Technical writing conveys complex technical ideas in a clear, concise way so that even a nontechnical audience can understand those ideas.

Why is technical writing important?

Technical writing is a writing discipline that exists to make sure that complex concepts are described in such a way as to make those concepts understandable to a larger group of people. This means that your technical writing increases the knowledge of your intended audience—that's a powerful effect! And a generous one.

In software development, as you likely know, part of the development process is laying out the plans and processes for an upcoming build to catch any holes or inaccuracies beforehand. Good technical writing helps you and your team create clear documentation that enables all stakeholders to be on the same page.

When you write documentationThe kind of documentation you will be required to write throughout your career will depend on your current company's methodology., you are able to see all your ideas at once and catch contradictions or holes in the logic.

What sets technical writing apart from other writing?

In terms of its purpose and characteristics, technical writing differs from other types of writing such as creative writing, academic writing, journalistic writing, or business writing .

Technical writing:

  • Focuses on effective delivery of technical information to a specific audience.

  • Presents factually correct information.

  • Is easy to update.

  • Is impersonal—that is, it usually uses the third-person perspective and it does not include the writer's opinions.

  • Is comprehensive.

  • Is straightforward and concise—that is, it avoids the stylistic embellishments common in creative and journalistic writing.

What makes a good technical writer?

A good technical writer understands their audience, knows what information their audience is most interested in, and makes even the most difficult concepts accessible through effective explanation.

A good technical writer also has a strong command of writing in general. Once you have a good grasp of the building blocks of writing, technical writing will be much easier to learn, practice, and eventually master.

Let's get started!

In the next lesson, we will go over the characteristics and different types of Technical Writing.

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