Introduction to Technical Writing

🤔 w hy this playbook exists ? this playbook is an introduction to technical writing it’s practical, straightforward, and just a touch more entertaining than the average style guide it’s aimed at new technical writers but doesn’t assume you’ve already memorized a dictionary it should also come in handy if you’re a part time documentarian that includes developers, business analysts, or anyone who’s just been told, “can you write this up quickly?” and knows that quick rarely means quick what is technical writing, anyway? at its core level, technical writing is all about making complex information easier to understand if this sounds vague, it's because technical writing is a vast domain and not that easy to describe in a sentence sometimes it's not even technical and doesn't include writing! (that said this playbook will focus on the written type of documentation, especially in the software world ) some examples of technical writing the manual that came with your washing machine the archbee documentation ikea diagrams a programming language api reference standard operating procedures for servicing an airplane the day to day tasks of a technical writer are different from role to role, but technical writing in general has the following characteristics clear and concise avoids unnecessary words and uses straightforward language structured and organized uses headings, lists and sections for easy reading objective and neutral focuses on facts rather than opinions or emotions instructional often includes step by step guidance or explanations visual elements may include diagrams, tables or charts to support understanding what isn't technical writing? creative writing as is obvious from the name, creative writing is almost the opposite of technical writing { "columns" \[ { "id" "1", "name" "🎭", "items" \[ { "id" "gxnburetppynq6fb5plul", "content" "creative writing", "justadded" false }, { "id" "qxq o9x9r x8knwgofyy", "content" "more artistic, aiming to entertain or evoke emotions and prioritizing style over clarity ", "justadded" false } ] }, { "id" "2", "name" "👨‍🏫", "items" \[ { "id" "hv7q30mgt1vfgqkuz2hx8", "content" "technical writing", "justadded" false }, { "id" "pdfyh8i0apbvh 0afdp w", "content" "factual and structured, aiming to instruct or explain ", "justadded" false } ] } ] } moving back and forth between writing styles can be difficult, but there are a few famous authors who managed it successfully a few examples are thomas pynchon (author of gravity's rainbow ), becky chambers (author of the long way to a small, angry planet ) and ted chiang (author of story of your life , the novella adapted into the movie arrival ) technical content writing technical writing and technical content writing are often confused one for the other, for obvious reasons while they do have their similarities, the two terms cannot be used interchangeably { "columns" \[ { "id" "1", "name" "📢", "items" \[ { "id" "eh nvgzccmh9atyeohsh4", "content" "content writing", "justadded" false }, { "id" "gfu9hbj5dj2h buh t3o ", "content" "aimed at a broad audience and is more focused on storytelling, seo or marketing ", "justadded" false } ] }, { "id" "2", "name" "🎯", "items" \[ { "id" "mncdi7v05wac0fuvrt51j", "content" "technical writing", "justadded" false }, { "id" "kq42j9tzbnaq9v8e ytm0", "content" "targeted at the users of a product and focuses on helping them accomplish specific tasks ", "justadded" false } ] } ] } that being said, experience in content writing can be useful for someone trying to transition into technical writing, since both fields involve simplifying complex information, adherence to grammatical and stylistic standards, and deep research into technical topics academic writing writing is a large part of life in academia, but it follows different conventions than technical writing { "columns" \[ { "id" "1", "name" "⚖️ ", "items" \[ { "id" "q7ypndg49wvt1h95w1oas", "content" "research papers", "justadded" false }, { "id" "gfc883 6e76tnujxk z0 ", "content" "focus on analysis and argumentation, generally using long sentences, abstract language and dense jargon to sound objective, academic writing uses passive voice ", "justadded" false } ] }, { "id" "3", "name" "🛠️", "items" \[ { "id" "vobjgtm94hc4gt2cd0h2t", "content" "technical writing", "justadded" false }, { "id" "j4yax7n5ncrt6zl s 1nj", "content" "focuses on practical information, using clear language and simplified explanations since it's meant to actively instruct users, technical writing uses active voice ", "justadded" false } ] } ] } journalistic writing good writing and adherence to a style guide is critical for journalism, but there are also significant differences compared to technical writing { "columns" \[ { "id" "1", "name" "📰", "items" \[ { "id" "3gm5uzpv832oylxirwwsg", "content" "journalism", "justadded" false }, { "id" "bpvwzsdcdx 8kt9inab14", "content" "focuses on storytelling or current events, often using an engaging and dynamic style to capture readers' attention ", "justadded" false } ] }, { "id" "3", "name" "🗺️", "items" \[ { "id" "jvgcjzdbl48objfabcn7d", "content" "technical writing", "justadded" false }, { "id" "ndnmwhi2bhwuskz0oqjjl", "content" "uses neutral language to guide the users through a process, without eliciting an emotional response ", "justadded" false } ] } ] } transferrable skills the previous section focused on the ways other types of writing are not technical writing however, this does not mean that journalists or content writers don't have a lot of experience that can be leveraged into technical writing! the essential skills for technical writing section focuses on the skills that a successful technical writer needs