Technical & Copy Writing – Write As You Speak
Easy does it. There is no need to write with $100 words if you’re trying to get understood by as many people as possible. EXAMPLE: We terminated our cruising episode briefly around noon to satisfy the gastronomic call of nature. BETTER: We stopped for a quick lunch. EXAMPLE: He actuated the initiation button to activate…
Read MoreA Good Outline is Half of the Solution
© Ugur Akinci I do not believe outlining is a good way to write poetry. But if you are writing non-fiction, an article, a book, a thesis, or a technical document you’d be at a great disadvantage to start writing before you have a detailed outline at hand. I’d go as far as claiming that…
Read MoreA Golden Formula for Clarity in Technical and Copy Writing
© Ugur Akinci To write in simple sentences that anybody can understand, try to stick to this Golden Formula: SUBJECT + VERB + OBJECT If a sentence does not have this structure, try to rearrange the “furniture” so that it reads better and faster. ORIGINAL: The temptation to do it should be resisted. BETTER: Don’t…
Read More2 Golden Principles of Peer Review
© Ugur Akinci There will be instances in your career as a professional technical writer when you will be asked to “peer review” (which is, yes, a compound “verb” these days) someone else’s or your own work. This may happen in a group meeting (or teleconference/webinar) setting when you may be invited to offer your…
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