off the high board.” H. Jackson Brown Jr. Hello – I’m excited to be the Ohio STC president this year! I’ve been a member since the 90s but have only recently stepped up into some leadership positions. Why now? Well, I’ve always meant … Continue reading…

Create a Form in Microsoft Power Apps (Meeting Review)

We had a great opportunity to promote STCs Policies & Procedures Special Interest Group (P&P SIG) on August 30th. For those of you who were able to attend, Aleshia Jefferson demonstrated how to create a simple business request form in Microsoft Power Apps. Aleshia is a veteran technical writer with 25+ years of experience and … Continue reading…

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