Technical Writing, a form of technical communication, is a style of formal writing and business communication, used in fields as diverse as computer hardware and software, chemistry, the aerospace industry, robotics, finance, consumer electronics, and biotechnology. Good technical writing clarifies technical jargon; that is, it presents useful information that is clear and easy to understand for the intended audience.
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A college degree in English, journalism, fine arts, or even technical communication does not a technical writer make. That may not seem to ring true, but spending any time at all out there in the field will quickly demonstrate the veracity of the statement. A degree is probably of greatest benefit in gaining access for an interview, and, later, in negotiating salary or bill rate although other factors will be operative in this area too. In my experience, it seems some of the truly talented technical writers I've encountered come from the engineering and marketing fields, and there have been a few 're-engineered' programmers that made the transition too. The key rests in an ability to explain technical material and processes in a concise, descriptive way, using non-technical language and eliminating the jargon. I think it's important to have a special interest or skill in writing, enjoy the writing process. Being a good wordsmith and editor certainly helps too, as does a strong vocabulary.
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Tech Writer Voices is a podcast specifically intended for technical writers. Podcasts include all topics relevant to the profession of technical writing, from single sourcing to collaborating with SMEs.
Johnson, Tom H., Heidi Hansen and Keith Hoffman. Tech Writer Voices. Resources>TC>Technical Writing>Podcasts
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Tech Writers in Startup Environments 
Responses from an inquiry about the type of writer most likely to do well in a start-up environment and what management needs to do to keep those people committed and dedicated for the long-term.
Kohn, Sheldon. TECHWR-L (2000). Careers>TC>Technical Writing
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Tech Writers, Grammar, and the Prescriptive Attitude
Many tech writers do not see grammar as a set of conventions to help them write clearly. Instead, to judge by the wording of the questions and responses, they see grammar as a set of unchanging rules that can provide definitive answers in every situation.
Byfield, Bruce. TECHWR-L. Articles>Language>Grammar>Technical Writing
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Tech Writers, Grammar, and the Prescriptive Attitude
Prescriptive grammar is useful for teaching English as a second language, but it has little value for the practicing writer. Clinging to it may provide emotional security, but only at the expense of making writing harder than it needs to be. The culture-wide devotion to it will not be changed in a moment. But conscientious writers can at least change their own habits, and make life easier for themselves.
Byfield, Bruce. TECHWR-L (2008). Articles>Writing>Editing>Technical Writing
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Tech Writing 2.0: Special Report on New Trends in User Documentation
This report outlines the developments in what many are calling "Web 2.0" and the impact that these developments may have on technical and user documentation. We've called these trends "Tech Writing 2.0". Tech Writing 2.0 promises a new means of communication that business can use to promote and support their products and services. This means that the nature of technical communication will change.
Pratt, Ellis. Cherryleaf (2006). Articles>Writing>Technical Writing>User Centered Design
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Advice and information on finding tech publishing jobs and contracts.
Tech Writing Jobs. Careers>Job Listings>Writing>Technical Writing
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Tech Writing: It's More Than Just Computers
We rarely recognize that the manual that tries to explain how to assemble the new desk also falls under the broad definition of technical writing.
About.com (2005). Articles>Writing>Technical Writing
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Information about all aspects of Technical Writing, from 'How to Break-in the field' to 'Using Color.'
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A phpBB-based discussion forum for users of the Tech-Writer website.
Tech-Writer. Resources>Writing>Community Building>Technical Writing
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This site provides additional materials for every chapter and directs students and instructors to the best Web resources available in technical communication.
Markel, Mike. Bedford-St. Martin's (2002). Books>Documentation>Technical Writing
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Technical Communication Teaching Resources
This online version of the Department of Rhetoric and Writing Studies Instructors' Resource Guide is a manual for teaching undergraduate composition.
Werry, Chris. San Diego State University (2002). Resources>Education>Writing>Technical Writing
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Technical and Professional Writing
To understand technical documents as audience-centered and write for a target audience. To realize that knowledge is socially constructed and that writing is determined to a large extent by context. To improve grammar, mechanics, and style. To write for the Internet and become familiar with the weblog as a writing genre. To design and test a set of instructions. To use software tools, simple design principles, and effective typography to create documents with superior readability and usability. To create a major report using multiple information-gathering techniques, including library research and interview. To learn the differences among various writing genres used in the workplace, including the memo, proposal, progress report, and research report.
Ratliff, Clancy. University of Minnesota (2003). Academic>Courses>Writing>Technical Writing
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Technical and Professional Writing
This course is designed to strengthen your understanding and mastery of language in the context of technical and professional communication. This involves exploring the concept of rhetoric and the various rhetorical options available for a given professional writing task. The truth is, you already know what rhetoric is in an instinctive way. Without knowing it, you use rhetoric in conversation and personal letters. The aim of the course, however, is to raise your rhetorical awareness to a more conscious and effective level when you sit down to write in the workplace.
Chilson, Peter. Washington State University. Academic>Courses>Business Communication>Technical Writing
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Technical Articles and Reports
In the U.S. and Canada, there are more than 6,000 business, technical, academic, scientific and trade publications, which among them publish several hundred technical articles a year. Technical publications are the vehicles through which engineers and scientists communicate with their peers in other fields. Academic journals are the vehicles they use to communicate within their own field.
Smith, Michael. York University. Articles>Writing>Engineering>Technical Writing
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Review: Technical Communication 
Rebecca E. Burnett covers all the topics you'd expect in an introductory textbook for technical communicators. And she covers them thoroughly.
Campbell, Alexa. Technical Communication Online (2003). Articles>Reviews>Textbooks>Technical Writing
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This web site is one of the online resources for English 271 students at MSU, Mankato. In addition, the instructor uses the gradebook feature in Ucompass Educator, our university's e-learning platform.
Tesdell, Lee S. Minnesota State University, Mankato (2003). Academic>Courses>Online>Technical Writing
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In this course we will explore the various forms and media by which working professionals convey technical information to both expert and novice audiences. As a student in this course, you will learn to write a variety of genres used in technical communication -- resumés and cover letters, memos, proposals, progress reports and final reports.
Sauer, Geoffrey. Iowa State University (2003). Academic>Courses>TC>Technical Writing
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In this course, we will explore the various forms and media by which working professionals convey technical information to both internal and external audiences. As a student in this course, you will learn to write a variety of genres used in technical communication -- résumés and cover letters, memos, proposals, progress reports, and final reports. To facilitate production of such documents, you will also learn to use several types of desktop software, such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, as well as others.
Honeycutt, Lee. Iowa State University (2001). Academic>Courses>TC>Technical Writing
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Technical Communication and Programming: Using Writing Rules
This article is about better commenting practices for the purpose of—perhaps—helping some to better their programming practices. But before beginning, let me qualify the entire thing by saying that I am not a programmer—not the professional kind anyway. I have created small programs in the past for some of my employers, but that is not how I make my living. Therefore, I am not trying to teach principles of programming. I am only a writing teacher who happens to enjoy programming as a hobby. And while I cannot provide insight into better programming principles, I can offer guidance about writing those short pieces of text programmers always embed, but sometimes neglect. Helping students write better documents is, after all, my occupation; and believe it or not the principles I teach to write better papers are not that different from the principles needed to write better code.
Lanier, Clinton R. sense and usability (2008). Articles>TC>Technical Writing>Methods
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CSIS 500, Technical Communication, Graduate Programs in Software, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota. The fundamentals of technical communication as practiced in industry are presented, emphasizing clarity and organizational skills. Students engage in exercises that focus on technical writing, editing, public speaking and graphic design, and apply their skills across a broad range of activities, including critique of presentations and writing of proposals, reports, memoranda, user manuals, instructional modules, and specifications. Techniques presented are intended to assist an understanding of the structure of the language, and an appreciation for format and content, to better prepare students for project documentation.
Waite, Bob. University of St. Thomas (2002). Academic>Courses>TC>Technical Writing
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Technical Communications Online
The course emphasizes practical knowledge of technical communications techniques, procedures, and reporting formats used in business and industry. Topics include methods of describing devices and processes, as well as the proper use of standards manuals, guides, specifications, and interpretations of data in report format.
Angelo, Caroline. Athens Technical College. Academic>Courses>Undergraduate>Technical Writing
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Technical Communicators - Experts or Laypersons?
Camille Johnson (CJ) in Forum 02/2000 (SA 16) indicates that a TC (Technical Communicator) can work on (almost?) any subject without any special training. I am dismayed by the frightening carelessness of this statement!
Fuckner, Ingrid. TC-FORUM (2000). Articles>Writing>Technical Writing
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Technical Communicators as Potential Usability Reviewers
This article defines the niche for Technical Communicators / Writers in Usability Engineering. It makes an important observation "Technical Communicator explains the product to users and Usability Engineer attempts to design self-explanatory products. If the design doesn't speak up, Technical Communicators have to overwork." Technical communicators can serve as the 'barometer' of user interface design.
Katre, Dinesh S. Journal of HCI Vistas (2007). Articles>Usability>Technical Writing>User Experience
