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Techniques of Technical Writing
Techniques of Technical Writing
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Many people are curious as to whether technical writing involves any special techniques beyond that of clear, expository writing. Having worked as a technical writer for many years, and having taught the craft to several “generations” of technical writers, I have come to the conclusion that here are indeed some special techniques beyond that of writing clearly. Here are three that are highly important: Technique No. 1: Boiling down complex information to a simpler, readable form. This is more than just writing clearly - it involves knowing how to select the relevant content from a mass of diverse information, then to write it as a single, unified piece of information that is easy to read and that simplifies things so that the information can be quickly used. This technique requires understanding and lots of practice. Technique No. 2: Transforming information into something meaningful. This technique goes beyond the simplification one - the technical writer has to know how to provide the reader with information that is relevant and valuable. Even if the writing is clear and easy to understand, it must also be of value to the reader - too often, writers just fill up space with “interesting” information that does not help advance the reader’s objectives. Technique No. 3: Arranging information in a way that makes it easy to find. This technique actually consists of a number of skills and practices - page layout, information flow, knowing how to create the right kind of titles, and creating hierarchy. A good technical writer knows how to make order out of a large mess of facts and arrange them in a way that makes sense to readers and that allows them to find what they are looking for. There are many other techniques and principles, but these are a few that stand out as absolutely essential. |
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