On Fri, 28 Jan 2011 09:29:25 +0000, Invisible wrote:

>> When you know a whole bunch about a subject, that can happen. It just
>> takes practice. And writing an outline first.
> 
> Trouble is, for a large, complex topic, you usually find that you have
> to explain X before Y will make any sense. Except that instead of being
> a simple hierarchical tree of information, what you have is a tangled
> dependency web, and finding a suitable path through it is an NP-complete
> problem. Trying to find such a path that doesn't also involve jumping
> from topic to topic in a potentially baffling way only makes it harder.
> Add to that the psychology of keeping your readers interested and having
> a sense that they're getting somewhere, and...
> 
> ...well, I end up drafting and re-drafting in an endless cycle which
> never produces a document of more than a few dozen pages. :-(

Surprise, this is the process of writing.

It's been my experience, though, that with practice one can learn how to 
properly organise things so they can be presented effectively.  I have 
created training materials on highly complex technical topics, and my 
classes always got good feedback and people would walk away understanding 
what they were taught.

Hyperbole really doesn't help you make your case, though.  It's not NP-
complete, it's a matter of breaking the topics down into digestible 
units, and then organising the units in the most effective manner 
possible.

Give me an example topic and I'll walk you through it.

>> If you want to get good at this, write a page-long lesson on anything
>> you like, twice a week, starting with an outline. In a few weeks, you
>> should be able to finish the whole essay in 20 minutes.
> 
> Writing a page or two isn't too hard. (Parsec, anyone?) Writing
> something that's 30 pages long is another matter.

No, it's writing 30 pages one page at a time.  You start with an outline 
to structure your topics and thoughts, and then you write.

In recent times, I've found that a mindmap is a very useful tool for 
organising thoughts.

>> Show it to someone else each time, and ask where it was confusing.
> 
> I don't know anybody who is this patient.

We're right here.

>>> Yeah. Logically, there must be books and courses and things somewhere
>>> which explain how to do this properly.
>>
>> I would think you learn by sitting with other professional sound
>> engineers. I wouldn't think "sound engineer" is something you could
>> read about.
> 
> You're probably right about that.
> 
> Even if this isn't the case, it's unlikely that the necessary material
> can be accessed for free. It's more likely you'd have to pay money for
> that.

<sigh>

Did you know that MIT makes most of their course materials available 
online FOR FREE?

http://ocw.mit.edu

There's a lot more free information out there if you just search for it.

Jim

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