Technical Writing

My readers and students occasionally ask me what type of documents they would be expected to write as technical writers. I’d like to give you a representative list of the many different types of documents that you might be expected to write once you get a job as a technical writer. Obviously, you would not…

Student Question A student of mine asked what she should do to find an entry-level tech writing job in this pandemic environment. I’ve written quite a bit on this topic earlier: https://www.technicalcommunicationcenter.com/?s=jobs However, I understand we live through special times. What has been applicable a year ago might not be valid or practical anymore. So…

101 Questions with Answers to Test Your Knowledge of the Microsoft Manual of Style Microsoft Manual of Style is an important reference in software and hardware industry. Writing conventions adopted by Microsoft in the ‘80s and ‘90s shaped the way technical documents are written form decades. The influence of this style is so pervasive, we…

A practical and easy-to-follow guide to writing Release Notes with examples and the important points to consider while writing it Software production is a continuous process of code writing, testing, distribution, and repeating it all over again in a theoretically endless loop of development. What makes this cycle complicated is the fact that the loops…

I’ve been a nonfiction writer for thirty years During those three decades, other writers, those changing careers from a non-writing field to writing, and those brand new to the industry including my writing students, kept asking one question over and over again: “How can I get a writing job?” “How can I get a writing…

How to Hire Yourself, Beat Fear, and Enjoy Life Have you ever considered the amazing fact that every writer actually hires herself?No matter how her “employment status” looks on paper, even if she appears to be “officially employed” and on a payroll, every writer is still as good as the work she produces. Every writer…

Over 5,300 words. A great introduction to news writing, plus, a detailed look into the right way to write headlines and image captions. Written by an author who himself worked as a professional journalist in Washington D.C. during the mid-90s. These timeless principles explained here remain the same whether you work for a print publication…

A Complete Guide to Writing Academic Compositions, with Examples Over 15,000 words. A comprehensive step-by-step guide to academic essay writing by an author who has written hundreds of such essays during his undergraduate and 6 years of graduate studies. All the main points are illustrated by multiple examples. Writing essays is a necessity that most…