├── .replit ├── FAQ.md ├── README.md ├── coding-for-writers.md └── writing-for-coders.md /.replit: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | language = "bash" 2 | run = "" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /FAQ.md: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | # How long are the Zoom calls? 2 | We will stick to the 40-minute limit that Zoom free prescribes (this 'limit' is one of the reasons we prefer the free plan to the paid one). 3 | 4 | # When are the Zoom calls? 5 | This will depend on the timezones of the people who are selected. We are provisionally aiming for 16h30 UTC+2 every Monday, but we will run a poll in early May 6 | to find a time that works for everyone. 7 | 8 | # Will there be any other meetings on Slack channel? Or will slack channel be just for giving updates and getting help? 9 | We will post daily updates on the Slack channel regarding goals and resources. Participants will post their own goals and share their work too. We expect (hope) that 10 | the channel will be very active, but nearly everything will be asynchronous, so you can share and catch up on your own schedule instead of needing to be available at 11 | specific times. 12 | 13 | # What are the time requirements and distribution? 14 | We are estimating 20h/week, and we ask that people are avaiable Monday thru Thursday for several hours per day to keep momentum. Many people have asked if they can 15 | fit most of the hours into the weekends, and the answer is *probably not*. This is an intensive course and you are unlikely to get value from it unless it can be your 16 | **main focus** for the four weeks. That said, it is asynchronous, so if you are extremely dedicated and can fit in 2 hours each week day and extra time on the 17 | weekends, we might be able to make it work out. 18 | 19 | 20 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /README.md: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | # Learn to Write as a Coder or Learn to Code as a Writer 2 | 3 | This is course with two tracks. 4 | 5 | * [Coding for Writers](./coding-for-writers.md) if you now how to write and want to learn how to code 6 | * [Writing for Coders](./writing-for-coders.md) if you know how to code and want to learn how to write. 7 | 8 | The tracks are run in parallel and share weekly meetings. You will get guidance from our team, and you will also assist people in the other track who are learning what you already have expertise in. 9 | 10 | [Join our Slack community](https://join.slack.com/t/ritzacommunity/shared_invite/zt-tbztqr36-tVa8265sZUf6kxwurc69yQ) for more up-to-date information and to find the next cohort. 11 | 12 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /coding-for-writers.md: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | 2 | # Learn to Code for Writers - A four week introductory course 3 | 4 | If you're a technical writer, learning how to code is likely single most valuable thing you can do. Learning how to code will allow you to 5 | 6 | * Expand the topics you write about - writing programming tutorials or other content aimed at developers is among the most in-demand kind of writing right now 7 | * Eliminate repetitive work - if you've ever had to change the same thing across many files, or check through dozens of web pages, you'll know how tedious it can be. By learning to code, you can build your own scripts and bots to help you with anything repetitive. 8 | * Communicate better with developers - even if you don't need to code directly, being able to understand what code samples do will let you understand the surrounding content better, and you'll find it easier to talk to developers about what tools are and how they work. 9 | 10 | We believe that Python is the best language to learn - it allows for easy scripting and it is *very* general-purpose. There is a saying that Python is the second-best langauge for any task. What the 'best' language is, depends on the task, but Python is usually the second-best. It has strong sub-communities in the software engineering, DevOps, machine learning, data analysis, web development, game development and information security fields. It's also one of the easiest languages to get started with as its syntax reads a lot like English. 11 | 12 | There is no shortage of bootcamps, courses, books, and other ways to learn Python. We have chosen and partially developed [learnpythontherightway.com](https://learnpythontherightway.com) as our syllabus of choice because it focuses on the fundamentals (computer science, and teaching you how to *think* about programming) while remaining very hands-on and practical. One of the most common blocks for new programmers is setting Python up - it is hard to install and there are many layers of virtualisation and package management to understand. Therefore, we are adapting the popular book to work entirely online using Replit - no set up required. 13 | 14 | ## What is this course and who is it for? 15 | 16 | Ritza's Learn to Code by Coding is a four week intensive fully remote course, run mainly on Slack with weekly meetings on Zoom. It is primarily for people who have at least some experience with technical writing and focuses on teaching people how to code. 17 | 18 | You will join a cohort of four people. One other person will be doing exactly the same course as you, and the other two will be coders doing our "Learning to Write for Coders" course. While all of you will receive guidance and feedback from our professional technical publishing team throughout the course, you will also help and support each other, reviewing each other's work and learning from that alongside your own. 19 | 20 | You will share daily updates of your progress on our Slack channel and get help (usually within minutes) if you get stuck with any of the materials or exercises. You will get personalised feedback on your code from professional software engineers. 21 | 22 | ## Week 1: Introduction to Python 23 | 24 | Start the book and see how far you get. We are not sure how long it will take, but we are hoping that you can cover at least one chapter per day. 25 | 26 | This syllabus will become more structured after the first run. 27 | 28 | Exercise: Write a tutorial on something you found confusing. 29 | 30 | ## Week 2: Git for Writers 31 | 32 | Collaborative writing is hard - people work on different versions and email final_version_5_(2)\_final(4).docx files back and forth. Git is very complicated and has a steep learning curve, but we think that learning the git model is hugely valuable for any writer. Learn to think of versions as a series of `diffs` instead of as copies of a master version, and never manually reconcile changes again. 33 | 34 | You will start using git for your writing, including doing pull requests, branches, and forks, while continuing to work through Python. 35 | 36 | Exercise: Write a tutorial on something you found confusing. 37 | 38 | ## Week 3: 39 | ... 40 | 41 | ## Week 4: 42 | ... 43 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /writing-for-coders.md: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | # Learn to write by writing - a four week introductory course. 2 | 3 | Most people who can code are scared of writing words in a "natural" language like English. Most people who have mastered writing are self-confessed technophobes, 4 | and think coding is one of the Dark Arts, reserved for those people who liked maths and science in high school. 5 | 6 | Those who have learned to code *and* write have realised that it is one of the most valuable skill-combos of today's world. CTOs and other tech leaders are amongst the best-paid and most in-demand people in the world right now, but -- even ignoring that -- you can almost certainly be better at your current profession by adding either great writing or rudimentary coding to your skillset, and preferably both. 7 | 8 | Many developers want to get better at writing, whether that's for direct needs like writing documentation or technical articles, or simply to improve their general communication skills to open doors to promotions and to work more effectively with their teams. 9 | 10 | But writing is hard. Everyone can put words down on a page, but getting them in the right order is pretty tricky. 11 | 12 | The best way to learn writing is by doing it. A lot. The first million words are the hardest, and most of us are still tapping away to get to that mark. 13 | 14 | Ritza's newly launched technical writing course will teach you to be a better writer. You will spend 20h/week learning to write, mainly by doing it. You will also get personalised suggested resources from us, and personalised feedback on your writing to help you improve. If you like it, you might be able to turn it into your profession by writing for us as a career. 15 | 16 | ## What is the course and who is it for? 17 | 18 | Ritza's *Learn to Write by Writing* is a four week intensive fully remote course, run mainly on Slack with weekly meetings on Zoom. It is primarily for people who have at least some experience with software development and focuses on teaching people how to write for a developer audience. 19 | 20 | You will join a cohort of four people. One other person will be doing exactly the same course as you, and the other two will be writers doing our "Learning 21 | Coding for Writers" course. While all of you will receive guidance and feedback from our professional [technical publishing team](#) throughout the course, you will also help and support each other, reviewing each other's work and learning from that alongside your own. 22 | 23 | You will share daily updates of your progress on our Slack channel and get help (usually within minutes) if you get stuck with any of the materials or exercises. You will go through our generic list of writing resources, including book excerpts and videos, as well as resources assigned to you specifically based on where you are with your writing and what you're struggling with. 24 | 25 | 26 | ## Week 1: introduction to technical writing 27 | - Day 1: Larry's video and why you have probably been taught wrong 28 | - Excercise: Write 500 words on what writing means to you, why you want to get better at it and/or why you struggle with it. 29 | 30 | - Day 2: On Writing Well, Part 1 31 | - Excercise: Write 800 words on what you have learned so far from the video and the first chapter 32 | 33 | - Day 3: On Writing Well, Chapter 8-11 inclusive 34 | - Exercise: Write a comparison article of 1000 words comparing 4-5 things that you know well that are similar (platforms, tools, languages) 35 | 36 | - Day 4: Catch up 37 | - Exercise: Write a retrospective of your first week of 1500-2000 words 38 | 39 | 40 | ## Week 2: Practice, practice 41 | - Day 1: Read "On Writing" 42 | - Exercise: Write a 1000 word guide including screenshots showing how to build, install, or configure some software 43 | 44 | - Day 2: Read the Ritza Style Guide 45 | - Exercise: Rewrite your comparison article from Week 1, Day 3 based on feedback received and what you have learned 46 | 47 | - Day 3: Read On Writing Well chapters 15 and 16 (business writing and science & tech) 48 | - Exercise: Continue working on your Guide from Week 2, day 1 - or start a new one 49 | 50 | - Day 4: Read "On Writing" or catch up 51 | - Exercise: Write a retrospective of your second week (1500-2000 words) 52 | 53 | 54 | ## Week 3: collaborative writing 55 | - ... 56 | 57 | ## Week 4: real-world work 58 | - ... 59 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------