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Tips for Technical Writing

Written by: Ken Wisnefski

Article Overview: Technical writing warrants method and practice. The following article providers tips to aid in technical writing endeavors.

Tips for Technical Writing

Introduction:



Does your business warrant the need for technical writing? Writing is an art form and most businesses in need hire services for technical writing and some businesses have in-house writers that take care of the technical writing. Whether your business outsources or takes care of the matter in-house, there is always room for accepting suggestions and looking to improve your writing.
The following article offers technical writing tips and ideas for improvement. Like other forms of writing, the composition and content of the writing is distinct and meant for a specific purpose, occasion, and audience.




“Let the reader find that he cannot afford to omit any line of your writing because you have omitted every word that he can spare.”





Space:





Any area on the page that is not occupied by text or graphics is the “white space.” Think of coming across a page in a book or a Web site page: it becomes intimidating to be faced with long, flowing, and uncut pieces of text. White space is needed to visually ease the reader from becoming overwhelmed in receiving the information.




White space can be used to make a better presentation of the information. The presentation really does make a difference in how the intelligence is perceived in a document. The white space makes the document more inviting to the reader.
Use white space in the following ways:




- To create space before and after headings
- To widen the margins on all four sides
- To create space between columns of words or numbers
- To create space between paragraphs
- To create space between bulleted items
- To define sections of the document
- To frame the content




Try using white space in these areas and see the difference in the perception of the document. The difference in separating text and other visuals on the page to create more white space is eye opening.




“The six golden rules of writing: read, read, read, and write, write, write.”





Emphasize:




There are different ways to emphasize text and other material in a technical document. The most common ways are:
Typographical


Regularly used techniques:
- Bold
- Italics
- Underline
- CAPITALS
- {putting words in brackets}
- “using quotation marks”




Bolding is useful in separating headings, subheadings, and important information.
Using italics is good to highlight specific words or phrases.
Underlining is good to forefront words, phrases, or sentences, but should be used sparingly.
Using all capitals should also be used sparingly, because it is easier on the eyes to receive “mixed case.”
Brackets are usually used to separate parenthetical text.
Quotation marks are used in the same style as italics and are used to indicate someone being quoted.




Graphics:




Relevant graphic representation of data is an excellent complement to using text. Using color in your graphics is fantastic, though it may cost a lot to produce.




Consistency:




You want your document to be consistent. Have all of the page numbers, the headings, the subheadings, etc. in the same place on consecutive pages. This will give the reader a sense of confidence in knowing how to navigate around the document.




“The essence of writing is to know your subject.”




Verbal techniques:




Verbal techniques cue the reader about intensity or the emotional relevance of words. For instance, NOT is used often in technical writing. The “NOT” cue is much more apparent than attempting to incorporate a negative statement into the natural flow of the writing. As far as manuals are concerned, the recognition of verbal techniques can make a big difference in an outcome.





Conclusion:




Technical writing does not afford the opportunity to insert as much “personality” as writing for a newspaper or magazine. Technical documents need to be straightforward, well formatted, and uniform. It takes experience in reading, writing, and dedication to become proficient.

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