David's specialties include Technical Writing, effective written communication to one or more audiences, and communicating between different education or experience levels. He is trained and experienced in magazine writing, blog writing, and technical writing. His areas of expertise include: narrative, language and cognition (academic); computer hardware, break-fix, operating system, and basic networking (computer/IT); and water production and distribution (water utilities, pumps, water wells).
David is intensely curious, and is always seeking to learn more about new things. Some of his specific interests include digital narrative, philosophy, cognitive consciousness theory, meditation, martial arts, baking, wood shop, knife-making, water quality, ecology, nature, and hiking.
David's graduate thesis was an analysis of the forking, interactive, and simulated experience of narrative in digital games. This thesis synthesized his experience in digital and electronic media, his passion for writing, and his studies in literature. In addition, he explored the roots of the English language in Anglo-Saxon English, a deep study of linguistics including second-language learning, and the effects of narrative on consciousness and cognition.
David's undergraduate degree includes technical writing, magazine writing, and advanced analysis and application of rhetoric.
Compose, layout, and design Technical Operation and Maintenance manuals for Very Small Water Systems. David used his background in technology, as well as his training in technical writing, layout, and design to design, compose, and lay out two operation and maintenance manuals. Some of the involved skills included photography and graphic design (for illustrations), process documentation and explication (for breaking tasks or devices into subcomponents, and explaining how they work), and layout for print media.
David used his technical skills to hand-code a full website using HTML and CSS. He also used his technical writing skills to write all the website copy. Though he is currently in development to update the website to modern styles and conventions, it serves as a point of contact for a well-drilling firm. It also has received glowing feedback from customers, who read it to understand how a water well and pumping system work, and what is happening underground with the aquifer. This sample is included to demonstrate David's ability to write website copy which is technical but easy to understand. It's also a good example of David's ability to learn a new skill - in this case writing HTML code - and applying it to complete a complex project.
David wrote his Master's Thesis on video games as narrative. This was a substantial departure from the traditional scope of literary criticism, and required additional research into ludology (the study of games), simulation, cognitive research, and interactivity. David was advised by Dr. Brian Attebery. This sample is included to demonstrate two skills. The first is David's ability to strategically persuade a group of administrators to approve a project that falls outside the traditional scope of an organization. (I mean, who else gets to write their thesis on 'Bioshock?') The second is to demonstrate David's skills writing at the graduate-academic level.
David writes high quality blog and digital articles for technology companies. He's had several projects that involve identifying, pitching, and writing articles both for a technology companty's personal website, and writing on behalf of a company for other publications. v
