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Education Plus
GUIDANCE PLUS
The art of technical writing
B.S. WARRIER
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Technical writing, as a career option, has gained ground over the years. It calls for a unique blend of skills involving writing ability with a strong technical angle. This new series explores various aspects of technical writing in detail.
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“The problem with allowing the engineers who create a program also to write its Help and Tutorials is that you get people who cannot write, writing Help for people who do not need help.”
— Mark Rector
Society, in general, treats writers with respect. They are considered knowledgeable. They are endowed with skills that many others do not have. They can influence people. Remember the adage “The pen is mightier than the sword.”
Most people nurture a desire to write. But only a few succeed, since it needs a systematic effort and persistence. Ensuring readability is not easy. One difficulty encountered by writers is that they have to use the same tools people use in everyday life. These are words. How well you choose and use them determines the quality of your writing. If you want to succeed as a writer, tell the ordinary things in the extraordinary way. At the same time, use simple language easily understood by the readers.
In sharp contrast with this, look at what the painter or musician or dancer can do. Their media are not words, but something not used by people in everyday life.
To be a good writer, you have to pay attention to detail. No small thing can be ignored. “Small things make perfection, but perfection is no small thing.”
Attractive profession
Let us now focus attention on technical writing that has emerged as an attractive profession. What is technical writing? How does it differ from general writing? What are the attributes of effective technical writing? What are the special areas that deserve special attention?
We may say that any writing should be easily readable. But with technical writing, this aspect assumes greater importance. Technical writing involves the creation of a document for a specific technology. Let us take a simple example. You buy a washing machine or a DVD player. Along with the equipment, you get a brochure. It should give the operating instructions in plain language. You should get the points in the first reading itself. There should be no ambiguity. Clarity is supreme.
While writing instructions, do specify what should be done at each stage and indicate the result of the action suggested. The text should be accurate and readable. It should help the intended users in grasping the message as quickly and easily as possible. A general reader without technical knowledge should be able to comprehend what is written in the brochure. There should be no wordiness or circumlocution. These objectives can be met satisfactorily only by a competent person who has thorough knowledge of the technology employed and adequate proficiency in technical writing.
The illustration of a user-manual shown above is perhaps elementary. There are instances where more complex areas have to be addressed. You can say that technical writing is a subset of the larger subject of technical communication that embraces several fields in science, technology and beyond. It is not just about brochures for consumer electronics.
There has to be literature in the fields of software, diverse industrial products and scientific equipment and processes. Several manufacturers need simple installation manuals, training manuals, brochures and reference booklets to be prepared well. In an industrial environment, simple documents such as circulars, notices, proposals, reports, research papers and house journals may have technical content. Effective preparation of such documents calls for competence in technical writing.
Technical communication embraces oral forms as well. They may include dictation, presentation, speech, discussion, telephone conversation, teleconference and so on. Skilled technical writers are needed to write web content, online help and FAQs (frequently asked questions). Customer support material needs constant revision, taking into account new technology, customer demands, and market trends.
Apart from writing, a technical communicator may have to handle jobs involving documentation, processing and delivery of material to clients. Documents should comply with the prevailing market styles and standards. Innovations enhance the prestige of the documents for marketing.
If we remember that technical writing is integral to business, we shall realise its importance. It costs money and time. It creates impressions and builds reputation. Writing may have to be expository (inform, explain) or persuasive (convince, influence, sway). The quality of documents prepared by you influences your standing in the organisation.
World of jargon
There are big leaps in the fields of science and technology. Professional scientists or technologists have their jargon. Only very few of them can come out of their world of jargon and express their ideas in plain language. But the users of technology are usually not familiar with the jargon or lingo of professional groups. So there has to be people who can function as an interface between the creator of technology and its user. The technical writer should play this role of interconnection. If you want to succeed as a competent technical writer, you have to be a person who enjoys writing. You should have the patience to revise and modify your draft several times. You have to boil down fat. You must put your ideas in as fewer words as possible, without sacrificing clarity.
Many people who do not aspire to become technical writers may have to know the vital aspects of good technical writing. Scientists, engineers and technologists who are technically brilliant may not rise to the positions they deserve unless they are good at presenting their ideas convincingly in an attractive style. Appropriate skills in communication have become critical tools for professional success. The final product of their work may be a written document or an oral presentation. But curricula of courses in science or technology do not usually contain strategies for fine technical communication. Special efforts have, therefore, to be made by individuals to compensate poor academic training.
There are occasions in which want of adequate skills in technical communication can lead to misinformation and consequent accidents or legal tangles. Technical problems that can be resolved only with the support of professionals from diverse disciplines may pose difficulties, unless information is given with precision. Tailoring language to the needs of specific audiences requires skill.
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