Writing Under Pressure

Scientific and technical documentation are often put under intense scrutiny, which can increase the stress of writing. In Mark Densmore’s case, the microscope is especially severe. As a senior project engineer for an expert-witness forensic engineering firm, Densmore inspects residential buildings to determine the cause and origin of damages. He then writes engineering reports to support his findings. His peers, as well as clients who are insurance companies and attorneys, critique and look for answers in those reports.

Writing under such pressure was causing Densmore significant stress, which affected the quality of his writing. Fortunately, Hurley Write, Inc.’s online technical writing course put an end to much of this stress.

Time to train
Challenged to improve his writing skills, Densmore searched for online writing courses and discovered Hurley Write.

“After speaking with Pam Hurley, I knew the course was right for me and my organization,” Densmore says.

The writing class, which was presented in six modules that students review at their convenience, taught Densmore that he needed to relax to write well. He explains that he now knows how to “carve out time” to let his writing “incubate.”

“The technical writing course has helped me to think before I start writing and to be organized,” Densmore says, referring to the course’s focus on a solid writing process. He also learned other writing skills, such as how to construct effective sentences and paragraphs to keep the focus of his reports in every word.

After reviewing the material in each module and performing specific writing exercises, Densmore worked directly with Hurley to review the technical writing samples and answer any questions.

“She provided constructive feedback to our writing samples and often explained why she was making the adjustments,” he says. “She is exceptional at teaching technical writing, and she challenges herself to provide expedient feedback.”

Densmore’s work is still high-pressure; it’s just the nature of forensic engineering. But at least he is less stressed, thanks to his ability to plan ahead for a more productive and organized writing experience.

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