How to Write (and I know you know) - Part I
Photo by Ketut Subiyanto from Pexels
If you have established your credibility as a technical writer or communicator, it’s only natural that people come to you for advice on writing.
Though almost every profession has to deal with some writing tasks, most of the time a well-defined template could guarantee a decent output.
Chances are, those who come to you are not asking for a template. If they are not committed to becoming a tech writer, what advice would you give, advice that is generic enough while still focus on technical aspects (a knowledge-sharing topic, a how-to guide, or a draft for a section in tech docs)?
You have to start, somewhere#
Oftentimes people are held back because they do not want to deliver something that is “not that good” 🙅. Don’t let that become your excuse for not starting.
To get started might be frightening, what if I fail? But to not start deprives you of the chance of learning (Well, that didn’t work. I need to try a different approach).
All you need to do is:
Ask two questions (to the person who assigns this task to you, could be yourself):
a. What is the purpose of the writing?
b. Who is the target audience?
Start putting things down.
It doesn’t matter where you start, bottom up with details or top down with big pictures. No worry if it doesn’t come out not nicely. The point is that you’ll have something to work on later.
A journey without a hero?#
In the business world, storytelling has become a buzzword. While nobody would argue against the merit of a good story, we might want to be cautious when it comes to technical writing.
The book Stories that Sticks talks about four ingredients of a story, among them are a character (the hero) your audience could identify with and an emotional moment your audience could respond to.
While the audience of tech writings do not usually expect emotional excitements, that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t get annoyed if the piece they are reading is poorly structured and wants clarity.
In technical writing, instead of an emotionally appealing story, we relate an intellectually engaging journey. And the focus shifts.
With a visible hero, you need to convince your audience that they would become a better version of themselves if they embark on the journey.
You will live happily ever after!🤴With only a journey to be taken (perhaps multiple times), you need to explain how to reach the end, no exaggeration, no distraction. In other words, you need to provide cohesive guidance and clear instructions.
You need to build a house for your family. To do that, follow the steps below ...👷
In the next blog, we’ll have a look at how to construct a logical structure and how it can help us gain more depth in our technical writing.
Bonus reading (if you are looking for tips on blog): Write Like You Talk: 12 Tips for Conversational Content