How to Be a Technical Writer (An Introduction)

Walk into any bookstore and there is a section for computer-related books. Many companies publish white papers that explain their technologies. Our society has a strong need for quality technical writing. This article explains some basic technical writing rules.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Know your audience. Who will read your writing? Experienced software developers? Computer novices? People using your product for the first time? Write at the knowledge level of your audience.

2. Introduce a technical term first, followed by its abbreviation or acronym in parentheses, for example, random access memory (RAM). Now, throughout the document, you can use the abbreviation, for example, RAM.

3. Use diagrams and images. For web-based documents, include video and audio when appropriate.

4. People learn in a variety of ways: reading, listening, looking at visuals, and by doing, hands-on.

5. Make your writing appeal to the different types of learners. Explain the reason and theory behind concepts and functionality. Include diagrams and graphics for your visual learners. Provide step-by-step instructions for your hands-on learners. If the document is web-based, include audio that explains the process, video that shows how the process is done, and interactive media for hands-on learners.

6. Good grammar applies to technical writing.

7. Make your documents enjoyable to read. The information you write is important. Respect your readers.