Karen Rempel – Vancouver Technical Writer

Welcome

Hi, I’m Karen Rempel, a Vancouver-based documentation specialist and technical writer. This is my web site for showcasing my technical writing experience and helping you get to know me a little. If you have come to this site to learn about the technical writing and information development skills I can bring to your company, I think you will also discover that I am a well-rounded individual who enjoys working with others and will fit in well with your team.

I love learning to use new products and getting to know new people. I work as an independent contractor and consultant technical writer because I like the variety of work. I am up-to-date with the technical writing tools of my profession and learn about my clients’ products and processes very quickly. I have a meticulous eye for detail, the skill to explain concepts and processes in simple terms, and the ability to help people see how the parts fitinto the whole. I always get the job done on time, while producing top-quality documentation.

Technical writers bridge people and technology

I am a senior professional technical writer with 18 years of experience in the computer software industry, well established as an incorporated consultant. The simplest way to describe the many things I do as a technical writer is that I bridge people and technology to help you do business. I help people use technology to serve their needs and meet their business goals in the simplest, most effective way possible. I was the 2008 – 2009 president of the Canada West Coast chapter of my professional organization, the Society for Technical Communication. I also teach a workshop called Yoga for the Office, in which I teach people how to be close to their technology and take care of their bodies at the same time!

The Portfolio page shows some technical writing samples. I also invite you to visit my consultant listing in the STC directory. See my profile on LinkedIn for recommendations of my work.

Technical writing is one of my passions, and I enjoy the challenges that each new contract brings. Don’t hesitate to contact me, whether your technical writing project is big or small. I am willing to relocate from Vancouver to other parts of Canada for projects of one to six months. I also often work for US companies, via telecommuting.

If you need a technical writer, and you’d like to discuss how I can create great documentation for your next project, please call me at 604.251.6337 or send an email to kyrempel [at] gmail [dot] com.

No recruiters or placement agencies, please. I prefer to contract directly to the clients who will be using my services. I have been an incorporated consultant since 2003 and handle my own contract negotiations, invoicing, insurance, and taxes. Thank you!

Tags: documentation specialist, information developer, Karen Rempel, LinkedIn, Society for Technical Communication, technical writing consultant, technical writing contractor, technical writing Vancouver, Vancouver technical writer, Yoga for the Office

Posted in Technical Writing |

Addicted to stress?

With all the yoga and meditation I do, you would think stress is something I totally take in stride. But I have faced the same challenges many of us do when it comes to managing stress. Technical writing might seem like an innocuous career, with the writers hidden away in the background, quietly working away and almost falling asleep from the dullness. It is not like that at all! We are the bridge between many different groups on a project, including developers, QA and testing, project management, the SMEs, and so on. We talk to people all the time, and often face extremely tight schedules. It can get to be quite stressful if we don’t learn to balance all the demands for our time in a healthy way. My friends and family know how stressed out I can get and have given me the card shown here on two different occasions!

I was recently interviewed by Chatelaine magazine to tell my story of being addicted to stress. Here’s the article. Vancouver-based Dr. Gabor Maté has written a great book on the subject, When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress. I recommend all his books, but this one in particular woke me up to the trap I was in of creating a stressful lifestyle for myself. Anyway check out the Chatelaine article to see some helpful tips about reducing stress!

Image credit © 2006 Avanti Press, Inc., Box 2656 Detroit, MI 48231

Tags: Chatelaine magazine, Gabor Mate, stress, stress addiction, yoga

Posted in Uncategorized |

STC Program Contributions 2011 – 2012

February 21 marked the 4th annual Yoga for the Office class at the STC’s Canada West Coast chapter. This year I  added a chair to the mix. Chair yoga has become increasingly popular because the aid of the chair makes the benefits of yoga accessible to almost everyone.

About 10 technical writers came to learn some gentle poses that can be practiced by any office worker, right at your desk at work, to refresh yourself after a stressful meeting or too many hours at the computer. They discovered that simple movements combined with awareness of your breath can transform your state from prickly to peaceful in a few minutes.

The class was wonderful to teach. My students were a very receptive group of technical communicators, highly motivated to ease shoulder tension and various aches and pains. I was very pleased with the turn-out and with the peaceful space for inner exploration that we created together. Namaste!

October 18, 2011 Program Meeting: The Business Side of Technical Communication

I had the pleasure of being one of three presenters at the STC Canada West Coast’s October program meeting. The topic was “The Business Side of Technical Communication.”

Sheila Jones of Wordsmiths was the first presenter, and she shared many decades’ worth of experience about working with clients, estimating project costs, and growing one’s technical writing business.

Mike Smith of IS Solutions presented the perspective of project managers who provide technical writers for large projects. Unlike some recruitment or placement agencies, IS Solutions actually manages the project, oversees the technical writers’ work, and trains and mentors the writers. Definitely the way to go!

As an independent contractor and consultant, I shared my perspective on contracting directly to my clients versus going through a recruiting or placement agency. I had a fabulous time sharing some of the trials and tribulations I’ve gone through in this business. I also shared my recent experience of targeting a company I’d like to work for and convincing them to hire me. I think I’ve come to the conclusion that contracting is similar to dating—it’s better to let the guy/client make the first move. Then they know they want me, and are more invested in making the relationship work!  

For a detailed write-up of the program evening, see the STC Canada West Coast website.

Tags: chair yoga for the office, technical writer, Technical Writing, Vancouver technical writer

Posted in Uncategorized |

Yoga & Nature – July 21, 2012

This summer I am offering a yoga class in nature, to combine three of my passions into one soulful workshop: yoga, nature, and the nature-based psychology of the four directions. This class is open to technical writers and to anyone else who would like to experience the pleasure of practicing yoga in nature.

I invite you to spend a summer morning in the North Shore mountains, just 20 minutes from downtown Vancouver and 10 minutes from the Commercial Drive area, exploring your yoga practice in an idyllic sandy spot in nature, by the glorious Seymour River.

You will learn the nature psychology of the four directions, an ancient-modern model of understanding the psyche of humans and nature. Each cardinal direction has its own colours, textures, seasons, stages of life, and qualities of true nature. We will explore the qualities embodied by the directions through yoga poses that connect these elemental energies with your own physicality. This is an opportunity to deepen into your connection to yourself and the natural world.

Enjoy the carefree feeling of being a child outdoors, the vivid colours of summer, and the beauty of our westcoast rainforest with a small group of people like you who are interested in exploring the depths of nature.

Location Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve, North Vancouver

Date & Time Saturday, July 21, 2012, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm

Cost $69

Carpooling We will meet at 9:40 am at a location on Commercial Drive to drive to the location.

To register, please email the following information to: register [at] bcwildernessvisions [dot] com.

• Name
• Phone number
• Program you are registering for, including date
• Questions or comments

For payment information, please see the Fees page at the BC Wilderness Visions website.

Questions Contact Karen at 604.251.6337 or email info [at] bcwildernessvisions [dot] com.

About the teacher

Karen Rempel is a certified and registered yoga instructor, and spent a year as a volunteer teaching yoga to youth in prison. She’s also taught yoga to seniors in Merritt, and developed a Yoga for the Office program that she teaches in Vancouver. She is certified and registered through Yoga Alliance and YogaBC. She is also a trained wilderness guide. For information about other nature programs, please visit the BC Wilderness Visions website.

Tags: BC Wilderness Visions, four directions, yoga

Posted in Uncategorized |

New information interview service available

Great news! The Canada West Coast chapter of the Society for Technical Communication is offering a new service to the technical writing community in Vancouver.

The information interview service connects volunteer senior technical writers with people who are requesting information interviews, whether they are tech writing students who are required to do interviews for their programs, or people considering entering the field of tech writing.

The service offers a 30- to 60-minute interview (length is at the discretion of the senior writer). It could be in person or on the phone, depending on what the two people decide.

This service gives new writers access to some of the best technical writers in Vancouver, and gives you a chance to get an insider’s view of the field of technical writing, current market conditions, what type of skills are needed, what employers are looking for, what rates to charge, and anything else you have been wanting to know.

For full details, see the chapter website. To request an information interview right away, please email info-interview [at] stcwestcoast [dot] ca.

Tags: documentation specialist, information developer, information interview service, information interviews, new technical writers, senior technical writers, Society for Technical Communication, technical writers, technical writing Vancouver, Vancouver technical writers

Posted in Uncategorized |

Software implementation versus development: a look at the Temenos T24 banking software

What is the difference between software implementation and software development? They sound like two very different things, don’t they? However, it depends on the nature of the software involved. Since February 2010, I have been working as part of a team that is implementing Temenos T24 software. My role has involved developing customized online help to go with each screen of the software.

You might wonder why this is necessary. The reason is that Temenos is not an “out of the box” solution, like Microsoft Word, that is ready to go the minute you buy it.  Though for those of us who have upgraded through various releases of Word, it is not really ready to go, as we have favourite ways of setting up the program to work for us. Come to think of it, the more expert a user is, the more they are likely to customize aspects of a software package before starting to use it. But I digress!

Used by over 600 banks world-wide, the Temenos T24 software is a very robust package that is customizable for each financial institution’s unique needs. The implications of this might not be obvious at first, but the software is actually intended to be developed further once it is purchased by a client. The documentation that comes with the Temenos T24 software is not intended for end users in banks and credit unions, such as front-line staff and people working in the back office to complete the behind-the-scenes aspects of banking. The Temenos T24 documentation is very comprehensive, but its intended audience is the implementation team of software developers, business analysts, and others who need to understand the nuts and bolts of the software’s structure of tables, applications, and modules. Using this knowledge, the implementation team must develop their own databases and screens for use with their company’s existing member structure, products, and processes.

Thus, the implementation team becomes a development team. Once development is involved, it necessitates an entirely different set of skills than implementation. Coding, testing, designing user interfaces, creating business requirements (if you don’t have them already! ) and functional specifications, and creating end user documentation. And that’s where I come in. To the best of my knowledge, I am the only technical writer in Vancouver with experience developing end user documentation for the Temenos T24 software. If your company is undergoing a Temenos implementation, I would be happy to assist you with creating online help and quick reference materials that are suited to your banking processes. The key to a successful implementation is ensuring that everyone knows how to use the new software! I can help you do that.

Tags: banking software implementation, T24, Temenos, Temenos T24 end user documentation, Temenos T24 online help, Vancouver technical writer

Posted in Technical Writing |

What we all want to know: what will it cost?

The advantages of hiring a senior professional…

I have been working in the field of technical writing since 1993, writing and editing many types of technical documentation, including manuals and online help, training materials, web materials, and policies and procedures. I have worked in many capacities, from supervising writers on a project to being the sole technical writer on an international team where all the communication is virtual. I have a diploma in Professional Writing from the highly regarded Print Futures program at Douglas College, as well as an MA degree. I served my professional organization, the Society for Technical Communication Canada West Coast Chapter, in its highest office, president, for the 2008 – 2009 term. I was also honoured to win the STC’s Distinguished Award for technical communications.

I produce top quality documentation quickly and always ahead of production deadlines. I learn about my clients’ products rapidly, and am adept with the latest development tools, such as those used for video and screen capture, print and online document production, content management, illustration, and source control. My experience and skill-level allow me to meet my clients’ goals in a fraction of the time of less experienced technical writers. My rate is commensurate with my experience and skill-level.

Industry standards for technical writing rates

The STC Canada West Coast chapter lists a range of $75 – $95/hour for senior technical writers in the Vancouver marketplace (2011).

The US-based Editorial Freelancers Association provides a range of $50 – $100/hour (2009).

The US-based Writing Assistance provides a range of $52 – $80+/hour, with an average of $68/hour (2009).

The National Writers Union provides a range of $62 – $106/hour (adjusted from 1999 to 2007). This information was published on their web site earlier in 2009, but has since been moved to their Freelance Writers Guide, which you can order from their web site.

The Professional Writers Association of Canada lists a range of $50 – $125/hour for technical writing (2006).

These are five reputable sources that provide guidelines for what to pay a technical writer. Of course there are many factors that influence rate, including experience of the writer, local market, size of the company, level of responsibility (for example, supervising others), and budget.

Tags: Society for Technical Communication, technical writing Vancouver, Vancouver technical writer, Vancouver technical writer consulting rates, Vancouver technical writer contractor rates, Vancouver technical writing rates

Posted in Technical Writing |

The ultimate 15-minute yoga class

The most refreshing 15 minutes of the week!

For the past 8 months I offered a free 15-minute yoga class at lunch time. The participants were my colleagues at Coast Capital Savings. This was an adaptation of the 60-minute class I developed for the Society for Technical Communication, following the same principles of being accessible to people of every fitness level, with poses suitable for all of us while wearing office attire, and not requiring any special equipment.

Weather permitting, we did the class in the parking lot, and later on a grassy lawn across the street. When the weather was cool or wet, we did the class in a large meeting room, with lots of windows and light coming in on two sides. When indoors, I encouraged people to kick off their shoes. Outdoors, people often felt more comfortable keeping their shoes on. Sometimes the women did this class in their high heels! How’s that for adaptability!

Over this period of time I perfected a series of poses to loosen all the tension from the neck, shoulders, and upper back. It is mostly standing poses, though when indoors I like to include Cat.

Karen’s 15-minute yoga for the office class

• Horse (Qigong) – loosens shoulder joints
• Bear (Qigong) – loosens joints from ankles to shoulders, and softens neck
• Carnival (Kundalini) – loosens upper back
• Little wings (Kundalini) – pulverizes remaining tension in upper back
• Mountain with side bends (Hatha) – uses breath to loosen ribs, open sides
• Tree (Hatha) – brings balance and resilient strength
• Cat – a final stretch to open space in the spine and chest

I guarantee that you will feel lighter, looser, rejuvenated, and refreshed after doing these poses! Many times I was amazed at how the tension and pain in my shoulder (which I injured some years ago while working long technical writing days at the computer) vanished from doing this class. The participants—my software developer, subject matter expert, business analyst, user acceptance, business improvement engineer, training, change manager, tester, and quality assurance team mates—also reported feeling benefits such as improved mood and reduced physical tension. But more than the physical results, the benefits of sharing this special time with my colleagues was the most uplifting aspect of this class. I think we all had fun, and that this somewhat unconventional office activity brought us closer together! Namaste.

Tags: Hatha yoga, Kundalini yoga, Qigong, Yoga for the Office

Posted in Technical Writing, Wild Woman |

Top 10 things not to do at an information interview!

As an established technical writer, I occasionally receive requests to grant information interviews to people who are interested in entering the field of technical writing. Teachers in the various technical writing programs around town advise their students to seek out these interviews, and I think it’s a great idea.

I recently had the most remarkable experience at an information interview, which has inspired me to write this top ten list of things not to do at an information interview!

1. Show up at the interview location extremely hung-over, wearing your best wild animal t-shirt.
2. When you first meet the professional technical writer (that would be me) you have asked to interview, who is probably in a position to hire you or recommend you for a job, say “I’m sorry I look like this, I’ve had hardly any sleep, I’m hung-over, and I can barely talk.” That will make her glad she took a precious half hour out of her Saturday to come and meet with you.
3. Don’t offer to pay for the writer’s coffee and biscotti. I know you’re probably a starving student and spent all your money on drinks the night before.
4. Ask in a smarmy voice, “Who else do I need to talk to to get into this field, besides you, of course?”
5. When advised to join the technical writers’ professional organization, or at least come to their meetings, which cost $5 for students, say you’ve gone to a meeting and didn’t find it that interesting.
6. When advised to create writing samples for your portfolio, perhaps volunteering for a non-profit organization in order to get some experience, say you don’t want to volunteer because you want to spend all your time playing guitar.
7. Ask if the professional writer knows Bob Rock. (Just kidding, I made that up.)
8. Present a copy of your resume, totally covered with ink from someone else’s hand-written comments, and ask the professional writer to look at it.
9. Remain seated when the professional writer stands to leave. I know, you can barely move.
10. Be sure to put a typo in the thank-you email you send to the writer six days later.

I hope this will help all you aspiring technical writers feel confident to seek out and conduct information interviews, knowing that the bar is not that high!

Tags: etiquette, information interview, technical writer

Posted in Technical Writing |

Search engine optimization

For technical writers

It seems that no matter how good our technical writing services are, these days we have to rank well in viagra engines for our clients to find us. I had a recent exchange with fellow technical writer Stephen Arthur about the value of being searchable

. While potential clients may be more inclined to look for technical writers on a site such as monster.ca or workopolis.com, and also in the contractors directory of the local chapter of the Society for Technical Communication, I think that it's also imperative to ensure that clients can find our lovingly crafted web sites through conventional search engines.

For clients

What I say here applies equally well to anyone who has a web site and wants people to find your web site on the internet. You must be searchable! And findable! So this article gives a few tips.

I tend to focus my efforts on Google, but there are many other search engines that people use. So here is a list to consider checking your site on:

• Google
• Yahoo
• Bing
• Ask
• Dogpile - fetch!

For an unbelievable list of search engines, see the Search Engine Guide.

If your site is new, you'll have to be patient, as it can take up to 3 weeks for the “robots,” “web bots,” or “crawlers” of the search engines to find your site and glean what's on it. Google offers Webmaster Tools and Google Analytics to assist you. These free tools help you track what Google is finding on your site and get statistics about visitors to your site.

Try this simple trick:

In the Google search box, type site:yourwebsitename.com

This will show you whether Google has indexed your site yet. Indexing means it has found your site and made a list of keyword terms. Webmaster Tools will show you what terms it has found.

Another trick:

In the Google search box, type link:yourwebsitename.com

This will show you the links to your site that Google has found on other web sites. This is the number one way to increase your web site ranking in search engines. The more sites that link to your site, the more important Google thinks your site must be.

For a final tip, make sure you frequently use terms on your site that you think your clients will search for. The more times a term is used, the more relevant Google will think your site is and the higher it will rank your site if someone searches for those terms.

Happy searching!

Tags: finding a technical writer, monster.ca, search engine optimization, SEO, Technical Writing, workopolis.com

Posted in Technical Writing |