Technical Writing
3 Words in Technical Writing that Kill Objectivity
Objectivity in writing is a frail bird. It can get killed by a single word. “All,” “any” and “every” are the three words that kill objectivity in most (if not “all”) situations in technical and copy writing alike. A long time ago I learned to guard myself against using “very” in my writing. “Very” is…
Read MoreReview: Adobe Technical Communication Suite
A learned review from a practicing tech communicator out there in the field. You can tell he works for a software company. I concur both with his observations and reservations. (Excerpts:) It is fair to say I am not always at the front of the queue when it comes to PC or software upgrades. Even…
Read MoreTechnical Writing – Importance of Participating in Project Team Meetings
Most technical writers, especially in the high-tech sector, work as a part of a project team. When the product is already finished and the technical writer is called in to provide the documentation after the fact, this may not be the case. But for those products that are still in development, a technical writer should…
Read MoreTechnical Writing as a Career – An Introduction
(An informative and introductory article written by two Indian technical writers…) By Pradip Kumar Nath & Hemprabha Chauhan Technical writing, a form of technical communication, is a style of formal writing and is used in fields as diverse as computer hardware and software, aerospace industry, robotics, finance, consumer electronics and biotechnology. Technological Writers explain complex…
Read MoreTranslation and Localization in a Recession
by Nabil Freij GlobalVision International I’ve answered many calls recently from localization managers complaining that their budgets are being cut, asking for advice. If you are suffering from the same symptom, here are a few pointers to consider. Don’t panic! In a recession, it is normal to cut budgets in an effort to reduce costs.…
Read MoreTechnical & Copy Writing – How to Use Causality Correctly
Organize your writing so that it becomes very clear what kind of cause-and-effect relationship exists between different elements of your argument. LINEAR Causality A is the reason why B happens; B is the reason why C happens; etc. CORRECT WAY of using it: A: A previously-public land is rezoned for upper-scale commercial development. B: Land…
Read MoreTechnical & Copy Writing – How to Write “Hamburger emails”
You can use the “Hamburger Paradigm” of writing not only for technical articles and copy but for other types of communications as well, ranging from emails to criticism. In “Hamburger Communication” the principle is simple: sandwich your criticism in between two sweet layers of positive comment. This is sometimes also known as “1+1+1” or “2+1+1”…
Read MoreTechnical & Copy Writing – How to Write a “Hamburger”
“Hamburger Model” is a writing paradigm used in some schools and writing programs. It’s a quick and useful way of explaining how to organize the content of a typical non-fiction article, paper, or other kinds of similar prose. Think about the main parts of a juicy hamburger: Top bun, bottom bun, and whatever goes…
Read MoreTechnical & Copy Writing – 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…
Read MoreTechnical & Copy Writing – How to Use Analogies
© Ugur Akinci If you draw out the parallel elements in seemingly different things you can establish analogies and write interesting articles. By drawing an analogy between two objects or processes you throw a fresh light on both. You thus create a new venue of evaluation that did not exist before. GOURMET COFFEE and FREE-LANCE…
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