Chillibreeze Writer Interviews – Padmaja Narsipur

Padmaja Narsipur has been working as a freelance technical writer with Chillibreeze since 2006 and she conducts an online workshop on Technical Writing basics for Chillibreeze.

Previously, she worked as a software engineer/analyst for Intel Corp. in Santa Clara, California. In 2009, she started Scrivvle with her partner Nikhila Srirangapatna to pursue technical communication projects. They have recently ventured into software development for the mobile space.

Padmaja has an MSc in Physics and an MS in Computer Science. She lives with her husband and three children in Hyderabad.

Please tell us about yourself.

By training and experience, I am a software engineer. Over the last 5 years, I’ve been working as a freelance writer, and have worked on several projects with Chillibreeze – many of them in the technical writing field. But I would say that my job #1 is “Mom”!

What drew you to technical writing? How does it differ from other genres of writing?

Technical writing combines two of my passions – the written word and technology. I am very comfortable with technology and the sciences because of my background, and have been a voracious reader from my childhood. Writing seemed a natural extension of this.

Is a technical background important to break into this field?  What are the pre-requisites for making a mark in this field?

Surprisingly enough, no! I have worked with some very good technical writers during my career, and none of them had a technical background. I feel that very good writing skills, combined with a curiosity to learn and experiment with technology are all that are necessary. In a corporate setting it also helps if you are a team player, as a technical writer often dons many hats – from usability expert to quality engineer and more.

Do you think it’s easy to write technical subjects that are easily understood by a layman?

It depends. The most important thing is to put yourself in the shoes of your target user – for instance, if your target user is a 55 year old woman who has never touched a computer in her life and you’re setting out to teach her about Windows, all the technical education in the world will not help you. It’s important to recognize what questions she will have, what problems she will face, and then set about answering them.

This is a skill many so-called techies lack. They are so habituated to using technology that they cannot put themselves in the shoes of their users. This is precisely the empathy that a “non-techie” technical writer brings to the table.

What kind of mistakes do you think new writers usually make? Any advice for aspiring technical writers?

The first question many new writers ask me is, “How much money is it possible to make?” – an understandable sentiment: many aspiring writers are highly educated women who have to stay home for various reasons. They hope to develop writing as an alternative career, and want to know if it pays.

It pays, but certainly not immediately. You need to persevere, try various providers and do a great job before you get steady work and see some cash.

Second, many writers are inflexible in the work they’ll take on. They will only do x, y, z and not a, b, c. This attitude will not put you on the “preferred writers” list of any content provider.

I would advice aspiring freelance writers not to quit their day job until they establish themselves. And, challenge yourself – raise your hand for a variety of assignments and give it your 110%. Who knows which one will turn into a steady stream of work!

How do you see the internet changing the way writing works? Are online training and jobs the way forward?

Definitely. I’ve been working for CB for quite a few years now, but met many of the CB staff only recently. I interact with them via email, Skype (and rarely, over the phone). Yet, I believe we’ve had a very effective relationship – the number of folders in my “Old Projects” directory crossed 100 a few months ago. So I’m a firm believer in the reach of the internet to get work done.

The internet also empowers a previously marginalized section of people – highly educated and/or experienced people who cannot work outside the home for some reason or the other. I was in this category, as a mother of three young children under the age of three. That’s when I found Chillibreeze. But I like it so much now, that I wouldn’t step back into a cubicle farm even if you paid me!

Can you tell us something about the Chillibreeze Online Workshop you are conducting?  Who workshop targeted at and what can people hope to learn from it?

The workshop aims to describe the basics of technical communication to an audience of non-techies. Many people are intimidated by the “technical” part of technical writing – they assume that it involves deciphering some arcane code and working with complex systems. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. In fact, teachers, journalists and writers are supposed to be the best kind of technical writers. A large part of technical communication involves putting yourself into the user’s shoes (which I described before) and conveying complex ideas in a simple way. My workshop aims to de-mystify this art and draw more people into the field. There is a huge requirement for talented technical writers, whether for freelancers or for those who want to work in corporate settings.

Tell us about your experience with setting up your company ‘Scrivvle’?

Scrivvle was founded by a desire to establish myself independently. Our clients are technology companies who want to engage with a communicator on an ongoing/long-term basis. They send us work whenever the requirement arises, and we invoice them periodically.

Then my partner Nikhila and I found a niche that exploits another passion – our interest in children’s education.  We’re both moms of young kids, so we were talking of what we can do to help our kids learn. Then we thought, why not create applications that help children learn better? We focussed on mobile applications (iPhone/iPad, Android, Blackberry) and designed easy-to-use, attractive games that kids would enjoy. The subliminal message was the learning! I’m very happy to report the first game hit the iTunes App Store last week, and we have many more games in the design/development stage.

The work I do as co-founder of Scrivvle also underlines the power of the internet – we work with programmers in Delhi and Bangalore and a graphic designer in Florida to get the job done. My partner Nikhila is based in California and I live in Hyderabad. Our team is a testament to the “internet way” of work.

How do you see the future of tech writing evolve in India?

In my opinion, more and more people will continue to seek out freelance writers, especially small and medium-scale companies who don’t have the need to hire a writer in-house. Giant technology companies will of course always have an ongoing need for writers. Beyond this, many pharma, health-care, product, clinical research, legal and other firms will need technical writers too. There are many avenues, the future is good!

Is there anything else you would like to tell us about yourself? Perhaps something interesting about you, that people are always surprised to hear?

Despite my love of the internet and technology etc etc, my all-time favourite book is “Pride and Prejudice” – a Regency-era social that I’ve re-read numerous times. You’ll find me on many Jane Austen Fan Fiction sites.

I’m a voracious reader – I’ll read anything from Julian May to Vedanta to the back of cereal boxes. If nothing else, I’ll sit and play “Word Mole” on my Blackberry J

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