Hi, I’m John Hewitt. I am a Content Strategist for a personal finance company. In my spare time, I write poetry, fiction, blog posts, and other things. This is my site.

My history

I’ve worked in technical communications for twenty-five years. There’s been high points and low points, but for the most part, I’ve made a good living and I enjoy the work. I could tell you how I got started, and I will at some point, but the lucky thing for you is that it is so much easier now than it was then. This will give you the information you need to get started as a technical writer in the area of software documentation. If you’re looking for some other area, most of the same rules apply, but getting up and running is faster and easier when you work with software because there are a lot more openings and information than in most other areas.

Technical writing isn’t for everyone. Day in and day out, there’s a weird combination of repetitive work and a constant need to learn new things that can be daunting for most people. I’ve seen more than one technical writer get overwhelmed by the demands of the job. I also know many technical writers who have been at it for twenty, thirty, and even forty years. I haven’t always loved technical writing, to be honest, but I’m glad I’ve stuck with it because I feel like I have reached the point in my career where my job satisfaction had never been higher and I can measurably see how the work I do helps people.

In my time I have also been a newspaper editor, literary magazine editor, and web publisher. I’ve run writing contests. I’ve written two novels and a book of poetry. I love to write.