Be Careful with Humor in Technical Writing
Humor is great. I love it. Once upon a time I used to write jokes for comedian Joan Rivers as a freelance contributor. Making people laugh is a skill that I respect and truly love. However, when you are writing a technical document or book, you should be very careful before injecting humor into your…
Read More2 Methods to Avoid Gender Ambiguity
One of the hardest things in writing English is to avoid using the third person singular pronouns, unless you are writing for an exclusively male or female group. Every time I see a document with a sentence like “the operator must configure his or her machine according to…” I cringe. Some writers switch back and…
Read MoreHow to Write in “Action Units” in Technical Writing
An “action unit” in technical writing is a series of consequences arising from the same single action. For example, if you drop an apple, it will fall, perhaps roll on the ground and then come to a rest. All of that constitutes a single “action unit.” In a software context, if you click a command…
Read More"How can I get a job as a Technical Writer?"
© Ugur Akinci You can get a job as a technical writer in one the three ways: Work on your own as a freelancer. Work for a job agency or staffing agency as an independent contractor. Work on the payroll as a part- or full-time writer of a company/corporation. Each has its advantages and disadvantages.…
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