Month: October 2007

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Writing Workshop: Troublesome Words

by Quinn McDonald

After one month of tracking misused words (for a class I’m developing), here are the six biggest troublemakers and how to use them correctly.

Simplistic

Doesn’t mean easy or simple. It means oversimplifying by leaving out important factors. Use "simple" instead.

Podium

A riser. You have to step up on it. Comes from the Greek for ‘feet,’ as does podiatrist. The tall piece of furniture you stand behind to deliver a speech is a lectern.

Disinterested

Fair or impartial. Does not mean "used to be interested but not any more." That word is uninterested.

Passionate/Passion

A buzz word, a fad that will soon pass. It means, "based only on emotions, without reason," as in the sentence, "He killed his wife with a knife. It was a crime of passion." Once ‘passionate’ is worn out, a new, escalating word will have to replace it. Wachovia bank already claims to be "obsessed" with their clients. Really? Scary.

Actionable

Not an action item on a list. Much worse. Something that will get you sued. "Punching my boss in the mouth is not only actionable, it got me fired."

One off

Short for "one of a kind," not "turn this one off," or even "off the last ‘f’ in this word." So it’s "one of."

About the Author: Quinn McDonald is a writer, certified creativity coach and trainer in business communications. See more of her work at Quinncreative.wordpress.com

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“Adobe Captivate 3: Script Writing and Production Guide” Nearing Completion

My newest book, "Adobe Captivate 3: Script Writing and Production Guide" is nearing completion. You can order a pre-published copy of the book now and we will ship it to you "hot off the press." (We expect this book to begin shipping before the end of October.)

About This Book:

I’ve been teaching Captivate for years. At the end of a two-day class, my students have all the skills they need to create highly interactive computer-based training simulations (CBTs) using Captivate.

Some time ago a student, just prior to leaving class the last day, asked how she could focus her writing skills and create clean, step-by-step documentation she could use for her Captivate storyboards. She said she had searched and searched and could not find a class designed specifically for creating step-by-step documentation.

I had another student ask me if I had a style guide he could "borrow" so that he could create a corporate style guide to be used for all of their Captivate CBTs. Based on those conversations, I created this book. Part 1 of the book is designed to focus your grammar and writing skills and help you create concise step-by-step documentation. Part 2 of this book is the Style Guide and Process document I created for use at IconLogic.

Click here for more information about the book or to order.

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Captivate 3 Online Training Event Next Week… Don’t Miss Out!

Learn Adobe Captivate in 2 Short Days

You can now attend a training class from the comfort of your home or office. All you need is a high-speed internet connection, the necessary course software, a speakerphone and a few hours to master such programs as Adobe Captivate, RoboHelp and FrameMaker.

Here’s how our virtual classrooms work:

  1. Register for a class and pay your tuition
  2. Check your email after registering… we’ll be sending you a confirmation email with important information about the course including date, time and login information.
  3. On the date of your class, use your computer and go to the Web site specified in your confirmation email and log in.
  4. Call the toll-free phone number included with your confirmation email so you can hear and speak with your fellow classmates and instructor… and that’s it.

The following courses are currently available:

Adobe Captivate 3, 2-day course

Dates: October 9-10, 2007 or November 6-7, 2007

Time: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. EST

Price: $600 per person

Each class participant will receive a copy of our "Essentials of Adobe Captivate 3" book and access to our Adobe Captivate 3 eLearning course for one full year (unlimited access to more than 40 lessons on Adobe Captivate 3, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week).