Why I No Longer Teach Writing

It's not about generating text ... never has been.

From this week forward, I no longer teach writing.

Okay. Nothing is really changing about what I do. I'm simply changing what I call it.

(Yeah, it's another one of those trick titles.)

Before I get into name changes, let me explain where I'm coming from.

"Writing" just doesn't capture all that we do anymore in the world of professional writing. In fact, the word writing gives people the wrong idea. We're not just producing words on a page - we're creating content and developing information. And that's a lot more than just generating text.

I know it might seem like a small thing, but words matter. They shape our understanding of what we do and how we do it. And right now, I don't think "writing" is doing us justice, especially when society seems to conflate writing with generating text.

AI can generate text … but not develop content and information.

We need a name that encompasses everything we do to make content and information work in the world.

The Problem with Names

In professional writing, we've always had this problem. No one really knows what it is ... but everybody thinks they know what it is.

[Insert here any comment about grammar or how people just don't know how to write anymore.]

The field of technical writing has the same problem. Most people think technical writing is about writing manuals. Sure, this is one aspect, but the nature of technical writing is evolving way outside those boundaries.

For example, I just recently attended the Soap! Conference, an international technical writing conference that takes place every year in Krakow. But it’s not really a technical writing conference.

What I love about this conference is both the breadth and width of the topics. Sure, you can attend a highly complex talk on API documentation, but you can also attend a talk on how to manage a team with ADHD or how to work with software developers.

Technical writing isn't just about creating content. It's not even just about managing information. It's about managing people and processes. What we called this year ContentOps.

So, yes. There are some at Soap! with the title "technical writer," but also so many other job titles around the idea of creating and managing content.

That's why I think it's so important to bring students to conferences and visit companies that leverage content and information. I want to show students the wide variety of writing-related careers that exist outside their limited imagination, which usually only includes teaching, journalism, and editing.

Because writing is so integral in nearly every business, you can't actually search "professional writing" and find all the jobs (or even the most relevant). Students need to get out there and see how people are cultivating and managing content.

What Is Content & Information Development?

So now I am going to call myself a professor of content and information development ... and all my classes will not be about writing, but content and information development.

Here is what I do as a professor of content and information development.

I equip students with the ability to generate, organize, manage, and deploy information in diverse professional contexts. Students need to understand the entire process of creating and sharing valuable information in order to navigate the complexities of the modern information landscape with confidence.

I also teach the critical process of structuring information so it's digestible and operational not only for people, but also for AI systems. This could include structuring text, images, videos, audio files—or any other type of data. It also involves understanding how different systems interact with each other and making sure that there is an appropriate flow between them.

To do any of this requires the use of rhetoric to understand audience needs and cultural contexts as we shape the information ecology around us. We aren't just generating text ... we are creating the environments in which that text lives and interacts.

The world needs more than just writers ...the world needs people who can cultivate information and content environments.

This means understanding not only how different systems interact with each other but also creating pathways for meaningful engagement between users, media, and technology (like AI).

I like the term “information architect” or “content strategist” — someone who understands both the technical aspects of content development as well as the rhetorical ones.

People & Processes

But it is also not just about the content ... it is about the people and processes around that content.

Students need to learn how to solve complex problems, work in diverse teams, and manage complicated projects ... because that's what it takes to develop information and content (or to write) in the 21st century.

Students need to understand that working on projects means more than just having great ideas or generating text. It requires understanding different perspectives, learning from failure, and effectively managing relationships with stakeholders and complex projects that rely on collaboration and teamwork.

This means being adaptable and flexible in an ever-changing digital landscape. I teach students not just tools and technologies but how to learn new tools and technologies quickly, so they can pivot when necessary.

The world is constantly changing, and so is the field of content and information development. As we continue to integrate AI and other technologies into our daily lives, the way we create and manage content will only become more complex.

But with a solid foundation in content and information development, students will be equipped to navigate whatever challenges come their way. They will be able to create meaningful content that resonates with audiences, develop information ecosystems that are user-friendly and effective, and manage the complex processes that go into creating and disseminating valuable information.

So, while I may no longer call myself a writing professor, I am proud to be a professor of content and information development. And I look forward to continuing my goal of helping students become the adaptable, creative, and innovative professionals that the world needs now more than ever.