Technical Writing - Writing in “Standard Written English”

As technical writers, we’re much better off when we write in a way that follows the dictates of Standard Written English (SWE). We can believe all we want that one person’s way of writing is just as good as another. And, in private use, it is. But we know perfectly well that a person who writes the kind of material we do who doesn’t have what’s generally considered “good” language skills won’t be considered a professional - and won’t get work.

Adar, Bryan S. Technical Communication Center (2009). Articles>Writing>Grammar

Productivity Tips for IE, MS Word, Outlook

If we say that it was mainly because of the Windows operating system that a computer could become a personal computer it would not be an exaggeration. The revolution is still on. Windows is far beyond what a common man presently knows and uses.

Bangar, Pawan. Technical Communication Center (2009). Articles>Software>Usability>Microsoft Word

The Top Five Technical Writing Skills That Pay Big

A technical writer is a professional writer who designs, writes, creates, maintains and updates technical documentation including online help, user guidance, white papers, design specifications, system manuals and other documents. A technical writer should possess good research techniques, good sound of language and excellent writing skills. Apart from this one needs to have the following five skills.

Delaborde, Mathieu. Technical Communication Center (2009). Careers>TC>Writing>Technical Writing

What Questions You Should Ask at a SOW Meeting

At times, though, a writer is a bit overwhelmed at the start-of-work meeting. He becomes passive and takes in everything the client lays out without asking for more. That can result in some information that’s very important to the writer being missed.

Adar, Bryan S. Technical Communication Center (2009). Articles>Collaboration>Interviewing>SMEs

What a Technical Writer Should Know About DocBook?

DocBook is a set of tools for implementing XML (Extended Markup Language)-based structured documentation. It is developed back in 1991 and is widely used today by those technical writers who generate single-sourced documentation. It is especially well suited for software, hardware and networking documentation.

Technical Communication Center (2009). Articles>Documentation>XML>DocBook

Which Way Your Sentences Branch – Right or Left?

Try right-branching sentences in your technical documents for higher comprehension. Right-branching sentences start with the subject, follow it with primary verb (or sometimes the other way around if the verb is in imperative/order mode), and then end with modifiers and other relevant information. What branches off to the right of the subject and the verb is all the additional information you want to get across.

Technical Communication Center (2009). Articles>Writing>Grammar>Usability

How to Estimate a Copy Writing Job

It’s not easy to estimate how long a copy writing job will take due to the many factors involved in the estimation.

Technical Communication Center (2009). Careers>Writing>Freelance>Estimating

The Four Layers of the “Learning Pyramid” for a Junior Technical Communicator

Once you take an interest in technical communication and documentation you’ll quickly discover that’s it’s an “endless country,” really. There is so much to learn and track since both the market and the technology changes constantly. But this does not mean that you can learn things randomly and become a successful technical communicator. Actually there’s a better way that I call the “Learning Pyramid” which requires you establish a wide base of learning first and keep on building the upper layers on top of such a strong foundation. Each layer of this pyramid supports the more specialized layer established on top it.

Technical Communication Center (2009). Careers>TC>Advice

How to Capture the Essence of a Topic

Capturing the essence of a topic is the heart and soul of good writing and editing. If you cannot tell what the main idea is, you cannot write it either. And if you cannot write it, how would you expect your readers to get it? So it all starts with you. Thankfully, it is not mysterious process. Here are two techniques that you can use to weed out the irrelevant details from your core idea.

Technical Communication Center (2009). Articles>Documentation>Technical Writing

How to Use MS Word Without Frustration

I am well aware of the irritating, hair-tearing frustration Word gives you when it won’t do what you want it to. Here’s a series of mini-articles showing you how to ‘get a grip’ on the program and make it do what you want, not what it ‘thinks’ you want.

Bentley, Carol. Technical Communication Center (2005). Articles>Word Processing>Software>Microsoft Word

Misplaced Modifier – Even WSJ Falls For It

“Misplaced modifier” is a frequently committed logical error that even the most prominent publications fall for occasionally. Solution? Move the modifier clause right next to the subject of the sentence.

Technical Communication Center (2007). Articles>Writing>Editing>Grammar