In general, the task of a technical writer is one – to prepare such a text that would allow a new user to use the program or device correctly.
A technical writer can connect to a working group during the development phase of a future product. The product must be tested, features and all possible functions must be studied. The result of the work is a complete instruction with a detailed description of the use of the product, accompanied by clear illustrations.
The main tools of a technical writer are a text editor, a voice recorder, as well as, depending on the specifics of the project, MS Manual of Style, Apple Style Manual, Chicago Manual of Style, MS Word, Adobe FrameMaker (for creating offline materials), Adobe RoboHelp, MadCapFlare (for online documentation) and others.
Know Your Scope of Work
Everyone is well aware of the phrase, “If all else fails, finally read the instructions.” But how can you write instructions so that the desire to read it arises even before you start working with the software product? How do you make it informative for both experienced users and newbies? As a technical writer, you should master the following and a little more
- determine the composition and structure of documents included in the documentation set;
- determine the requirements for documentation and be guided by them in work;
- effectively present the content of documents;
- draw up documentation in the required style;
- ensure the relevance of the documentation, track its changes.
Some IT companies require a technical writer to know markup languages or one of the programming languages at the level of code reading, while others require skills in working with databases or query management systems.
Show Interest and Stay Engaged
What will come in handy for sure is interest in the area you are writing about: If a technical writer is not interested in the field in which he works, it will be difficult for him. Such a profession is not suitable for those who are not ready to improve their level of language – both native and foreign. If a person is interested in all this, then he will find himself in this profession.
Master DITA
The DITA format, in general, turned out to be a very convenient tool for the development of technical documentation with its specific content. For example, we can reuse any block of text or an entire section from one document in another document. And this will not be the usual “copy-paste,” but the use of one block in different documents. If something changes in this block, it will be enough for us to change the text once – the change will automatically go to all documents. We can also apply filters – write one universal section, insert it into several documents and then filter its content depending on the type of document, customer, system, and other parameters. And we also don’t think about cross-references between sections – it is enough to indicate in the right place the key of the section to which we want to refer. When assembling a document, the Toolkit will number the sections themselves and make beautiful hyperlinks.
Proofread: It Still Works
… for professional technical writing as well!
When a writer finishes working on a document, he/she must submit it for review. Business analysts, developers, testers check the documentation. This is a very important stage because a writer can always make a mistake – to misunderstand something, not to take into account some undocumented implementation features.
Don’t Hesitate to Ask for Help
If you are just a beginner, or technical writing is a part of your college program, or you don’t have enough time to finish your technical homework before the deadline, consider delegating it to a professional assignment help service, such as My Assignment Lab. First of all, you are definitely not the first student who needs expert help with doing technical homework assignments, and services are fully ready to provide you with assistance, even if the project is complex and the deadline is scarily close. It is time to admit that it is better to delegate than to fail. Placing a technical writing order won’t take long — you will just list the details of the order, attach the additional materials, state the requirements and the deadline, choose a payment method. The earlier you order, the less you pay. Urgent orders are the most expensive. However, ordering technical writing pieces from experienced authors helps you become a better writer yourself. Study the received materials and use them as a sample for further tasks.
Take Part in Online TW-Quests
There is a lot you can learn by competing. IT specialists have hackathons and other competitions. Technical writing quests are not that popular for now, but you can find one or two in any season. It is fun to take part in such events, and it also helps with developing your unique style, learning from the best and the brightest, and honing your skills. The main idea is to stay engaged and creative, to become a part of the technical writing community.
Technical writing is a valuable part of translating from one language to the same language — from technical language to use language. It is a fulfilling and interesting job that requires constant learning, focus, studying new programs, and being a part of the community.
