My career path started with computer programming. Like many people of my time, I was “bitten” and lured into a non-stop interaction with the computer, addicted to the power to command it to perform complex and intricate tasks. Programmers and software developers (these two terms meaning essentially the same thing) have often described the act of writing software as feeling like being a god within an intimate universe of your own creation. At least it started out that way with the early computers in the 1980s, when everything was so much simpler.

As computers evolved and grew in power and capabilities in the 1990s and beyond, software development toolkits and libraries of software used to create new software grew in complexity and exhibited  “bugs,” slowing down or stopping work. The task of making computers talk to one another harmoniously became increasingly difficult and frustrating, to the point that careful and systematic work was replaced by frantic experimentation and “band aid” solutions.  This malady affected all computer fields, especially the sister field of computer systems administration, where to my horror the problem of bugs in the operating software was a daily nightmare. At a university where I worked, our systems administration personnel likened the process of making computers work together in a harmonious fashion as akin to “fending off a school of sharks with a bent spoon.” No doubt the reader will recall some choice moments struggling with desktop computer problems.

My personal solution to the loss of creative joy was to find another niche where the software tools did not fail me and I could have ultimate control and “call all the shots” once again. Computer repair became my refuge for the next three years. Unlike software, computer hardware is tested thoroughly and must adhere to strict standards of behavior or it cannot be sold. I reasoned that there would be less worry that hooking up a bunch of computer parts might result in a chaotic mess compared to the horrible interactions of untested software toolkits. Indeed, this has mostly come to pass. Computer circuitry has become so reliable and consistent that it can be made cheaper every year. My once-lucrative computer consulting business dwindled into nothing as customers bought new computers rather than have me fix problems. Luckily, I found a job in an audio/video manufacturing and sales company, and, promoted from within for my writing talents, I began writing content for websites and product manuals. Technical writing is fun, creative, and very much needed in the modern business world, and most of the time the writing tools do not crash or interfere with the creative process!

Other bloggers have described a similar transition from software development to technical writing. Technical writer Tom Smith describes his frustrations with the poor reliability of software tools that led him to abandon programming and seek a refuge from the madness. The work may be less exciting at times, but the technical writing profession usually has a fixed daily work shift and less stress, compared to the late nights that programmers will often put in to finish a project.

Writing is a very creative and enjoyable activity akin to programming in a way. Anyone who has enjoyed the elegance and beauty of good programming code probably has the writer’s gift as well. It is the perfect refuge, a place where the computer is nearly an invisible tool that simply allows thoughts to be expressed and realized.

I hope that this article inspires you to do more writing. Imagine all the knowledge that you can share with the world as an expert in your own field. The world will only benefit.