Did You Know?
Technical writing has been necessary as long as technology has existed; however, technical writing as a specialty only became widespread in the 1980s with the inception of computers and the internet.
Since then, the technical writing field has grown over 900% in size. |
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How To Write A Technical Writing Manual
By Dennis Fishman
The production of a technical manual is rarely the work of just one person. Even if you’ve been hired on as the technical writer or given the job of organizing all of the information into a comprehensible manual for the potential user. There is usually a project manager who oversees the entire manual project, not to mention the engineers who designed the product and the graphic designer who will insert images demonstrating your steps and the editor who will make sure it’s coherent.
Most technical manuals are technical writing pieces made up mostly of text and punctuated by graphics. Their purpose is to educate the lay user in their homes or to serve as a training document for employees of a company who will be implementing the product. The following are the steps necessary to create a solid piece of technical writing:
- Research. Take the written notes from the engineers, the subject matter expert, and what you have jotted down during meetings with the creators of the product and find the holes. Take a look at previous versions of the product (if they exist) and fill in what you can
- Interview. Ask questions. How is this version different from the previous version? How is this product different from its competitors? Anything that you don’t understand about it works, how to install it, how to set it up, how to run it, or how to implement the features, ASK. If you don’t know, you can’t explain it to someone else.
- Create an outline. When you’ve amassed all of your information, organize it in the most logical fashion. You may want to place the ‘how to set it up’ information first since most users will want to get started right away. Or you may start at the beginning by describing the differences between this and other products. Whatever you decide, run it by your project manager before you begin.
- Write. Take the notes and the outline and begin writing, taking it section by section. Don’t edit until you’ve written it all the way through. Try to take all the technical, jargon-y language and create as simple a piece of technical writing as possible. Remember that your reader will most likely not be in the computer industry. They just want to learn how to use the product so that they can get back to doing their job.
- Graphics. If you are expected to come up with the graphics for this technical writing, do it as you write. Use it as a break from the writing. Don’t put it off. If it has been assigned to someone else, pass them the sections as you finish them (reminding them that they are still rough) so that they can begin to find appropriate graphics.
- Edit everything. When you’ve carefully combed through the text that you’ve written and gotten rid of any grammar and spelling mistakes, verbose language, and irrelevant information. Then format everything for maximum effect, drawing the eye to the important highlights with ‘signals’ like bold, underlining, words in all capital letters, etc.
- Print, bind, turn in. Don’t turn anything in until you’ve edited it thoroughly. There’s no point in wasting their time or yours on feedback that you don’t need.
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